Right price, wrong temperature

It’s always refreshing to come across an affordable wine list at a New York City eatery, and it’s a bonus when it happens to be at a trendy new arrival on the restaurant scene. Of course, perhaps the low prices last night did come at a cost.

My cousin and I met at Pulino’s Bar and Pizzeria, the latest newcomer on the corner of Houston and Bowery. It’s the product of Keith McNally, Nate Appleman and wine director Chris Goodhart. A quick perusal of the wine offerings showed a fair representation of an Italian-dominated roster. Wines by the glass ranged from $7 to $13, and there were plenty of bottles that were priced below $50.

One item that caught my eye under the sparkling section by the glass was a Lambrusco from the Emilia-Romagna region. The frizzante red is made from the grape of the same name, and is a pleasant aperitif on a warm evening. I don’t often come across the wine at many restaurants on this side of the Atlantic.

I passed on it, nonetheless, though today I have some regret about that. A huge fan of Sicilian varietals, I instead chose to begin with the nero d’avola, which runs $10 by the glass. I was slightly disappointed because the temperature of the wine was too warm. I assumed it was an anomaly, engaged in conversation and drank the wine.

When it came time for dinner, we decided to try a bottle of the barbera. Again, at $32, the price seemed right. Barbera is a food friendly grape, and one of my favorites from the north. It would be fantastic if every Italian restaurant offered a barbera by the glass, but I digress. When we tasted the wine, again, it was served warmer than what is optimal. Both my cousin and I were disappointed.

There’s a reason guidelines exist for serving wine at certain temperatures. The appropriate temperatures allow for ultimate enjoyment and tasting of the wine. Too cold or too hot and flavors are masked.

The universal and accepted appropriate temperatures for particular wines are as follows:

Sweet Wines	Sauternes, Sweet Muscat	Well Chilled 6-8˚C or 42-46˚F
Sparkling Wines	Champagne, Cava, Asti	Well Chilled 6-8˚C or 42-46˚F
Light/medium-bodied white	Muscadet, Pinot Grigio, Fino Sherry	Chilled 10˚C or 50˚F
Medium/full-bodied oaked white	White Burgundy	Slightly chilled 12˚C or 54˚F
Light-bodied red	Beaujolais	Slightly chilled 12˚C or 54˚F
Medium/full-bodied red	Claret, Red Burgundy, Port	17-18˚C or 64-66˚F

Under other circumstances – such as when the restaurant wasn’t a madhouse – I may have asked to have the bottle chilled on ice. Instead, we drank our warm wine. Perhaps the most palatable part about it was having only spent a fraction of what other restaurants may charge for a comparable barbera.

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When most inexpensive isn’t cheap

I took a wine-writing class the other night and the topic of restaurant wine lists came up. Particularly, someone pointed out that the most frequently ordered bottle from the menu is the second most inexpensive one on the list.

I ran this theory by a couple of guys in my office who agreed that’s what they do because that way “you don’t look cheap.”  

This process of selection is a phenomenon that really never crossed my mind. I generally want to drink what I like.

Of course, some restaurants have mark-ups that are cost prohibitive. Last night’s dining experience at Scarpetta presented such an occasion. The restaurant’s wine list is dense and impressive. I scanned the offerings for familiar producers and regions, and came across several.  However, I was literally appalled by some of the prices, particularly considering that I have some of the bottles at home and paid a fraction of what the restaurant was asking.

I decided to take a different approach and look for what was affordable, but even some of the wine listed in the midrange tier were well over a respectable price in my opinion.

Recalling the conversation from class earlier in the week, I realized, there’s nothing wrong with ordering the cheapest wine on the menu, and as the wise instructor pointed out, a good sommelier will have a good, inexpensive bottle of wine on his list.

My dining companion and I agreed on the Argiolas Perdera, which was priced at $34, and which I believe could have been the most inexpensive bottle. The wine is from Sardinia, and comprises Monica (around 90%), Carignano and Bovale, all indigenous varietals to the island.

A big fan of southern Italian wines generally, I found this one different but equally delightful. It was somewhat light in body, and had some bright fruit and spice on the palate.  My dining companion gave the bottle high praise, saying he’d purchase the bottle for home consumption. I agree wholeheartedly.

I didn’t feel cheap ordering the least expensive bottle on the menu. In fact, I enjoyed it as much as the glass of 2008 Massolino Barbera we had to start the meal. Of course, the company also could have had something to do with it.

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Second chances

Sometimes we get off on the wrong foot with someone and it takes a second encounter to rectify the first. This concept can quite easily spill over into our impressions with wine.

Last night I poured Bruna Pulin 2006 at a tasting event. It’s a blend of grenache, syrah and barbera, and is produced in the coastal region of northwest Italy called Liguria. Winemaker Ricccardo Bruna only produces the wine in the best vintages.

I had tried the wine a couple of months prior and failed to see what some of my fellow drinkers were swooning about. Tainting my opinion was that I generally associate Liguria with white wine production, and I enjoy the saltiness of the wines when paired with seafood.

Many of the guests were enjoying the Pulin and after the Chianti it was the next bottle to need replacing out of the seven reds offered. As I opened the next bottle and tasted, I was pleasantly surprised. There was earthiness on the nose, as well as some herbal notes. I tasted soft red fruits with a hint of spice at the end.

What had I missed the first time I tried Pulin?

How many times do we dismiss something after our initial reaction is negative?

How many relationships have we missed out on because of our first impression of someone?

Like people, wines deserve a second chance.

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Among friends

Choosing a bottle of wine from a restaurant’s offerings can be daunting. It is helpful – to an extent – to know the style of wine that you enjoy but, because of varied vinification, there’s no guarantee that a varietal from one region will taste the same from producer to producer.  Over the past week, I’ve had the fortunate experience of stumbling across two wine menus that were not only familiar, but noteworthy.

Last night I went to Il Bagatto in the East Village and was quite impressed with the wine menu as I sat at the bar with my friend as we waited for a table at the restaurant next door. The list was expansive, including a solid representation of Italy. I saw on the list the Briccotondo that I had recently and loved. It was a 2007  barbera from Piemonte from a producer called Fontanafredda. From what little Internet research I have conducted, I conclude that the bottle generally retails anywhere between $10-15. However, I’ve been unsuccessful at locating a bottle in New York since I returned from London, where I first discovered the wine.

I didn’t choose this bottle last night, which was listed at $35. Prior to arriving at the restaurant I’d had a glass of Turlo from Umbria and decided to stick with the southern Italian theme for the night. I also find that southern Italian wines offer better value on most restaurant menus. I chose a Primitivo from Puglia off Il Bagatto’s menu. It was a full bodied, fruit forward wine that pleased both me and my dining companion. The bottle cost $39.

Narrowing my selection down to that bottle was difficult, however, as the list is stocked with a range of reputable and consistent producers, including La Spinetta, Quintarelli, Talenti, Cacchiano and Antinori to name a few.

The wine menu I encountered last Sunday at Maialino at the Gramercy Park Hotel offered a similar experience. This restaurant definitely attracts a different clientele, and prices were marked up even more. Again, I encountered acquaintances including Talenti, Quintarelli, Movia, Bovio, Poggio di Sotto and Fontodi. In fact, the menu closely coincides with the inventory at the wine shop in which I work part time.

On this particular evening, my dining companion and I selected the 2001 Rosso di Talenti, at $52. This was a bit harder to wrap my head around, knowing that Talenti’s 2004 Brunello di Montalcino retails for around $55. (The 2000 vintage on the menu was listed for $80.)

Mark-ups on wine are inevitable when dining out; yet, I’m happy to pay up for a bottle that’s sure to please. The cost of taking a chance on an unknown is sometimes far greater than the sticking to the safety of familiarity. I prefer to limit experimentation for home tastings.

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First crush

My family priest brought a bottle of wine to our house for dinner one night when I was in high school. It was a Kendal Jackson Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. I don’t remember the vintage, but I recall that I enjoyed the half a glass I was allowed to drink with the filet mignon my mother cooked for dinner. The evening turned out to be far better than a 16 year old expected from a night spent with clergy and parents.

Since then, I’ve followed my passion for wine and pursued an extracurricular education in addition to a professional career in financial services. It’s a symbiotic relationship of sorts – the job provides me the ability to afford fine wine and finances my learning. I also get to broaden my tastings with colleagues and clients, often being asked to select from the wine list because of my knowledge.

It’s not easy choosing wines that suit all palates, however. And the myriad of choices – after all, there are more than 10,000 varieties of grapes used in the production of wine – sometimes makes selecting a wine more challenging, as does the vast range of personal preference: who likes light bodied and fruit-forward, acidic with green fruit, full bodied and earthy. But it’s a challenge that can be fun because you learn something about the people you are sharing the experience with and you might even go beyond your comfort zone and try something you wouldn’t ordinarily order.

I chose a 2005 barbera for a colleague’s going away dinner over the summer because it was a light varietal and the majority of the group were red drinkers. The response was resoundingly positive.

I brought the same varietal to my brother’s for Thanksgiving dinner, only I selected a 2003 that was a bit more austere to match some of the heavier sides he was serving alongside the turkey, which was carved in thick shanks. From the 88 year old great grandmother to the 35 year old host, the selection was a crowd pleaser.

On a recent cold November night I selected a nero d’avola at a New York City wine bar with a friend who prefers a fuller-bodied wine. The Sicilian varietal offers the weight without heavy tannins for my companion, who does not eat meat and would not appreciate a Barolo whose tannins would benefit from protein.

Each of these occasions are memorable in their own right, notably because of the friends and family gathered, but are accentuated by the wine. Like people, wines can delight and surprise. Some are easy drinking, simple, fruity and provide instant pleasure while others are more complex, requiring aging, careful consideration on the palate and food for the taster to truly appreciate the multiple layers and structure, and to understand the depth and discover enjoyment.

There are many factors to take into account when opening a bottle, ranging from technical aspects such as vinification and storage to personal attributes like food pairings and mood. Depending on any or all of these circumstances, a bottle that’s opened on a particular day has the ability to taste different than if it were opened on any other day.

I still fondly remember the Premier Cru Volnay I shared on what would be the last dinner I ever had with an ex-boyfriend at Le Cirque in New York a couple of years ago. The ensuing break up was incapable of altering what a truly delicious experience that was.

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