West Side Wine

Every year New York retailers go through this anxiety ridden period, when the big box stores lobby our state government to allow the sale of wine in grocery stores. This coincides with the annual state budget process, because their claim is that this move will significantly increase state revenues. What they conveniently leave out is how many retailers would be forced to close and lay off their employees, thus lengthening the unemployment lines and costing the state lots of bucks in unemployment benefits. Fortunately we are well-organized, and every year we launch our own massive counteroffensive.

This month, as in numerous past attempts, they threw in the towel and abandoned their efforts, realizing that they had little, if any, support with the lawmakers. So we dodged another bullet, and this is reason for celebration. You can relax now. Your wine selections are in the safe hands of people who really know what they’re doing, all of us who devote our lives to finding the best of the best and bringing it to you.

I don’t jump on too many bandwagons, but this is important not only to me and my employees, but to you as well. I know that I wouldn’t want my supermarket chain choosing what I’m going to enjoy tonight with dinner. So here’s to a win for quality and excellence. No doubt we’ll be back at war this time next year, but for now we can enjoy yet another victory for all of us. Cheers!

The winter that never was seems to be history. It’s March, it was 70 degrees yesterday in NYC, and if you look off into the horizon there is a faint pink color filling the air. That would be the first batch of 2011 rosés coming in from every corner of the globe. Can there be any better sign of spring’s arrival? In a word, no.

And all signs point to yet another of year of stellar rosés. I have already received two from Long Island and one from California, but soon the floodgates will open and we’ll be awash in pink. Bravo to Shinn and Paumanok Vineyards for their new juice. 2011 was a very challenging vintage for the North Fork, but both have more than weathered the bad weather. Look for a crisper rose from Pauamanok and definitely a rounder, fuller version from Shinn.  And Arnot-Roberts, those crazy guys from Forestville, somehow found some Touriga Nacional and have made a stunning 2011 rosé. It ain’t cheap, but it’s worth it.

It’s never too early to start quaffing rosé, and I’ll keep you posted as new ones come in. As a matter of fact, the dry rosé from Anthony Road in the Finger Lakes region will be in the house Monday. Wow, it’s a generous Cabernet Franc pinky, at a sweet price (just the price is sweet–not the wine.)  Oh, and by popular demand, we have a brand new batch of the 2010 West Side Rosé in as well.

Here’s to warmer weather, and a long great summer.

(not actually Bodega Tacuil, but imagine!)

From the day I got into the wine world, I’ve never ceased to be amazed at the dedication and hard work that goes into winemaking. And just when I think that I’ve heard it all, I’m introduced to another “can you top this?” winemaking story.

Bodega Tacuil is located in the remotest part of Northern Argentina, elevation over 7,300 feet, and is reputed to be the highest vineyard on the world. Now let’s make it tougher. No electricity, and 30 miles away from any gasoline. Need more? They had to dynamite part of the mountain in order to clear enough land to plant their vineyard, and build a 2 1/2 mile trench from the nearest water source to the vineyard in order to irrigate. They get virtually no rain.

Why do they do this? To make the kind of wine they want to make. The wines are fantastic. We should all be that dedicated no matter what we do.

I really do love winemakers. They are my heroes. The NY Giants, too, but that’s another story.

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.