Wine List Help - Agern, NYC

[Sarah_Kirschbaum]

@Jim Hanlon

Dining alone, important to get something that won’t tire the palate, if buying a bottle. Many of these wines, while interesting, would wear me down over a solo dinner. With that in mind, the Cruse Valdiguie Pet Nat is versatile, interesting, and tasty. I second the Ryme Fiano. The Mathiasson Ribolla Gialla is a AFWE “new classic.” I could drink any of those through an entire dinner. If you have an interest in Nebbiolo, try a glass of the Palmina. One of the California’s best versions and a leader in recent efforts to work with that variety.

Thanks Jim. Good point and good suggestions.

[Neal.Mollen]

@c fu

@Ken V

I hear great things about Hearts and Hands, but $24 for a glass of bubbly from NYS?

A whole bottle of Ravines Riesling for $60 sounds like a better deal.

I’d be real tempted to ask, “You got any regular wine?” It almost seems like it’s exotic at all costs.

exotic to be exotic allows for higher markups.

^^^^

I am no help to you, unfortunately, as it appears as though the list was designed (to be charitable) to force you to drink something you’ve never had. I am not all that enamored by that aim.

I suppose I would have to put myself in the hands of the somm, which appears to be precisely what they want you to do.

[Alicia_C]

@Sarah Kirschbaum

@Jim Hanlon

Dining alone, important to get something that won’t tire the palate, if buying a bottle. Many of these wines, while interesting, would wear me down over a solo dinner. With that in mind, the Cruse Valdiguie Pet Nat is versatile, interesting, and tasty. I second the Ryme Fiano. The Mathiasson Ribolla Gialla is a AFWE “new classic.” I could drink any of those through an entire dinner. If you have an interest in Nebbiolo, try a glass of the Palmina. One of the California’s best versions and a leader in recent efforts to work with that variety.

Thanks Jim. Good point and good suggestions.

oooh – i missed the Valiguie Pet Nat – I’ll add a +1 but with a warning, that you may finish the bottle half way through the dinner – it’s wayyy too easy to drink, and only 9.8% abv!

[loren.grossman]

@Sarah Kirschbaum

@loren.grossman

I bet you would like them.

Again, not looking for any reds by the bottle - I’m solo and the meal will mostly want white - but I’ll make a note to look for those in the future.

If only by the glass, Pax’s Soif is pretty hard to beat. Again, disclosure, Pax is the wine maker @ Wilde Farm. That said, Soif has a cru bojo thing going for it that makes it delicious and great with food.

The Cruse Ultramarine rosè is worth the price, IMHO. For something completely different the Red Newt Pinot Gris is crisp and delicious, with some texture. The Ryme Fiano has really good energy and is pretty and bright. Not as blowzy as many Southern Italian Fianos, if you like that grape.

[mark_rudner]

although i can be of little help on the wines sarah, please be sure to post your review
can’t wait to read it

[Peter_Kleban]

What a list! Never seen anything like it (and I don’t mean that positively or negatively, it’s very seldom to never that I recognize (never mind have tried) almost nothing on it).

For an interesting white, you might try the Dirty & Rowdy “Antle”. The one or two whites I’ve had from them were very interesting (in good way) but I haven’t had this one. Their retail is usually $40 or so, so the markup doesn’t look excessive. Don’t know if Chalone will go with your meal though.



PS this thread is a bit like the WB version of a damsel in distress, no? (apologies if that’s old-fashioned )

[Robert_Dentice]

I have eaten there and I struggled with the wine list. The food screams for German Riesling; however, I have heard that the Chef wants to do something atypical winewise for Nordic Cuisine. I chose an Oregon Pinot because it was a producer I have heard good things about and have wanted to try the wine and it was a horrible pairing.

There are a lot wines on the bottle list that I would like to try by the glass but none that I feel extremely confident recommending to you to buy a whole bottle. There are way too many experiments on the list. If I had to pick one I would probably go with the Wind Gap Pinot Gris assuming it is slightly skin fermented as it has been in past years.

[J_a_y_H_a_c_k]

I had the 2013 One Woman Gruner Veltliner that I bought by mistake and it was quite palatable. They have the 2014. I think you might like it if you want white. It’s NOT SAXUM! Here is my note:

• 2013 One Woman Grüner Veltliner - USA, New York, Long Island, North Fork (7/3/2016)
  I bought this wine by mistake at a locavore food shop in Grand Central Terminal. A mistake because I needed a Sauvignon Blanc to finish a flight and I had a brain freeze when my hand reached for this bottle. When I got home, I threw in in the cellar and decided that some day I would find an excuse to open it. My wife and son decided they wanted take out Indian food today and they wanted to drink Ommegang Abbey Ale, so this was the day to unscrew the cap and try this.

Very good wine. On the high end of very good. And outstanding match for the Indian food (chicken, shrimp and paneer dishes with moderate to light heat only). The wine is completely dry but has fruit to soften it and acidity to cut through the food without being sharp. There is citrus and white fruit. It is extremely well made and balanced and very easy to drink. The only thing I did not notice was the white pepper I usually get as a “tell” when drinking Gruner blind. A half of the bottle disappeared before I knew it was gone. The only thing I wonder about is the ABV. The bottle says 13%, but I definitely noticed it. I would have guessed 14.5%, but I know you can’t get that level of ripeness on the North Fork. Besides, does an extra 1.5% really make a difference? That’s for a different discussion.

According to the website, the “One Woman” is Claudia Purita, who grew up in Calabria. The winery is way up the North Fork, 15 miles past Paumanok and just east of Chablis Path, Chardonnay Road and Burgundy Court. From the satellite view, the vineyards look to be right up against the Sound where the land is pretty narrow and must get beaten up in a storm. Tough place to grow grapes, but that’s perhaps what makes this wine so good. I will buy it again.

PS - love the screw cap. Drink half, capping it after each pour, then throw it in the refrigerator to finish off the next day. (89 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

[Anthony_Lombardi]

BTG I would have the Massican even though it’s an expensive glass pour, also the FLX Riesling and Ramato. The Solminer is no slouch, but the Massican is more to my liking. I would ignore the Reds BTG.

If you get a bottle, that Ravines Riesling looks awfully good to me.

I would end up ordering a lot of FLX stuff just because I have limited access to it & whites from that region are awfully good.

[J_a_y_H_a_c_k]

By the way - for those of you who have never heard of these wines - you have to get out more and get out of the rut. I have a bunch in my cellar and I have tasted many others. I agree with Keith that some of the wines are a bit edgy and outside the normal diner’s comfort zone, but I view that as a good thing.

[Howard_Cooper]

Someone on this board once said that Dirty and Rowdy makes Mourvedre that tastes as if Jacky Truchot made it. Have not tried their wines but this certainly makes me curious.

I have had Littorai Pinot but not its Chardonnay. Thought the Pinots were good not great. But Ted Lemon of Littorai was once winemaker at Roulot, which would make me interested in trying his Chardonnay.

If you want safe, Shramsburg would be safe. So should Domaine Drouhin Chardonnay.

For a sweet wine after dinner, Ca Togni is quite interesting. Have had it multiple times, although not in a while.

[Howard_Cooper]

If you plan to go to places like this in the future, you probably should read https://www.amazon.com/New-California-Wine-Producers-Revolution/dp/1607743000/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1472683030&sr=8-1&keywords=jon+bonne+new+california+wine

[Joshua_Kates]

Channing Sisters and Shinn are both good LI producers, and I’d give the edge to the former. I haven’t tried either of these bottlings, but if I were you I’d probably try the first’s orange wine, if it went with what I was ordering.

[H_Wallace_Jr]

@Howard Cooper

Someone on this board once said that Dirty and Rowdy makes Mourvedre that tastes as if Jacky Truchot made it. Have not tried their wines but this certainly makes me curious.

Whoa. Kind words and not worthy.

Per everyone- Talk to Chad. He’s awesome. I’ve worked with him both here and at The Dutch. I believe he has wine pairing option and he should be able to take you on a fun trip.

D&R was there first winemaker event / dinner in June. It was a great night and killer meal.

[J_a_y_H_a_c_k]

@Sarah Kirschbaum

@Jim Hanlon

Dining alone, important to get something that won’t tire the palate, if buying a bottle. Many of these wines, while interesting, would wear me down over a solo dinner. With that in mind, the Cruse Valdiguie Pet Nat is versatile, interesting, and tasty. I second the Ryme Fiano. The Mathiasson Ribolla Gialla is a AFWE “new classic.” I could drink any of those through an entire dinner. If you have an interest in Nebbiolo, try a glass of the Palmina. One of the California’s best versions and a leader in recent efforts to work with that variety.

Thanks Jim. Good point and good suggestions.

And one of the owners is the god-daughter of Luciano Sandrone (or maybe Paolo Scavino, I’m not sure I remember what she told me, some guy with an S). I slipped a bottle of this blind into aN Italian Nebbiolo tasting about 8 years ago and Brad Coehlo nailed down to the vineyard. It’s a nice wine if you want red.

[GregT]

I’m a fan of Palmina so don’t get me wrong, but there’s stuff on that list that’s more “interesting”.

Better? Not necessarily. But less available.

Faced with a wine list like this, I’d just keep in mind what Mae West said about being confronted with two evils.

[Sarah_Kirschbaum]

Reporting back as requested…

The list had changed slightly from what was online, and several of the options I’d had in mind were no longer available, which didn’t matter in the end as I ended up working with Chad (who is awesome) to come up with a few glasses. I generally avoid official pairing regimes for a number of reasons, one of which is that I don’t really like small tastes of a bunch of things, preferring more time with fewer wines. Chad was terrific – he got to know my palate quickly through our conversation and my reaction to the wines he poured. I was lucky in that he had a few things open that he normally doesn’t pour by the glass – that meant a few of them were too cold, since they were being kept in the fridge, but a little warming in the hands fixed the problem. He had no issue when I rejected, at different points in the meal, a chenin blanc I found too lean and fierce, and an Oregon chardonnay that was way too oaky for me. He immediately offered alternatives I liked better, no worries. Here’s what I ended up drinking.

Tatomer Sylvaner Sisquoc 2014
Massican ‘Annia’ 2014
Domaine Leseurre ‘Barrel Select’ Chardonnay 2012
La Clarine Farm “Cedarville” Mourvedre 2014 (I think – didn’t get a picture)

I was perfectly happy drinking all of these, the Massican and Tatomer especially, though I don’t think I’d seek them out for my cellar. I could probably have skipped a chardonnay altogether. I understand why he wanted it for a progression, and it was nice enough, I’m just rarely excited by chardonnay that doesn’t come from France. Looking back, and thinking about the menu, I would start with a sparkler and skip the chardonnay.

We talked about a few of the other suggestions I’d flagged, like the Wind Gap ‘Soif’ and the Palmina Nebbiolo. If I’d needed another red or hadn’t liked the mourvedre, he’d have gone with the Palmina.

Food was also very good, but I’ll write about that in the other forum.

Thanks for all the help – I went in feeling better prepared for sure. I agree with Robert’s comment above that the food just screams for German Riesling. It’s sad to me to handicap yourself and your wine program in order to support your philosophy. Fortunately, there are reasonably good options on the list, nonetheless.

[ybarselah]

(Sigh of relief)

[Alicia_C]

Thanks for reporting back! That Tatomer looks like fun!

While I realize this list seemed foreign to a lot of folks – you had me geeking out all day poring through it. I’ll have to include Agern on my next trip up to NYC!

If you liked the Mourvedre – you should definitely seek out Hardy’s versions (Dirty & Rowdy) next time!

[loren.grossman]

Glad you enjoyed it. Interesting that they didn’t have the Riesling from Red Newt and Sheldrake Point, but had other wines from them. I think the Riesling made by those producers is amazing and would have loved your opinion of the wines. Graham Tatomer makes delicious wines for sure.