Vineyards and Winemakers

Aussie Wine Got Good! Here's Where to Drink it in New York

If your last memory of Australian wine was an overripe Shiraz, erase it! The new breed of Aussie wine is leaner, more structured, and food-friendlier than before, and heading to New York thanks to a wave of young, dynamic winemakers and importers. Gordon Little and his fiancee Lauren Peacock of Lit ... More >>

Empire State of Wine: 10 Great Bottles from the Finger Lakes and Niagara Escarpment

As spring continued dragging her feet last week, New Yorkers traipsed through snow flurries to drink wine. Nothing new there, except that the second annual NY Drinks NY was in town, offering imbibers a taste of local wines. I focused my efforts on the Finger Lakes and Niagara Escarpment, two regions ... More >>

Pressing Thai, Tahitian, and Balinese Grapes: 5 New Latitude Wines

Welcome to the doldrums of winter. Unless you spend your weekends driving to the mountains, you're probably dreaming of warm, exotic locales to escape to during these blustery months. But don't imagine bland lagers and coconut cocktails -- the old drinks of tropical travels -- because more tourists ... More >>

Two Weeks After Sandy, Can Red Hook Winery Be Saved?

A few weeks ago, I wrote about celebrating the new Brooklyn wine trail. Both Brooklyn Oenology and Brooklyn Winery, featured in the story, were relatively unscathed by Hurricane Sandy. But Red Hook Winery is located right over the water, nearly at the end of Pier 41, and the facility was completely ... More >>

Your Guide to Brooklyn's Wine Country

Can't make it to Napa this week 'cause Jay-Z hitched a ride in your Gulfstream to his Barclays show? No worries, hit up Brooklyn, Hova's favorite borough, for an idyllic afternoon on the subway wine trail. Your chariots, the 5/G/L trains, let you have the drink without the drive -- can you name anot ... More >>

10 Tips for Wine Rookies

Welcome to Unscrewed, your weekly antidote to wine-related malaise. Allow me to introduce myself with a list: 10 of my best tips for revitalizing your personal wine program or becoming a better drinker. 1. Be curious. There is no shame in learning, only in pretending to know what you don't. 2. Or ... More >>

Lincoln Ristorante's Aaron Von Rock on Negronis and Child Labor

Aaron Von Rock​Aaron Von Rock works as wine director of Lincoln Ristorante (142 West 56th Street), where he has also unveiled popular Negroni and Prosecco bars. Von Rock took the time to chat about the challenges of running single-beverage establishments -- and how a childhood of labor prepped ... More >>

5 Great Wines Under $15: Whites

​The Pinot Blanc from Alsatian Winemaker Louis Sipp will set you back only $11.96. A couple of days ago I suggested five bottles of red wine you could readily find at Astor and elsewhere under $15 that tasted more expensive than they were, and would appeal to nearly anyone who simply likes w ... More >>

What's Happening This Week: St. Paddy's Day in Brooklyn; Austrian Wein

As you may know, our weekly dining and drinking newsletter features all the coolest epicurean events in the city. Sign up for it here! St. Patrick's Day The Vanderbilt March 16, 17 & 18 Chef Saul Bolton teams up with Dogfish Head Brewery for a celebration of traditional Irish cooking with a Nouveau ... More >>

What's Happening This Week: Sake Tasting, Natural Winemakers' Week

As you may know, our weekly dining and drinking newsletter features all the coolest epicurean events in the city. Sign up for it here! Sake Tasting EN Japanese Brasserie Wednesday, March 2 at 6 p.m. The Sake Export Association is hosting an evening of rice wine in the West Village for $50 ($40 in a ... More >>

Wine In Supermarkets Redux: The Battle Continues

​They're at it again, those crazy kids fighting in Albany over the long-running debate about whether to allow the state's supermarkets to sell wine. This scrap, which pits the supermarket lobby versus the equally powerful liquor store lobby has been going on for years. The Voice even wrote ab ... More >>

What's Happening This Week: A Dinner Fix; a Cleaving Reading

As you may know, our weekly dining and drinking newsletter features all the coolest epicurean events in the city. Sign up for it here! DinnerFix CultureFix Tuesday, November 16 at 7:30 p.m. The gallery-slash-resto bar's monthly dinner party series continues with this five-course meal, featuring the ... More >>

Bordeaux Plagued by Bunnies; Medea Vodka Boasts LED Ticker on Bottle

​A roundup of new booze books includes Allen D. Meadows's The Pearl of the Côte: The Great Wines of Vosne-Romanée, Terry Theise's Reading Between the Wines, and The World Atlas of Whisky by Dave Broom. [NY Times] The Bordeaux region has been plagued by rabbits this vintage with some winemak ... More >>

What's Happening This Week: Wine Dinner, Beer Dinner

As you may know, our weekly dining and drinking newsletter features all the coolest epicurean events in the city. Sign up for it here! Opus One Wine Dinner David Burke Fromagerie Monday, October 6 Enjoy a five-course meal paired with wines from the renowned Opus One winery for $135 per person. The ... More >>

Conor McCormack of Brooklyn Winery Talks Urban Winemaking, the Science in the Glass & Why Winemakers Are So Beer Happy

photo by Ben KilgustConor McCormack with founders Brian Leventhal (left) and John Stires (right).​Just a few blocks from Brooklyn Brewery is -- wait for it -- Brooklyn Winery. Or rather, Brooklyn Winery Urban Winery Winemaking Center. The bespoke winery is the brainchild of Brian Leventhal a ... More >>

Posts of the Week

It is now Friday afternoon, and thus time to look back on the week that was: Our Man Sietsema ranked Our 10 Best Chinese Restaurants, 2010 Edition. Brooklyn Winery's Conor McCormack discussed urban winemaking, the science in the glass, and why winemakers are so beer-happy. Battle of the banana cr ... More >>

What's Happening This Week: Queens Food Fest; Long Island Wine Celebration

As you may know, our weekly dining and drinking newsletter features all the coolest epicurean events in the city. Sign up for it here! The Cuisine of Queens & Beyond Food and Wine Gala Astoria World Manor, Tuesday, September 21 at 6 p.m. Join chefs Rocco Sacramone of Trattoria L'incontro in Astoria ... More >>

Forget Banh Mi Beefs. Introducing the Brooklyn Winery Wars.

"Lucy! You got some 'splainin to do!"​ Remember good, ol' fashioned Brooklyn banh mi rivalries? Well, the borough has now graduated to winery wars. The Brooklyn Paper reported today that a squabble has broken out between two wineries in Brooklyn, but one of them now says the episode is a non-i ... More >>

Winery Dogs Abound; Beer Cocktails Thrive

​ Bedell Cellars is one of the many New York wineries with dogs, with nearly a dozen of its employee's dogs roaming around. Wineries and dogs are such a good match that there has even been a book, Winery Dogs of New York, published and a website, winerydogs.com. [NY Daily News] Wine lists can ... More >>

Wake Up to Coffee Cocktails; Canadians Come Up with Wine-Fed Beef

​The Randolph at Broome has started serving hot and cold coffee cocktails from 8 a.m. on, such as the World's Best Dad, incorporating Laird's Applejack and sweet vermouth, and the Slow Trip to New Orleans, made with Bulleit bourbon, Plymouth sloe gin, and coffee. [Diner's Journal] Tokaj, Hun ... More >>

Q&A: Tool's Maynard James Keenan on Blood Into Wine, the New Documentary About His Adventures in Winemaking

"But hopefully they'll end up waking up one day, open up that bottle of wine and go, 'Holy shit. He's right,' and give me a nod rather than drop to their knees." ​With mindless celebrities attaching their name to any vanity project that comes their way--Cadmium-laced Miley Cyrus bracelets pri ... More >>

Asians Love Scotch; Brits Make Bubbly

​While overall sales of Scotch in Asia have dropped, exports of higher-end Scotch have grown steadily over the years. [Wall Street Journal] The Brits invented sparkling wine, although the French get all the glory for it. Now, British bubbly is on the rise due to better winemaking techniques a ... More >>

Evan Spingarn of Tangled Vine Talks Sustainable Wine, Pairing Myths & Drinking What You Don't Know

Evan Spingarn wants you to try something other than the Cab.​The term sustainable has made its way to the wine glass, but the point for wine geeks isn't necessarily eco-friendliness. At Tangled Vine, a newish wine bar on the Upper West Side that our own Sarah DiGregorio found delightful, touts ... More >>

Gov. Paterson Uncorks Another Wine-in-Supermarkets Bill; Opponents "Outraged"

​Gov. Paterson has once again proposed a measure that would allow supermarkets to sell wine. This time, he's making the proposal part of his 2010-2011 budget. And once again, depending on who you listen to, it's either the end of the world as we know it, or the second coming of the messiah. ... More >>

Booze News: Bruce Willis Buys Into Belvedere Vodka; Red Hook Winery Release First Vintage

​Movie star Bruce Willis is set to acquire 3.3 percent of Belvedere vodka, as part of a long-term investment, although the actor won't get a seat on the company's board of directors. [Wall Street Journal] The Red Hook Winery is selling its first vintage at Brooklyn Wine Exchange on Court Stre ... More >>

Patrick Watson on the New Brooklyn Wine Exchange, the Best Wines to Bring to a Party, and Going Biodynamic

​Patrick Watson and his wife Michele Pravda have built a mini empire on wine and cheese--they own the cheese shop Stinky Bklyn, the wine bar JakeWalk, and the wine shop Smith and Vine, all within a few blocks of each other on Smith Street in Brooklyn. This week, they opened a second, larger wi ... More >>

Booze News: Rye Kicks Scotch's Ass; The Strongest Beer on Earth

​Rye managed to outrank Scotch as the world's top-rated whiskey. The 2010 edition of The Whisky Bible, Britain's biggest selling whiskey book, has named 18-year-old Sazerac Rye from Kentucky as the finest dram available, beating out past winner Ardbeg Supernova from the Hebridean island of Isl ... More >>

Booze News: Soothing a Stuffed Belly with Amaro; Pairing Wine with Pumpkin Pie

​ Feeling overstuffed? No country can match Italy for the sheer variety of digestive liqueurs, called amari, which can soothe a fully belly at the end of a big meal... something you might want to look into this holiday season. [NY Times] Two cases of MacKinlay's Rare Old Whisky that Ernest Sh ... More >>

Booze News: Two-Buck Chuck Gets Served; Fruit Flies Help Fight Alcoholism

​What does your beer say about you? According to recent research, people who prefer domestic beers over craft beers or imports are generally middle of the road in their politics. People who don't drink beer at all tend to be conservative. [AdAge] Look out, Two-Buck Chuck. The 7-Eleven conveni ... More >>

Rioja Winemakers Try to Make Medicine Out of Vino

katielips/flickr​Rioja winemakers may be promoting the fruits of their labor in New York this week, but back in Rioja, it's business as usual. And, in some cases, not so usual. Bodegas Riojanas, which just happens to be one of the oldest wineries in the region, is one of nine wineries particip ... More >>

Fork in the Road on the Road: Rioja's Only Official Single-Estate Wine

​It's Rioja Restaurant Week in New York, which means that some 100 restaurants around the city are offering special dining deals, like $25-50 prix-fixe menus plus a glass of Rioja wine, or a 20 percent discount on a bottle. Coincidentally, Fork in the Road just happens to be on the road in Rio ... More >>

I, Locavore: Comtesse Terese Merlot

From Long Island to Zaytoon's ​ Zaytoon's, on Smith Street, is BYOB, and a good, local wine to tote along is Comtesse Terese's First Harvest Merlot, a simple, light-bodied, tannic Merlot that tastes of red berries. It might be too astringent on its own, but it's excellent with food, especially ... More >>

Why We Still Can't Buy Wine at the Supermarket

paulgoyette/flickr​This week in the Voice, Graham Rayman takes a look at the city's liquor laws -- in particular, those surrounding the sale of wine in supermarkets. You may be able to drink just about whatever you like in this town, but it's illegal to buy a bottle of wine with your groceries ... More >>

The Winemakers: The 'Big Brother' of Wine

The Winemakers is coming to PBS this fall, a six-part reality series shot in Paso Robles, California, that pits 12 wannabe winemakers against each other. The contestants include a lawyer, a teacher, and a marketer, who must compete in such challenges as working a crush and pouring in a tasting roo ... More >>

What Do You Have To Do To Get a Bottle of Wine Around Here?

Why you still can't buy wine with your groceries in New York

The 'Corked!' Trailer: Finally, A 'Spinal Tap' for the Oenophile Set

The mockumentary Corked! was screened at the Sonoma Film Festival earlier this year and will be shown in San Jose next week. There are plans to screen it in San Francisco and other cities around the world, including a possible New York screening, but no dates have been set as yet. "We're talking ... More >>

Booze News--A New Beefeater Gin & Mezcal's Cult Following

A new study suggests that patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma who drink wine before their diagnosis have a reduced risk of relapse or death. The five-year survival rate was 70 percent for wine drinkers and 65 percent for non-wine drinkers. [US News via Alcademics] Randall Grahm, the winemaker at Bon ... More >>

Peñín Guide In Hand

Spanish wine critic José Peñín unveiled his Peñín Guide to Spanish Wine 2009 yesterday at a wine tasting held at the American Museum of Natural History. We had a quick tête-à-tête with the critic over a glass of vino or 30. You've often been compared to Robert Parker for your use of the 10 ... More >>

More Wining

paul goyette @ Flickr Governor Paterson's proposal to widen wine sales throughout the state has gained yet another endorsement, this time from Newsday. A number of local newspapers have championed the idea, which would allow grocery stores in New York State to sell wine, a right that stores in 35 st ... More >>

South African Female Winemaker Dinner at Madiba

Madiba (195 DeKalb Avenue, Brooklyn), Fort Greene's fabled South African restaurant, along with Gnarly Vines Wines & Spirits (350 Myrtle Avenue, Brooklyn), is hosting a South African Female Winemaker Dinner on Wednesday, March 11. Mark Henegan, who grew up in South Africa and owns the restaurant ... More >>

Think I'll Have Another Glass of Mexican Wine

Fork in the Road Tries Drinking Really, Really Local

Ever Had a Nice Bottle of Greenpoint?

Bringing the wine to the people: the new generation of urban winemakers

Winos to Global Warming: Thanks a Lot

Italian Women Make Delicious Wine

Champagne Guide: Don't just grab the Dom, dumb-dumb!

An End to California 'Chablis'

Does it matter that new American wines can't be labeled with regional affiliations?

Punch-Drunk Love

Filmmaker-sommelier Jonathan Nossiter uncorks a vintage wine-industry exposé

Through the Grapevine

Wines to Welcome

A new shop gives lesser-known vintners their due