Wined Up!

Last week I had the pleasure of visiting Wined Up which is one of my favorite wine bars in NYC.  It is located above Punch Restaurant on Broadway and 21st Street.  The spot is quiet, cozy, and romantic with an impressive suspended wine wall holding 3000 bottles of wine.  This gives way for a great variety of wines from all the  main regions but one of the reasons I keep going back is the affordable bottle options from Spain and South America.  Many bottles are well priced at  $40-$50.  There is also a decent selection of wines by the glass.  We chose a Nerola 80% Syrah, 20% Monastrell from Torres.  This spanish red has a firm body with light fruit flavor and is aged in french oak barrels giving it toasted cocoa and vanilla notes.  The wine had a slightly spicy finish and paired well with all of the food we ordered.  My favorite accompaniments at Wined Up are the La Tur (Italy) and Scharfe Maxx (Switzerland) cheeses, thick sliced proscuitto, and the mixed olives marinated in cabernet and herbs.  A delicious ending to a hard days work!