It is Rioja week from April 26-May 2^nd and participating restaurants in NYC (Listed Below) are offering wine tastings with their fabulous small plate pairings, prix fixe menus and discounts on Rioja.

Rioja is a wonderfully versatile wine that comes from Northern Spain and the Ebro River regions.  The Rioja region produces an extraordinary range of wines from deep reds to crisp whites.

We often say our wines are “made in the vineyards,” and insist on using the highest quality grapes matured to perfection. Rioja is home to several grape varieties, but the prize of the region is certainly the Tempranillo grape, which has been cultivated in Spain for centuries and is recognized as one of the world’s noble varieties. As the chief ingredient in Rioja wines, Tempranillo grapes form the vibrant base for the rich flavors of Rioja reds.

REDS:

Tempranillo

This is Spain’s classic varietal, known for its vibrancy and how well it complements so many foods and social occasions. Expressive when young and velvety rich when aged, it makes for wines that are medium to full-bodied with hints of vanilla and flavors of cherries, currants and coconut. Tempranillo also is known for its gorgeous raspberry freshness. Nearly 80 percent of all grapes grown in Rioja are Tempranillo. The true origin of the Tempranillo grape has been lost in the mists of time, but it has been suggested that pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago may have brought vines with them on their long journey from monasteries in Northern Europe.

Garnacha Tinta

Among red wines, Garnacha is the most extensively grown grape variety in the world. It produces full-bodied wine that often has hints of raspberries. It is low in tannins and provides a softness to wine. In cool areas it produces a subtle, interesting and balanced wine. It is used to add strength and warmth to red Riojas Nearly 20 percent of all varietals grown in La Rioja are Garnacha.

Rioja Tinto Gran Reserve- A complex blend of berry fruit and spice, like cinnamon, but with an overcast of wood, leather and truffle.   Great fall/winter wine with beef stews, venison and duck.

Rioja Tinto Reserve- A modern red reserve with hints of chocolate, sweet spices like licorice, anise.  More complex and developed than a fresh fruit taste with an earthy full bodied palette.  Perfect complement to a dinner party with lamb, risotto and meats.

** Aging Reserve: Requires 36 months aging between barrel and bottle, with at least 12 months in barrel.

Mazuelo

Wine made from the mazuelo grape is high in color and acidity, rich in tannins with a rougher edge. It’s used in small amounts in Rioja reds to add structure and longevity. The Mazuelo grape originated in France, where it is known as Carignan Noir. About four percent of all varietals grown in La Rioja are Mazuelo.

Graciano

Wines made from this grape are bright red, with considerable acidity and a pleasant, characteristic bouquet. It is the most aromatic of all our varieties, giving Rioja Gran Reservas their textured feel and fine aging properties Like the Tempranillo variety, Graciano is indigenous to Spain and is experiencing a growing popularity due to pleasing taste and aromatic qualities.

** Aging Graciano: Aged in oak barrels at least 12 months with at least another year in the bottle.

Rioja Tinto Crianza- A clean fruity everyday red wine that has a degrees of strawberry cherry aroma with a hint of vanilla taste.  Great with fish, pasta, and beef.

WHITES:

Viura is the main white grape variety grown in Rioja. It makes wines that are pleasant, floral with a light and delicate flavor. Slightly over 10 percent of all varietals grown in Rioja are Viura.

Malvasia

This grape creates a light crispness to wines with its floral aromas and a core flavor of grapefruit. It is used to give structure to white Riojas.

Garnacha Blanca

This grape is added to white Riojas for its pleasant taste and aromas of sweet honeysuckle and apricot.

White Rioja- A rich white wine with a tropical fruity taste and a coconut, honey and vanilla aroma.  Makes a great Chardonnay substitute for fish, seafood, fruit sauces and desserts.

 

Come join us in checking out the participating top-notch restaurants in NYC who are offering complete tastings, discounts and prix fixe menus!

 1. Lower East Side:

  - Cru- 24 5th Ave./ 9th St.

     $50 prix fixe menu

      20% off bottles

-  Bond St.- 6 Bond St.

  - Strip House- 13 E. 12^th St

  - The Mermaid Inn-96 2^nd Ave.

     $25 prix fixe menu

  -  Indochine- 430 Lafayette St

      20% off bottle

      $50 prix fixe menu

2.  Lower West Side:

- Tailor- 525 Broome St

 $50 prix fixe menu

 - City Winery- 155 Varick St.

 - Barocco Winebar- 110 9^th Ave.

 $25 prix fixe menu

- Lure Fish Bar- 525 Broome St

- Las Ramblas- 170 W. 4^th St.

- Bottino- 246 10^th Ave.

$25 prix fixe menu

3.  Upper East Side:

- David Burke Townhouse-133 E 61rst St.

$25 prix fixe menu and wine discount

- Flex Mussels- 174 E. 82^nd. St.

$50 prix fixe menu

 

4.  Upper West Side:

- Nonna- 520 Columbus Ave.

$25 prix fixe menu and 20% discount

- Center Cut- 44 W. 63^rd St.

$50 prix fixe menu

-Campo- 2888 Broadway

$25 prix fixe menu

- South Gate- 154 Central Park South

- Atria- 13-15 W. 54^th St

$50 prix fixe menu

 

Also, here are just a few basic Rioja facts for your own wine tasting:

Rioja wines are released only when ready to drink. Consequently, there is less need to take up cellar space for aging requirements.

Riojas are made to go with food. The major wine grapes of Rioja — tempranillo, garnacha and graciano — while pleasantly fruity, are not overpowering. Diners will still taste their food and not be overwhelmed by the strength of the wine. That makes them a perfect complement to most meats, poultry and even seafood.

Vintages are less important for many wines from Rioja. While many Riojan wineries have added a single vineyard wine to their portfolio, where vintage can be an issue, grapes have traditionally been sourced from around the region. This means that only high quality grapes are purchased by wineries. This is why most winemakers in Rioja will tell you great wines are made in the vineyard, not in the winery.

Riojas tend to have a somewhat lower alcohol content than most other wines. They can be found as low as 12% in alcohol content. Not only does this help them complement food but it enables bars and restaurants to be more ethically conscious in how much wine they serve.

Use several ME2 Design cheese trays and Sandwich with Pops serving platters to display your variety of complementary tapas to finish off your taste of Spain!

 

(Excerpts from Tasting Table and vibrantrioja.com)

Over a lot of deliberation and editing, we are anxious to report our Top 10 wine bars for flights and finger food. We suggest you start out early, like 3:00, so you can cop a great seat and watch the changing of the scenery as the night wears on. 

Tell us about your own great haunts with wine in your city or ours!  We all need places to go when we arrive.

1.  The Room- 144 Sullivan St./near Prince   Ny, Ny

By far the best for our gang… romantic, urban, goth and sexy but, most of all, it’s a wine and beer bar.  All tastes satisfied.  Unlike our pub crawl. 

- Long and narrow tavern-like rooms with iron chairs, velvet couches, candles and music that reminds you of NYC when it was cool to smoke. Dark and intimate but without  feeling like you are walking into a lounge where ‘Cheaters Anonymous’ members would go after a meeting at the Y.  It is quiet and loungy and that’s what we’re talking about. 

- The indy and 80’s music rocks… takes us back home to the place when we thought we were cool. Radiohead, The Cure, The Smiths and Echo and the Bunnymen, Massive Attack rocks the bar for the perfect fill-in-the-blank if you’re on a blind date.

- The Belgian and German beers seemed endless and the wine list was pleasing. If you are a martini drinker, ask the bartender for a Delirium Tremens big beer and you’ll fall off the chair.  For you fruity palettes, ask for the pear cider. Gotta love the candlelit chalk boards with the bar offerings you can hardly read.

What’s there not to like?  Definitely is on our A-List for a downtown hang out.

2. Grape and Grain- 620 E. 6th St. / Ave. A   Ny, Ny

Small, cozy and casual.  A great place to go with your guy/girl Friday or your Aunt Gladys from Buffalo.  Candlelit tables next to the long brick wall give you a relaxing Tuscan vibe while the bar serves up simple but tasty small plates from tupperware containers in the back of the bar.  You feel like you are at home. 

- The bistro-type menu includes delicious bread and cheese our from local merchants, like Murrays.  Ask the bartender what wines go with your plate of tasty bits and he’ll hook you up all night long.

- Wines selected from around the world go for $7-$17 a glass.  Also have a select beer menu that satisfies the most discerning suds lovers.

3. Xicala- 151B Elizabeth ST.   NY, NY

We passed right by this tiny spot in the wall as we were making our way across town.  You blink and you miss it. Once we saw that it was a tapas bar, we just had to go in and sample the Spanish fare.

Small and quaint with the red walls and dark wooden parlor tables makes you wish you had it in your hood.  A lovely husband-and-wife team run this hidden gem to the tee.  Great Riojas and Tempranillos with a unique and yummy tapas menu. We ate our way thru the menu ’til the waitress had to cut us off. 

4. Bubble Lounge- 228 W. Broadway / White St.   Ny,Ny

A true NYC moment.  Experiencing the most sophisticated night of bubbly you’ll barely remember the next day.  Most of us have many memories of when we used to troll this hi-brow bar when we were young fashionistas.  We go w-a-y back. Bring the cash ’cause you’ll be hobbin- and- a noddin. You’re in for a long fuzzy night of trying to figure out who’s who and why you’re there.

- Urban, chic, sophisticated lounge for the Wall Street-ers, politicians and banker-types…watch your wallets!

- Are there really that many labels of champagne available to us??  Had no idea it could take us 1/2 the night trying to pick our flavor.

- A perfect place to go to impress-your boss, your parents or your soul mate du jour.  We were bummed that we didn’t have the ME2 black smoke glass serving tower with mother of pearl and horn handle to give them…just so we can see how perfect it looks! 

Even-though, we barely made it out alive (again) or with enough money between us to get a cab home, yet we still must go back.  And next time we’ll remember what happened.

5. 10 Degrees-  121 St Mark’s Place  1rst/ Ave. A    Ny, Ny

A new stop on our downtown wine tasting circuit.  A much needed add to the ever growing dive bars and fusion restaurants in the Village.  A gallery owner turned bar manager created this great lounge for his after-gallery parties.  A perfect solution for him and a great spot for us!  

-Retro-50’s again, which we are tired of; but we like the black leather couches and legion-hall bar stools up at the bar.

-A fabulous wine list of about 100 boutique wines that we have never heard of.

-Beautiful cheeses that seem to go with all the flights we were tasting.  

- Love the quite neighborhood vibe where you can sit on a Saturday afternoon and relax.  We will be coming back in the summer for a little fresh air when they open up the front onto the street.

Potential to be regulars if we were still living in the village but since we migrated out with all the other ‘over 40’s’, we have it on our short list of ‘drive-by for a glass of red’ spots.

6. D.O.C. - 83 N. 7th. St./ Wythe   Williamsburg

Think we found the hide-out for the “in-crowd” and mini celebs.  It’s small but the Italian food and atmosphere take you away to Sardina on holiday and you forget your in Brooklyn.  Love the peasant tables and long wooden benches with the customary tin ceiling.  We had a few bites of some deliciously fresh and simple italian with wine of their recommendation.  What stood out was the crostini with fonduta and tiramisu.  We plan to come back for dinner.

- Vast wine list from Italy and everywhere. Reasonably priced.

- A warm family welcome to Brooklyn from Claudio, the owner at the door.

-We heard the wait staff is rude.  We didn’t get that.

7. Cru- 24 5th Ave/ 9th St.   NY, NY

A place where we go if we are out shopping or for an apres-theater drink .  You are guaranteed to get a nice glass of wine from their extensive and impressive wine list and modern Euro cuisine that is delicious culinary art for wine.  You pay for quality and sophisticated ambience.

- A handsome wine bar/restaurant decorated in sophisticated dark mahogany and white linen table cloths.  Clean but classic.  Great to take a client or date.

- You will be amazed at the endless wine list including some rare bottles you’ve never heard of. 

- Shea Gallant’s culinary creations are precious and delicious.  Made to pair beautifully with the impressive wines they offer.

A 5-star approach to a wine bar for the most discerning wine connoisseur.

- Not a place to drop by and hang your hat and graze over a cheese tray.  Too serious for that.

8. Riposo-50 W.72nd St.  Ny, Ny

- Great find in the hood but not a place to see and be seen.  It’s a quite and laid back chill with friends and the folks.  That’s what we like about it. Great place to go on a Sunday afternoon.

- Tall wooden parlor tables that seat 4.  Great wine list under $15.  Nice cheese plate but wish it had more bread and more artesian ’wine’ cheeses.

UWS is certainly not a mecca for great bars so we are happy to have it.

9. Wine and Roses- 286 Columbus Ave  /73rd.  Ny, Ny

- More of a scene with a ‘date-or-mate’ vibe to the bar.

- We love the bar.  It is mostly about the bar cause of its beautiful white marble top.  It is elegant with the tall ceilings and roses dotting the tables.

- The wine list is pages long so our eyes gloss every time. The bartender is always sweet as she walks us thru the basics.

- The food is good.  The cheese plate is ala cart so we have fun with the selections.

Need to get there early on a weekend. Snag a booth for a date or a seat at the bar for your mother.  She’ll love it!

10. The Bowery Wine Company- 13 E. 1st.  Ny, Ny

Chris Sileo, ex-beverage manager at The Plaza, and his partner opened up this swanky yuppified spot with all the uptown digs.  Leather banquettes, lacquered bar and a central park vibe.

Miss the old drunks and rocker-street-squatters down at the bowery but we’d stop in for a glass or two on our way to lower east side.

- Huge open room with tall ceiling and a lots of seating.  Chic but we wouldn’t say it is “cozy” or “relaxing”. 

- Reasonable, well planned wine list (with a glass starting at $6.00) and a 5-star small plate menu for a night on the town.  A great place to go for those “special” nights.

Thanks, Chris for giving our yuppie corporate friends a place to go downtown.