I recently visited Eataly in NYC, the closest you can get to all things Italian without hopping on an airplane. A combination of Italian market and food hall, Eataly is located at 200 5th Avenue between 23rd and 24th Street. The creation of celebrity chefs Mario Batali, Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, and her son Joe Bastianich is a first for the US but their concept already exists in Italy as well as Japan. There is so much to feast your eyes on and feast you will-literally! There is 50,000 square feet to explore for produce, meat, fish, pasta, or cheese to take home or you can dine in at one of the many seating areas all separated according to what type of Italian delites you are craving. You can choose among Il Pesce (fish), Le Verdure (all vegetarian), La Pizza & Pasta, or Manzo which is the closest to a full on restaurant and reservations are recommended. We chose to eat in the La Piazza section which is on a first come first serve basis. You stand at countertop tables but have full waitress service for wines by the bottle or glass, as well as cheeses, meats, and small plates. Our wine was a delicious bottle of Arnaldo Caprai Montefalco Rosso 2007 from Umbria. This medium bodied red is a blend of 70% sangiovese, 15% sagrantino, and 15% merlot grapes. Dark ruby in color with full plum and spice flavors which then give way to light vanilla notes. Soft tannins are present and this wine has a pleasant, long finish. To accompany our Montefalco Rosso we ordered 3 cheeses: grana padano (my favorite of the three), castelmagno, and bra tenero, prosciutto san daniele with figs, and mixed olives. For after dinner treats there is a coffee bar and gelato counter. The hazelnut gelato was the best I have ever had! On your way out pop in next door to the separate wine shop where they have a decent selection of Italian wines at a wide variety of price points. I may not be able to get to Italy as soon as I would like but now it has been brought to me! I was so impressed by Eataly and I cannot wait to go back and try it all!!
Rodney Strong Pinot Noir 2008
On my latest trip to replenish the wine fridge I purchased both a pinot noir and a chardonnay from Rodney Strong Vineyards. For dinner we were serving a roast pork tenderloin and a red onion quinoa salad. Instead of selecting a white to pair with the pork I decided to reach for the pinot. It turned out to be the perfect pairing. Rodney Strong Pinot Noir 2008 from the Russian River Valley in California is a pretty ruby red color that gets progressively lighter towards the outer edges until it’s almost clear. It is produced from pinot noir grapes but there is 2% syrah mixed in. It is aged in 100% french oak barrels giving a more flavorful taste profile to this wine. It has a sweet, strawberry and vanilla aroma and intense cherry and 
strawberry flavors with a hint of cinnamon. This red wine is very well balanced and medium bodied. There are subtle tannins present and a good acidity. Rodney Strong Pinot Noir is almost 14.5% alcohol and is an excellent value at under $20 per bottle. I will definitely be purchasing this wine on a regular basis!
Posted in California, Pinot Noir
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Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva 2005
I recently received a bottle of Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d’ Abruzzo Riserva 2005. My colleague Shannon was unable to join us at a wine tasting event so she decided to bring the wine tasting to me at our last meeting. This dry Italian red is a favorite of both her and her husband. My drinking of Italian wines has been on the decline in the last few years as I am experimenting more with other regions, but Montepulciano d’ Abruzzo used to be my go to red when I was dining in Italian restaurants. This wine is medium bodied and quite dry. It is made by the Zaccagnini winery in Abruzzo, Italy of sangiovese grapes. The wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks and then oak aged for 6 months. It was very dark red in color and almost purple toward the center of the glass. The wine had a nice aroma that was very earthy. Most people when describing the aroma of wines will come up with all kinds of fruits and spice notes but this is one of the first wines that I got grapes as the primary fruit on the nose. On the palate I tasted dark cherries and currants, some spice, and undertones of vanilla with a slight woodsy finish. There were also quite a bit of tannins present. Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d’ Abruzzo is a great red to pair with the obvious-pasta and pizza. It is 13% alcohol and retails for under $18.
Posted in Italy
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La Rioja Alta Vina Alberdi Reserva 2003
Last night I took my boyfriend to STK in the Meatpacking District to celebrate his birthday with a melt in your mouth steak and some fabulous red wine. Being that his all time favorite wine is rioja, I was very pleased to see a selection on the wine list that wouldn’t break the bank. The question was would it be good and would it stand up to his current favorite Marques de Riscal? The chosen wine was La Rioja Alta Vina Alberdi Reserva 2003 from Rioja, Spain. It is composed of 10o% tempranillo grapes which are native to Northern Spain. It was a dark, vibrant red in the glass and had a delicious, earthy aroma with hints of red fruits and spices. From the aroma in the glass I knew we had made the right choice. There was a strong cherry taste that was slightly sour in the first pour but that wasn’t a detractor in the flavor. For us it just gave it more of a complexity and a different flavor profile than what we normally drink. There were undertones of vanilla, spice, and a hint of woodsmoke present as well. As the wine opened up the sourness lessened and the wine became more smooth and balanced on the palate. This rioja had a nice acidity to it as well as slight tannins which made for a great presence in the mouth and gave way to a lingering and tasty finish. It was a perfect accompaniment to our filet mignon with parmesan truffle fries and made the entire meal all the more special. This medium bodied red is 13% alcohol and the average retail is $20. This wine has been rated 90 points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.
Posted in Spain, Wine bars/Restaurants
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Gorman Sinner’s Punch 2006
Once again I continue to be impressed by both the red and white wines coming out of Washington State. I recently purchased three bottles of Gorman Sinner’s Punch 2006 at a wine tasting featuring wines from both Washington State and Oregon. I can’t tell you how many of the wines on offer were above average and very reasonably priced. Sinner’s Punch is produced in Washington’s largest AVA the Columbia Valley. This red wine is a collaboration between two area wine makers Chris Gorman and Mark Ryan McNeilly who also makes my favorite viognier from his Mark Ryan Winery. It is a deep, dark purple color in the glass and is a blend of 90% syrah and 10% cabernet sauvignon. On the nose I got a pleasant jammy aroma. The flavors of dark cherries, spices, and subtle vanilla gave way to some nice tannins. There is just enough acidity present to give it a smooth balance and finish. I would recommend decanting this wine before drinking as it just keeps getting better and better the longer it’s opened. I have one bottle left and I know it won’t be around for long. Sinner’s Punch 2006 is another great wine from Washington State and retails for under $17.
Posted in Washington State
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