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Veiling the Veuve as Newark Begins Anew
Posted on by Mark Oldman

Why was this wine writer crouching in the bushes of Newark, New Jersey, feverishly attempting to hide a magnum of Veuve Clicquot, like a dog burying his bone?

cory booker Veuve Clicquot

The Victor                                    The Contraband

I had traveled to Newark for the election-night celebration of Cory Booker, a college friend who was on the verge of becoming this troubled city’s first new mayor in two decades.  Smart, charismatic, and innovative in his approach to urban reform, Cory is a brainy Vin Diesel who’s got the goods to effect real change and help Newark achieve its potential.

So what Champagne is grand enough for to celebrate the rebirth of New Jersey’s largest city?  I reflexively thought of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label, who, like Cory, is loved by legions and so distinctive looking that its orange-yellow label is immediately recognizable across a crowded gymnasium of jubilant supporters.  To my consternation, however, when I arrived at Booker headquarters toting this grand bottle in a satchel, I was immediately descended upon by no less than five security guards, who sternly informed me that no alcohol was allowed in the venue.

“But what if I don’t open it?” I pleaded, not even believing my own words.  The beefy security chief wasn’t buying it either and pointed me to the exit.  I slunked out of the building, defeated and thirsty.  Feeling like a suburban high schooler forced to hide a six-pack of Moosehead from his parents, I found myself having to elude the police officers milling about the venue and find a deserted patch of shrubbery in which to hide this magnificent bottle.  I then returned to the festivities.

But all ended well: Cory won in a landslide victory and the magnum of VC was still there after the election party — undisturbed, still somewhat chilled, and ready to inaugurate an era of hope and opportunity for Newark.

newchamProducer: Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin

Wine: Yellow Label Brut

Vintage: NV

Cost: $45 (or about $90 for a magnum)

Track it down: ubiquitous (including the lonely shrubs of Newark)

A crowd favorite famous for its balance of force and finesse, Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label is everything a richer-style, Pinot Noir-dominated Champagne should be.  This golden-yellow potion consistently delivers tiny, pinpoint bubbles, joined by notes of apple, honey, vanilla, and baked bread, culminating in a creamy finish that lasts longer than a politician’s smile.

7 Well-Known Napa Wineries Worth Visiting (and Nary a Greyhound in Sight)
Posted on by Mark Oldman

Anyone can roll up to the Napa Valley in a tour bus, stop at one of the wine factories along Highway 29, and quaff a few glasses of Chardonnay in the winery’s Disneyfied hospitality room. Happily, not every major Napa Valley winery offers a wait-your-turn-at-the-trough experience. You just have to know which ones put an extra effort into pouring good stuff in a setting that doesn’t induce leg cramps or involve a gift shop larger than the winery itself. Here are seven of my favorites:

napa valley

Chateau Montelena: This legendaryNapa Valley winery helped put California wine on the map by emerging victorious over French wine in the famous “Judgment of Paris” wine competition in 1976. The winery itself is a stately stone chateau structure set beside an expansive lake. Montelena produces consistently excellent Estate Cabernet and Chardonnay, and also offers a Riesling that’s only at the winery. It is a 45-minute drive north of the center of Napa Valley.

Chateau Montelena 1429 Tubbs Lane, Calistoga.  (707) 942-5105, [email protected].  Reservations needed for tour.

Frog’s Leap: Centrally located on Highway 29, iconoclastic Frog’s Leap boasts a restored, historic red barn, a heirloom orchard, and — you guessed it — a “frog pond.” Owner John Williams produces some of Napa Valley’s most flavorful wine, half of which is Sauvignon Blanc, with Cabernet, Zinfandel, Merlot, and Chardonnay making up the balance. Tour groups are limited in size, so make an appointment well in advance. The Frog’s Leap flying-frog label is so distinctive that it has been catalogued in the permanent archives of the Smithsonian Institution. As its name suggests, this is the rare high-end winery that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Frog’s Leag 8815 Conn Creek Rd Rutherford, California. (800) 959-4704, [email protected].  By appointment only.

Hess Collection Winery: An extraordinary one-two punch for the senses: a formidable modern art gallery and an excellent winery.  A windy road up Mount Veeder gets you to this modern facility, meticulously appointed with bleached-wood floors, huge windows, and a king’s ransom of modernist abstract art, including works by Stella, Bacon, and Motherwell.  Make sure to take in the brief high-tech slideshow about winemaking, which plays in the upstairs Spielbergian screening room. The Hess Collection Estate Cabernet is of the best values in premium California Cabernet, and the Hess Select Chardonnay and Cabernet are always flavorful and affordable.

The Hess Collection Winery, 4411 Redwood Road Napa CA 94558. (707) 255-1144, [email protected].

Joseph Phelps Vineyards: Only a few minutes drive off the Silverado Trail, but you’ll feel far from the bustle of Napa at this much loved winery, which overlooks terraced vineyards, oak trees, and the Mayacamas Mountains. Strictly appointment-only, a typical tasting is held around a wooden table in the winery’s serene tasting room and introduces you to six or so wines, such as Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Merlot, and Cabernet. Phelps’ extensive catalog of wine includes its Vin du Mistral series, a variety of Rhone-style grapes and blends, as well as Insignia, a legendary Bordeaux-style blend and collectors’ favorite. The winery’s two picnic tables are among the most coveted in Napa and are available to guests on a first-come, first-served basis.

Joseph Phelps Vineyards, 200 Taplin Road, St. Helena. (707) 963-2745 [email protected]. By appointment only.

PlumpJack Winery: Panoramic views of the surrounding Mayacamas and Vaca Mountains greet visitors of this hip winery. You’ll taste high-quality Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet, and perhaps some winery-only selections. PlumpJack is owned by the Getty family and their friends, who also run the PlumpJack restaurants, wine stores, and resort in Northern California. As the spiraling fences surrounding the winery suggest, PlumpJack has a whimsical, stylish feel that belies its serious commitment to making fine wine. Cool “Plumpjack” t-shirts will make you the envy of your gym.

PlumpJack Winery, 620 Oakville Crossroad Oakville, CA. (707) 945-1220, [email protected].

Regusci Winery: A “Ghost Winery,” which is the name given to the few remaining early Napa Valley wineries that were in existence between 1860 and 1900. Set back off of the Silverado Trail on a slight incline, the winery opened its doors as “Regusci” in 1998. Using a rustic, western-looking label, Regusci bottles Merlot, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, and Cabernet, with the last being especially prized and expensive. The winery is located in a beautiful old stone building, and nearby are a few picnic tables overlooking the vineyards.

Regusci Winery, 5584 Silverado Trail Napa, CA. (707) 254-0403, [email protected].

Robert Sinskey Vineyards: Much-loved cathedral-like winery nestled into the foothills of the Stags Leap District, Robert Sinskey offers tours of its vineyards, gardens, caves, and culinary kitchen. RSV is known for several styles of celebrated Pinot Noir, as well as Chardonnay, Merlot, and Pinot Blanc. Every month or so, the winery holds a special, over-the-top “Culinary Excess” feast pairing incredible food with ample amounts of Sinksey wine. Sign up for Sinkey’s online newsletter to stay abreast of these special dinners.

Robert Sinskey Vineyards, 6320 Silverado Trail, Napa. (707) 944-9090, [email protected].  Reservations needed for tour.

Mark’s Magnus Morsels: New York’s Best Nibbles (Downtown Edition)
Posted on by Mark Oldman

Man cannot subsist on wine alone. We also need special savory treats and snacks, foods with an uncommon depth of flavor, soul-satisfying, life-affirming, swoon-inducing, so deliriously good that they will make you want to moan in joy, hug yourself, and float skyward in the manner of that old Hanna Barbera cartoon hound after he received a dog biscuit. We need what I call “Magnus Morsels”.snacks nyc downtown

 

The following 27 Magnus Morsels are obtainable in downtown Manhattan and were chosen based on their ability to deliver intense flavor per swallow at reasonable cost:

Fried Chicken at Blue Ribbon
Frank Purdue would have wept with like a rescued castaway tasting the golden crunchy skin swaddling the juicy meat within, accompanied by the restaurant’s luscious Mexican honey, and divinely creamy mashed potatoes and Gerbers-tender collard greens.
Blue Ribbon, 97 Sullivan St. between Prince & Spring St

Cheese Popovers at BLT Prime
If sex shops had bakeries, they would proudly proffer these gigantic, warm and chewy, gruyere-laced puffed-up creations, brought to the table gratis and guaranteed to butcher your appetite.
BLT Prime, 111 E 22nd St, between Lexington & Park Ave South

Grilled Corn at Cafe Habana
Like a glowing aircraft beacon over LaGuardia, this Mexican-style maize attracts heavy traffic, its crispy kernels electrified with chili powder, melted cotija cheese, and mayo, and enlivened further by a squeeze of lime and a dash of hot sauce.
Cafe Habana, 17 Prince St., at Elizabeth St

Personal Pizzas at Pizza Gruppo
Searing into your mind like the Kal Kan branding iron, these brick-oven masterworks benefit from the perfect assemblage of tangy sauce, fresh mozzarella, unimpeachable toppings like caramelized onions and quality artichoke hearts, and a thin, flaky crust — served in a little East Village joint that few seem to know about.
Pizza Gruppo, 186 Avenue B, between 11th & 12th St

Tempura String Beans at the Red Cat
More addictive than nicotine-laced Pringles, these lightly battered marvels and accompanying sweet mustard dipping sauce will haunt your taste buds for weeks at a time.
The Red Cat, 227 10th Ave, between 23rd & 24th St

Lemonade at City Bakery
Thirst slaking and pleasantly piquant.
City Bakery, 3 W 18th St, between 5th & 6th Aves

Lobster Roll at the Lobster Place
Snowy chunks of the freshest lobster meat, lightly mixed with lemony mayo, crammed into a hot dog bun and ringing up at only $12 at this Chelsea Market fish shop.
The Lobster Place, 436 W 16th St, at 10th Ave (inside Chelsea Market)

Fried Meatballs at Bellavitae
These small, spherical miracles snap and crackle as you pop them into your mouth, their olive-oil-fried crust encasing moist meat within.
Bellavitae, 24 Minetta Lane, between 6th Ave & MacDougal St

Tuna on Rye at Eisenberg’s Sandwich Shop
Neither this coffee shop’s dreary pre-war decor nor the sandwich’s bland rye bread, prosaic iceberg lettuce, and only-ok tomato can dull the magic of its gloriously retro tuna salad: a mound of tuna and high-fat, non-sweet mayo, fluffed to perfection with grandmotherly love.
Eisenberg’s Sandwich Shop, 174 5th Ave, between 22nd & 23rd St

Volcano Roll at Cube 63
You’ll experience an eruption of your own when your fangs sink into this savory slice of succulence, a soft cushion of crabmeat and shrimp, sauced sweetly with crunch bits up top.
Cube 63, 63 Clinton St, between Rivington & Stanton St

Wild Mushroom Pizza at Gonzo
This grilled pleasure-disk is crisp as a cracker with a perfect blend of caramelized onions and taleggio, Romano, and bel paese cheeses.
Gonzo, 140 W. 13th St. between Sixth and Seventh Ave

Crispy Chicken (“Pollo all Capricciosa”) at Apizz
If God endeavored to make Shake-and-Bake Chicken, it would emerge like the beatific bird at Apizz: crispy exterior (brightened by a lemon squeeze) and a delectably tender, pounded-thin interior, served with palate-cleansing arugula.
Apizz (pronounced: Ah-Beets), 217 Eldridge St, between Stanton & Rivington St

Kobe Beef Sliders at the Stanton Social
With mini-burgers in New York as ubiquitous as cell phone-chattering cabbies, this fine rendition stands out for its juicy Kobe-style meat, tangy sauce, and golden brown roll.
The Stanton Social, 99 Stanton St, between Orchard & Ludlow St

Chicken Samsoas at Spice Market
A hemisphere away from the typical leaden, monolithic fried wedge you find on Sixth Street, these crispy little wonders contain bits of chili-accented chicken, invigorated by a cilantro yogurt dipping sauce. Snacks of all other kinds, bow down.
Spice Market, 403 W 13th St at Ninth Ave

Wood Oven-Baked Pasta at Five Points
A heady perfume of teleme and grana cheese announces the arrival of this creation, a kind of new world lasagna fabricated with thin layered pasta and slow-cooked plum tomatoes, thankfully a staple on the menu of this venerable eatery.
Five Points, 31 Great Jones St, between Lafayette St & Bowery

BLT at Joe Jr.
This Greek diner’s dilapidated facade belies the miracle within: the platonic ideal of a BLT, highlighted by always-crispy bacon and better-than-decent tomato slices, packed into crispy white toast and joined by a properly sour pickle.
Joe Jr., 482 6th Ave at 12th St

Sizzling Shrimp (“Gambas Al Pil Pil”) at Azafran
Shrimps bathed in a bubbling olive oil lagoon so garlicky good that any vampires at your table will run for the hills. The house rolls, crusty yet soft, are perfect for sopping it all up.
Azafran, 77 Warren Street between Greenwich St & W Broadway

Chicken Wings at Tebaya
So good is the garlicky, sesame-seed-studded sauce slathered on these non-battered, twice-fried wings, you’ll be tonguing it off your knuckles long after you leave the secret takeout shop that is Tebaya.
Tebaya, 144 W 19th St, between 6th & 7th Ave

Lobster Sandwich at Mooncake Foods
Among this Holland Tunnel hideaway’s fantastically fresh, bargain-priced Asian-influenced creations is a non-mayo take on a lobster roll, its sweet meat slathered with garlic butter and tucked into a quality Kaiser bun. Not technically snacks but too delicious to gloss over.
Mooncake Foods, 28 Watts St, at 6th Ave

Asparagus Bruschetta at ‘ino
You’ll marvel at how this nominal nibble can deliver such a shock wave of flavor through its alchemy of asparagus, Parmesan, and truffle oil.
‘ino, 21 Bedford St, between Houston & Downing St

Sauerkraut-and-Mushroom Pierogies at Veselka
The upper limits of savoriness are visited with these pliable pillows of Polish pleasure, encasing a tasty of mix of sauerkraut and mushroom, and ready to dip in the accompanying apple sauce and onion relish.
Veselka, 144 2nd Ave at 9th St

Pastrami at Katz’s
A feat of gastronomic perfection manifesting itself as black-rimmed hunks of tender pink meat, glistening and garlicky, savory and smoky.
Katz’s Delicatessen, 205 E. Houston St. at Ludlow St.

Warm Pecorino Fondue at Craftbar
This ménage à trois of melted pecorino cheese, acacia honey, and hazel nuts induces paroxysms of pleasure every time.
Craftbar, 900 Broadway at 20th St (note: menu changes currently underway)

Hot Chocolate at City Bakery
So lusciously viscous that it borders on the profane. Snacks move out of the way for this thick beverage.
City Bakery, 3 W 18th St between Fifth and Sixth Ave

French Toast at Danal
Springing from the flaky goodness of croissants, this crisp creation is rich and flavorful without descending into eggy, spongy trap that often afflicts this brunch favorite. Sweet snacks are just as imperative as savory.
Danal, 90 E. 10th St. between 3rd and 4th Aves

Meatball and Garlic Pizza at John’s
Ordering a meatball and garlic pizza at this Village institution catapults a good pizza into the realm of the heroic, its creamy mozzarella and tangy sauce blanketing the dark slivers of meaty magnificence, buttressed by John’s signature charred, ashy crust.
John’s of Bleecker Street, 278 Bleecker St, between 6th Ave & 7th Ave

Diet Coke at Cafeteria
Can one eatery’s Diet Coke stand above the rest? Cafeteria somehow pulls it off, with its plentiful pour of uncommonly dark, moderately sweet, sassily effervescent pop. Perfect accompaniment to all snacks.
Cafeteria, 119 Seventh Ave. at 17th St

Nine Ways to Seduce With Wine This Valentine’s Day
Posted on by Mark Oldman

Valentine’s Day may seem like a cliché day filled with flowers and chocolates. But you can impress your date beyond their wildest expectations with these wines. If you aim to make pulses race this Valentine’s Day, head straight for one of these choices:

valentine's day wine

1) Rosé (pink) Champagne: Its color blushes with excitement, its bubbles tickle the palate, and its price — high because of its scarcity — says that you care enough to pour the best. Try Veuve Clicquot, Billecart-Salmon, or Laurent-Perrier.

2) Sofia: For more casual bubbles, consider the Coppola 2004 Sofia Blanc de Blanc Sparkling Wine, about $20 on shelves.  Named for the famous director’s daughter, it is light, refreshing, and faintly redolent of pears and peaches.  With its Valentine’s Day -appropriate, girly-chic label and pink wrapping paper, it is the vinous equivalent of a hip bed-and-breakfast.

3) Red Burgundy: If chosen carefully, a bottle from the Burgundy village of Chambolle-Musginy (especially the perfectly-named “Les Amoureuses”) or Volnay can coat your tongue with more velvet than the walls of Mae West’s bedroom.

4) Château Calon-Ségur: Tailor-made for seduction, this red Bordeaux features a lover’s heart — fat and curvy like a child’s drawing — smack in the center of its label.

5) St. Amour or Fleurie: These well-named Beaujolais wines are also well-priced, at under $15 a bottle, and they are irresistibly light and fruity. Go for Duboeuf, Drouhin, or Jadot.

6) Shellfish with Rich White Wine: Whether it’s lobster with Meursault or crab-stuffed avocado with California Chardonnay, this creamy pairing has a long history of making people reach for the “Do Not Disturb” sign.

7) Prozac-co Smoothie: Mix Prosecco (the Italian bubbly, try the Zardetto), vodka, and lemon sorbet together in a blender, serve in a champagne flute, top with fresh mint. Valentine’s Day as never tastier!

8) Chaucer’s Choice: Gently simmer a light red wine with a small amount of honey, nutmeg, and cinnamon (based on the medieval spiced wine called hippocras).

9) Cleopatra’s Bliss: Drink a cold glass of late-harvest dessert wine in a hot bath of powdered milk.

Winter Rescue via Tormaresca Primitivo
Posted on by Mark Oldman

It’s winter. I’m lying near the Khumbu Icefall on the Nepalese side of the Himalayas, my climbing gear crusted over with blue ice, my body a glacial mass so cold that not even a shiver can issue from my hopeless limbs. All turns to black as I fade deeper…deeper…deeper into my alpine tomb.

winter dog wine

And then, out of the corner of my icy eye, I see them.  A duo of Saint Bernards, yelping and bounding towards me, toting around their necks the ultimate rescue kit: a bottle of rich red wine and a container of steaming pasta with meat sauce.  I am saved…

…Ok, so maybe I’m not on Everest tended to by a pack of connoisseur rescue dogs.  But in the piercing frigidity that has seized New York City, I have discovered an antidote of similar efficacy: Tormaresca Primitivo and Tortellini con Ragu, both of which I wolfed down like a starving rescuee during a recent visit to the East Village’s funky trattoria, Il Bagatto.

NUGGET TO KNOW:

Affordable, aromatic, and always a satisfying choice, Primitivo will light your primal fires with soft, spicy fruit and rich, sun-baked flavors.

prim2Producer: Tormaresca (Puglia, Italy)
Wine: Primitivo Torcicoda
Vintage: 2001
Cost: $19

Blood will rush back to your extremities with this wine’s potent, medium to full bodied embrace.  Big, blackberry fruits join with hints of licorice and cedar, followed by an enduring, velvety finish.  As with so many Italian reds, it shows a slight edge of tannin and acidity, but they are well-integrated and help the wine match beautifully with rich winter fare.

Tormaresca is owned by Antinori, the celebrated Italian producer based in Tuscany.