When: 6:00 – 8:00 PM, tonight
Who: you – and feel free to bring a friend!
Where: Stonehome wine bar, 87 Lafayette Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11217. Map it!
How: G to Fulton; C to Lafayette; 2, 3, 4, 5, N, R, Q to Atlantic Ave, BAM/LIRR exit.

Stonehome has been racking up the accolades recently. Zagat NYC Nightlife says it is the #1 wine bar in NYC. NY Mag praised the outdoor space. All that sounds like we need to see the place for ourselves!

So next Thursday hop on a train to Brooklyn and savor a glass with fellow vino-philes in the latest of our series of meetups. Post a comment or drop me a line if you can make it since the folks at Stonehome would like a heads up on numbers. Hope to see you there!

When: 6:00 – 8:00 PM, Thursday July 26
Who: you – and feel free to bring a friend!
Where: Stonehome wine bar, 87 Lafayette Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11217. Map it!
How: G to Fulton; C to Lafayette; 2, 3, 4, 5, N, R, Q to Atlantic Ave, BAM/LIRR exit.

When: Thursday, June 7, 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Where: Il Posto Accanto, 190 E. 2nd St. (near Ave B)
How: F, V at Lower East Side-Second Ave.; J, M, Z at Essex St.
Who: you – and feel free to bring a friend!

See the original post.

So push back from your desks and roll on over to Il Posto Accanto next Thursday as we continue our slow-motion pub wine bar crawl of NYC. Kind of short notice this time around but I hope to see many of you there.

Il Posto Acconto is a charming–dare I say, rustic–wine bar next door to the restaurant Il Baggatto in the East Village. Both are owned by la famiglia of Gabrio Tosti, who in turn owns the excellent boutique wine shop, De Vino. (Since he’ll be there, we’ll have to see if we can get him to to do that thing that he’s doing in the photo on his blog.) Other NYC bloggers, other NYC wine drinkers are all welcome to sample the 30 types of vino available by the glass.

In case it’s your first time to join, the meetup is simply a chance to meet in the real world, off the internet, with wine enthusiasts, in particular, readers of this site and people who’ve taken my wine classes at the NYU. There’s no charge other than what you order at the bar. Consider it a happy hour. Or two.

So get your weekend started with fellow vino-philes! Post a comment or drop me a line at tyler [at] drvino [dot] com if you can make it. I look forward to seeing you there!

When: Thursday, June 7, 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Where: Il Posto Accanto, 190 E. 2nd St. (near Ave B)
How: F, V at Lower East Side-Second Ave.; J, M, Z at Essex St.
Who: you – and feel free to bring a friend!
Il Posto Accanto, NY Mag

Juicy offers a compact but cool environment that even made this New Yorker jealous. Why? The wine bar/wine shop is not legally an option in New York thanks to silly laws prohibit wine consumers from buying a bottle to go or to stay. Juicy charges a $15 corkage, or in their parlance, “chill out” fee over the retail prices, which makes it the cheapest place to sit down and enjoy a bottle of Krug in the city.

I stuck with the wines by the glass enjoying a Kerner from Alto-Adige and a plate of American artisanal cheeses. Charcuterie is also available but no hot food. The wine list is not enormous but the selections are well-chosen with many selections I wanted to try. Oddly, for being a wine destination, the wine list has no vintages.

We were served by the wildly knowledgeable and personable Linda Violago who has served many a fine wine at Charlie Trotter’s, her main gig, for the past few years. She is leaving Chicago in ten days to assume the chief wine duties at Mugaritz in San Sebastian, Spain. If readers of this blog go to that restaurant in the near future (and I am envious, yes), then give her a shout!

Juicy Wine Company
694 N. Milwaukee Ave.
(312) 492-6620

Fun vino-philes, local bloggers of note, and many others that I haven’t met before have let me know they’re coming. Get your weekend started on a good note–hope you can make it!

When: Friday, May 11, 5:30 – 7:30 PM
Where: Juicy Wine Company, 694 N. Milwaukee Ave. (bet Chicago and Erie)
Who: you – and feel free to bring a friend!

See the original posting.

I’ll be in town and look forward to meeting anybody who can make it. We can try wines by the glass (or any bottle from the shop with a $15 corkage fee–or “chill out” fee as they call it) together at the newish and hipster Juicy Wine Co. They have charcuterie and cheeses available.

The meetup is simply a chance to meet in the real world, off the internet, with wine enthusiasts, in particular, readers of this site and people who’ve taken my wine classes at the U of C. There’s no charge other than what you order at the bar. Consider it a happy hour. Or two.

So get your weekend started with fellow vino-philes! Post a comment or drop me a line at tyler [at] drvino [dot] com if you can make it. I look forward to seeing you there!

When: Friday, May 11, 5:30 – 7:30 PM
Where: Juicy Wine Company, 694 N. Milwaukee Ave. (bet Chicago and Erie)
Who: you – and feel free to bring a friend!

As a reminder, I’ll be buying a glass of wine for the person who comes from the farthest away! So even if you’re just visiting NYC, why not stop by for some vino?

When: March 8, 6 PM – 8ish.
Where: Jadis, 42 Rivington (map it)
How: F, V at 2nd Ave; J at Bowery; 6 at Spring St.; taxi
Review: Jadis [NY Mag]
on the web: Jadisnyc.com

tags: wine | NYC wine bars

The format is simply a get-together of a people who read this site. Come, order, chat, drink, munch, pay. Inspired by our attendee from Colorado last time and an inquiry from newlyweds from London who wanted to join us on their honeymoon, I’ll be buying a glass of wine for the person who comes from the farthest away! But even if you’re not journeying from afar, come along to our offline for a happy hour or two.

When: March 8, 6 PM – 8ish.
Where: Jadis, 42 Rivington (map it)
How: F, V at 2nd Ave; J at Bowery; 6 at Spring St.; taxi
Review: Jadis [NY Mag]
on the web: Jadisnyc.com

tags: wine | NYC wine bars

Everyone agreed that Wined Up has a great aesthetic. The one long wall with backlit bottles is a great look. Another wall has some gnarly grape vine cuttings running up it.

And it was good for us that the venue remains somewhat “undiscovered” since we were able not only to hear each other but also to grab some seats at the bar. Many wine bars in NYC are often too cramped or too full so talking and sipping with ease should not go unrecognized.

The wine list has a couple of pages of red, white and bubbly by the glass. The selections are solid (if somewhat ho-hum for die-hard wine geeks) and affordable since the glasses run from $6-$12. Interestingly, there are no flights on the list but if you want one they will make one for you. One among us told the bar tender that he wanted a flight of “big reds.” The friendly bartender asked him how many to which he replied four. And voila four reds were poured into Riedel O glasses and the bottles lined up behind them. Nice display.

Another in our party wanted to pick out her own wines so she selected a flight of five whites. Presto, five whites in the “O” glasses with the bottles behind them. I tried a glass of white, the Don David Torrontes from Argentina (find it), to go with a small cheese platter (they have Jasper Hill “constant bliss”–a must try!) but found it to be too cold especially given the wintry weather. But in the glorified tumbler that is the “O” glass, I was able to warm it up quickly in my hand. Other cured meats, cheeses, and small bites are available.

Here’s how to find Wined Up:
913 Broadway, nr. 20th St. Map it
Second floor above the restaurant Punch (signage is not great but it’s upstairs)
Flatiron District. Tel: 212-673-6333

And stay tuned for our next stop on the NYC wine bar crawl, probably next month. I’ll post the details here with hopefully enough notice so that you can join us if you haven’t already…

tags: wine | NYC | wine bars

When: starting 6PM, Friday, February 9
Where: Wined Up
Second floor above the restaurant Punch (repeat: it’s upstairs)
913 Broadway, nr. 20th St. Map it
Flatiron District
Who: You! And bring a friend or two if you like
See the original post

tags: wine | NYC

The meet-up is simply a chance to meet in the real world, off the internet, with wine enthusiasts, in particular, readers of this site and people who’ve taken my wine classes at NYU. There’s no charge other than what you order at the bar. Consider it a happy hour. Or two.

Wined Up opened in November above Punch in the Flatiron District. We will put their 30 wines by the glass to the test. Ditto for the cured meats and cheeses (I’ll leave it to you if you want to try the pumpkin hush puppies). And perhaps even pull a bottle off their 100′ backlit display wall. Come one, come all and kick off your weekend between 6 and 8ish on Friday, Feb 9.

When: starting 6PM, Friday, February 9
Where: Wined Up
Second floor above the restaurant Punch (repeat: it’s upstairs)
913 Broadway, nr. 20th St. Map it
Flatiron District
Who: you! And bring a friend if you like

tags: wine | nyc

Varietal is a wine restaurant AND and excellent, bona fide wine bar. I’m upgrading it to “a favorite” on my NYC wine bar map. Here’s why:

• 75 wines by the glass. These aren’t any wines, mind you. They are really cool stuff. I’d be willing to taste them all–in fact I have enjoyed many of them already.
• Great flights, seven flights in all, including even a Greek flight! All the glasses in the flight come with handy printed tags–excellent for keeping things straight.
• The “master of wine” flight: three wines poured blind, guess the grape varieties and the flight is on the house. After being open for five weeks now, nobody has guessed them correctly (including yours truly). I have two words for you: garnacha tintorera!!!! oy.
• An emphasis on freshness. Despite having so many wines available by the glass, the wines are well preserved. I had a glass of Nicolas Joly Clos Sacres and it was the last pour from a bottle opened a previous day. It was still very fresh.
• Very cool bar. The countertop is a durable white surface–all the better for eyeballing your wine.
• Knowledgeable staff! You would not know that it only opened about a month ago.
• Spacious and comfortable bar area as well as a spacious seating area with Jetson-like chairs.
• 200 wines on the wine list for the restaurant, including some bottles starting in the high $20s…I didn’t have the chance to dine there. Pending reviews from the Times and NY mag, check out Augie’s review who gave it 832 bazillion stars.

In all the meet-up was as fun as the place. I really liked meeting those of you who made it and look forward to the next time. Stay tuned for details. Maybe we can turn this into a slow pub crawl of NYC wine bars!

Varietal [map it]
138 W. 25th St., New York, NY 10001
between Sixth and Seventh Ave.
212-633-1800

tags: wine | wine bars | nyc

138 W. 25th St., New York, NY 10001
nr. Seventh Ave.
212-633-1800

tags: wine | offline

We will go and check out Varietal, possibly NYC’s hottest new wine destination. With over 75 wines by the glass, there will be plenty to choose from.

One highlight is the “master sommelier” flight of tasting sized pours. This trio of wines is served blind–you correctly guess what the wines are and the flight is on the house! I’m up for the challenge, though fear it will turn into a round of “stump the chump.”

Greggory Hockenberry, friend of the blog who took one of my NYU wine classes last fall, is the owner of Varietal. Blog readers and everyone who has taken a class with me is welcome to attend–we can toast Greggory’s success and mingle with fellow vinomaniacs! If I haven’t met in person you before, I hope you can make it!

Drop me a line if you think you’ll be able to stop by for a glass or a flight. Hope to see you there! Thursday January 11, starting at 6 PM.

Review: Varietal [NY Mag]
138 W. 25th St., New York, NY 10001
nr. Seventh Ave.
212-633-1800

tags: wine | NYC