It’s rare to see wine lists in wine-producing European countries that bother with wines outside their own country, sometimes even outside their region. This was not the case at Locanda Marinelli, which offers some excellent grower Champagnes and top-notch Burgundies, among others.
Read MoreIlili offers the most expansive list of Lebanese wines in the US. The owners’ ambition is to soon offer the largest list of Lebanese wines in the world. The selections are rounded out by a number of wines from the US, France, Italy and Spain, as well as a few other key regions. Perhaps the best news is that the wines are very kindly priced.
Read MoreWe’d chosen big-flavored dishes, and I figured we either could match their rusticity or contrast it with a fruit-driven wine. A few Puglians and a Vino Nobile di Montepulciano met the first consideration while a Dolcetto matched the second.
Read MoreDinner’s wine list is immense, so we knew we would find something we’d both love that would suit both dishes equally well. Burgundy beckoned, but it was as glaringly expensive as it usually is.
Read MoreComptoir Cuisine sits on Bordeaux’s grand, central square across from its ornate and brightly-lit opera house. Classically Bordelais, its wine list is a compendium of the region’s well-known names with vintages mostly extending back across the last decade. Diners need not worry about picking a lemon from this smartly-curated list.
Read MoreThe unassuming and ultimate wine guru host Aldo Sohm just opened a wine bar with chef Eric Ripert. The duo has long worked their Midtown magic at Le Bernardin, which connects to the wine bar by underground passage. In this chic yet comfy space permeated by 60’s, 70’s and 80’s tunes, you can feast on wine selections geared to the geek, yet not foreign to the main-streamer.
Read MoreI was craving Pinot Noir, but the price points weren’t to my value-oriented mood. As I finished that importer tasting with Italian wines, Cerasuolo – a blend of Nero d’Avola and Frappato grapes – popped into my mind.
Read MoreValue and splurge coexist in this deep collection, so peruse if you have the time. The Ryland Inn presumably inherited the cellar of the restaurant formerly inhabiting its space, accounting for its nice smattering of back vintages, including from regions other than you usually expect – namely Burgundy and Bordeaux.
Read MoreMenu in hand, we quickly decided to order a white then open one of our reds. Then, diving deeper into the list a few more minutes, we abandoned the BYO idea. I hovered over the Italian whites not only because the cuisine was Italian but also because the options were equally delicious and cool. There was a Vitovska, a Greco di Tufo and a Garganega, but this Kerner called to me.
Read MoreFourteen of us gathered in the cozy private dining room. I was promptly charged with choosing the reds. (The happy couple, whose 20th anniversary we were fêting, brought the whites, all from the year they met.) With barely a glance, I plucked a delectable magnum of Frappato.
Read MoreMy parents and I sat down for lunch with one of my best pals. Just days away from Christmas, we three ladies were feeling festive, so nothing but bubbly could do. (Dad enjoyed his usual iced tea.)
Read MoreHaving just fled my laptop, on which I’d been tapping all day, I fleeting wondered how this beverage bearing a Darwin-inspired name might inspire the finishing touches of my article in the morning.
Read MoreMy companion pointed out a Negroamaro aged in Anfora under the first, “light in color” category. How impossible could that be? A grape named “black bitter” that makes a wine light in color? Well, it can be done, and this unusual example is done very well.
Read MoreIn the heart of Istanbul’s trendy Beyoğlu district, Mikla’s wine list represents a wide array of Turkish producers, including wines made from both local and international grapes. Impressively, no borders exist on this list; you will find representation from every major wine-producing country, including Austria, Portugal and the USA.
Read MoreI had chosen the Roasted Squid with Charred Scallions and a Radicchio, Endive and Lettuce Salad with Valdeon and Fried Pistachio Nuts. These may sound like white wine dishes, but the savoriness from the roasting process and the rich blue cheese made a red wine pairing possible.
Read MoreChassagne-Montrachet Pinot Noir tends to be lean as the soils are quite high in limestone, and this trait was emphasized by the vintage’s cool weather.
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