West Side Wine

With the rain, the wind, and the chill in the air yesterday, it seemed especially nice to have some good news.

First, the Public Theater announced their offerings for Shakespeare In the Park this summer. Shakespeare and Sondheim!

Then, I received my first 2012 pre-buy offer for rosé.  Yes!

I say let’s kick the whole thing off early. After a long wait, a new batch of West Side Rosé is in the house. I sell a number of rosés all year round, but this one is our very own, and is very special. It brought a smile to a lot of folks’ faces when it first showed up last summer.

So, fear not, there’ll be another spring. In fact, if you close your eyes and take a sip, it could be already here.

Happy New Year guys. Better late then never. Time and the craziness of the season got away from me. But I’m back, and have lots of new goodies for you.

In this business, holiday time is not a time to trot out new things. Most folks are not interested in breaking new ground, but rather prefer sticking with the wines they know. Flash forward to the new year, and it’s time to try new things. Sounds like a resolution to me.

So, how about some Croatian beauties, or Greek gems? There’s a lot more to Austria than Gruner Veltliner. Zweigelt or Blaufrankish, anyone? You think you know French wine regions? How about the Jura, or Madarin, or Gascony? You get the point. What better time than the new year to break old habits and launch into new and exciting frontiers. As we always say, so many wonderful wines, way too little time.

So, if you didn’t make any resolutions yet, here’s one for you. Try at least one new region or new grape a week. By the end of the year you could be a sommelier, or at least talk a good game.  Cheers, and the very best in 2012.

No, we’re not talking about Mark Twain, but instead about the dreaded-or-beloved Beaujolais Nouveau. In my relatively short career in the wine industry, this light quaff has gone from a “must have” to a “must dis” to, it seems now, somewhere in the “why not enjoy it while it lasts?” category.

I am not one of those retailers who buys 50 cases of George Duboeuf, sticks them in a pile in the front of the store, and prays that it all sells out before New Year’s Eve. First of all, that stuff is the stuff that gives BN a worse name than it deserves. Second, the BN rage days of the 80′s and 90′s are long gone. But the good news is that there are a number of smaller producers who are making quite nice BN in moderate quantities, and their creations seem to fit the bill perfectly for BN’s current status.This year I bought 5 cases each of three different winemakers’ BN, and before I could say “Happy Thanksgiving” it was all gone. I also spoke to those distributors who represent these little guys, and they all wished that they had ordered more.

So it seems that BN has settled in nicely in a more modest, higher quality environment. While it’s still fashionable among the real wine geeks to trash the stuff, I, unashamedly, do enjoy it while it lasts, and these days that seems to be a much shorter period of time. Viva Beaujolais Nouveau!

Well, actually not fishin’. Been hanging a bit on the Pacific Ocean. But I’m back, and ready to dig in for the holidays. I actually have lots to talk about, and will be back at it as soon as I catch my breath. Stay tuned.

In anticipation of getting bombarded with wine suggestions for that meal of all meals, it’s time to share my philosophy about what to pair with all of those crazy dishes.

First of all, lighter is better. That plate is gonna be full of a ton of food, gang, and you sure don’t want some high alcoholic wine forcing you into an early slumber, especially before dessert. So forget that “America’s Wine” thing, and skip the Zinfandel. With its 14-16% alcohol level, you’ll be in for the big sleep. Skip the other biggies as well, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah.

So where does that leave you? With tons of fantastic options, that’s where. Pinot Noir, Riesling, Gewurtztraminer, Gruner Veltliner, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Cru Beaujolais (even the dreaded Noveau), any Gamay for that matter, Barbera, Dolcetto, Frappato.

And then there’s one of my big favorites….rosé. Yup, rosé is going to be one of the bottles on my table. I think it’s perfect with not only the bird, but also with all of the the trimmings. Get over the “rosé is only for summer” myth and give it a try. You’ll thank me in the morning.

Another great idea is cider. There are a number of great artisinal “hard” ciders out there, and they are simply delicious. Add to that about 5% alcohol. and you’ll outlast anyone at the dinner table. You’ll probably be the only one awake for that prime time football game.

So that should give you enough to go on when you step into your favorite local wine shop. Don’t let them bully you. Walk tall, head held high, and demand your any-of-the-above. Most important, Happy Thanksgiving.

For some specific recommendations (all available in our new web store and in our store-store) click here.

I have long been a fan of the wines from the Finger Lakes Region, and now they are finally getting the recognition they deserve. Even Wine Spectator is giving them their own heading (New York State Wines) as opposed to tossing them in with “Other U.S. Wines,” which was their designation until recently.

So I was looking forward to reading Summer In A Glass by Evan Dawson, which was given to me by a salesperson representing many FLR wineries. Each chapter is devoted to one winemaker/winery, recounting what they went through in building a business and creating these now heralded wines. It’s a fantasy all of us wine geeks share, but the realities are sobering (pardon me.)

All in all the stories are uplifting and the successes are well deserved. If you’re at all interested in what goes into making it in the wine world, this is a book for you. And don’t worry. It isn’t the least bit technical or nerdy. On the contrary, it is most accessible and just plain good story telling. Cheers.

It’s autumn, probably my favorite season, and my thoughts turn to autumn things, like apples. Speaking of which, have you ever tried really good cider? No, not Mott’s, but the stuff from places like Normandy and the Berkshires. You know, the slightly hard stuff that is so great with meals like Thanksgiving? Low alcohol, slightly fizzy, refreshingly refreshing. The ciders from Normandy are fabulous and legendary, but my experience with them is that they don’t travel well. They’re great in France, but after a long ocean voyage and time in a warehouse somewhere they just lose their oomph.

Cut to domestic cider, and West County Cider from the Berkshires, just two hours up the road from us. Wow, what a difference. These ciders are fresh, crisp, sparkling and a pure delight. They’re also the only ones I know that are made 100% pure varietal, meaning, all Baldwin, all Macintosh, all Redfield. Redfield? Yeah. This apple has red flesh, so the cider is pink. The rosé of ciders, if you will. You can find the Baldwin and the Redfield at our brand new web store, and of course in our store-store as well.

There are also some amazing  pear ciders, but I’ve only found them from Normandy. They’re still very much worth a go. Whatever cider you discover, now is the time to enjoy it, so give it a try. You’ll be hooked.

Well, we’ve finally done it. You can now buy online from West Side Wine.  (See that “SHOP” tab up there? It actually works!) We’re kicking things off with just 99 of our favorite bottles, many of them organic. (If you are searching, be sure to click the “Organic” option to see all those beauties.) And we’ll be adding more every day.

Don’t worry, you can still count on The Wine Guy to help you with your picks—just use the “Contact Us” feature in the web store to ask for recommendations or advice.

We’re offering same or next-day delivery to many Manhattan neighborhoods (see “Delivery Info” for details) and will ship to as many states as the law allows, so now you can share the love with friends and family all over the country. Just think of the joy you’ll be spreading! And you can also choose the “In-Store Pick Up” option while you’re checking out, just in case you’re longing for some more face time with us.

Give it a try. And let us know what you think!

Cheers.

Not that we went anywhere. Somehow this summer went by without any major vacation. No France, no California, just a lot of day trips and activities in NYC. Don’t get me wrong. New York is the Greatest City in the World, and before summer started, Ellen made a list of “NYC must-dos” which we actually managed to do. Governor’s Island, the new bike path up the Hudson to the George Washington Bridge, tubing the Delaware River (not technically a NYC thing), strolling the new extension of the High Line, dining at M. Welles in L.I.C (no longer there, unfortunately.) A lot of good local stuff, but sometimes it felt like we were the only folks sticking it out here. Just us and the crickets. (Or rather, cicadas.)

But now you’re back, and we’re certainly glad to see you. Let the tastings and autumn activities commence. It’s actually my favorite season, and who knows, maybe now we’ll disappear for a few days while you all get back to work.  Welcome home, kids. We’re ready to pour and sell you some great wines.

For the second straight year, WSW has its very own rosé. Our dear friend and winemaker par excellence, Tony Coturri, makes it for us, and this year’s vintage is simply amazing. In February we went out to his winery atop Sonoma Mountain to choose our cuvée from approximately 12 different different cuvées. Each cuvée has a different cepage or blend, and some are made with just one varietal. It’s kind of difficult to choose at this point in their development, because they’re still fermenting, hence evolving.

After much tasting one Saturday afternoon, and going back and forth and forth and back, we chose #11, a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. It was very pale, fizzy, and slightly sweet. Something about it just spoke to us.

Five months later it arrived as a big, bold, dark beauty, with tons of ripe red berry and cherry fruit, barely resembling a rosé, but tasting definitely like a rosé. It is simply a “wow”.  (And organic/biodynamic too.) If there ever was the consummate barbeque wine, this is it. And it seems that everyone is in agreement. Five cases have already disappeared, and we hope our barrel (20 cases) makes it through the summer. Personally, I’d like a little left over for later in the year, because rosés and Thanksgiving are a marriage made in heaven. And contrary to some peoples’ opinion, I think they can age very well.

So, get it while it’s hot (out there) or if you’re like me, put a few away for those cold winter nights and cozy meals. It works!