Big Bold Flavor Study #1 – Syrah, New York -ADJOURNED/CANCELLED - New Date TBD

Sorry, but I have to delay this. I have had some medical issues that have taken up too much of my time recently. I have not had the time to organize this properly so I want to delay until I can get it together. New date to be announced.


After reaching what I believe is a sufficient critical mass in this thread, Anyone interested in a regular Big Bold Modernist Red Wine Offline Series in New York City? - Event Planner - Online or Offline - WineBerserkers, let’s start it up and see where it goes. I wanted to do all Saxum for the first event, but Rebecca has prevailed upon me to broaden the theme to cover all big syrahs.

Where: I have two possibilities and there is a special added attraction at one of them (it’s a secret for now) so I am trying to see if I can make arrangements there. Both are Midtown Manhattan steakhouses – one on the east side in the 50s and the other on the west side in the 30s. We will call it for 6 pm BUT nothing serious except for starters and maybe some hors d’oeuvres until at least 6:30, so do not worry about getting there at the start.

Wines. Big Bold Syrahs or mostly syrahs. One bottle per person. You can bring more if you want. We will bring a Magnum of a Saxum Bone Rock James Berry Vineyard, either a 2008 or 2009. Our cellar is being reorganized, and I cannot be sure exactly what we still have at the moment, but I favor the 2008 because it is 83% Syrah. We will also bring a Cayuse Bionic Frog, which seems to be on a lot of bucket lists. The 2011 if I can find it.

If you are interested in attending, post below with your wine(s). Remember the theme. A high end, flavorful “cultish” syrah that Jay Miller or Keith Levenberg would hate. I dearly like both of them personally, but their taste in wine needs to be reworked. Examples of suitable wineries are:
Sine Qua Non, Next of Kyn, Cayuse, Alban, Colgin IX, Kongsgaard, Andremily, Hors Catégorie, C. H. Astralis (down under is OK), etc. You get the idea.

Frequency. One dinner every two months seems to be the majority sentiment, so let’s start with that plan and see where it goes. To avoid fussing over minutia and having to answer inevitable questions, I will create a couple of rules, but will bow to majority sentiment on anything other than COVID. Begging to get a rules waiver will be frowned upon.

  1. Future Theme Choices. Each dinner we will pick the theme for the next dinner as a group, with the general idea that big reds are better. Can be producer, wine maker, vintage, grape variety region, whatever.

  2. What if I don’t have any? If someone does not have any wine that fits the intended theme and cannot source a bottle, then there will be one exception on a first come, first served basis for a top of the line bubbly starter. Julie has dibs on the exception for the first event if she wants it with her offer at the PDH event of a Selosse. It’s an NV, but close enough. The group can decide at the first dinner whether it wants a second exception for Yquem and 1955 Ports.

  3. Food. We will favor restaurants with large chunks of good red meat, because that seems to be a better paring for the intended wine styles, but if majority sentiment wants to bring these wines to Le Bernardin, I’m game, although the corkage is a bit much. If anyone has a good relationship with a particular restaurant that will not charge exorbitant corkage, you are welcome to make restaurant arrangements. I have no horse in that race.

  4. Number of People. I would like to keep attendance to 10 or 12 people, but we can push it to 14, especially with magnums. Anything over 14 really needs two tables, which will depend upon the restaurant and availability. I’ll worry about this idea being too popular if it happens.

  5. COVID protocols. We spend time taking care of our 7 year old grandson every week, and my nieces and nephews have 4 very young children who we see at family events, so we are VERY strict. Vaccination cards must be shown at the table. None of this Aaron Rogers bullshit. Rebecca is more than happy to check everyone, since she is stricter than I am. We cannot test the rest of the restaurant, but to the extent that we can, we will try to get private rooms or isolated tables. NO religious or other exceptions allowed.

  6. Oversubscription Priorities. Just in case we go over the people limit. People who attended the immediately prior event get first dibs and then first come, first served.

  7. Whining by people who claim to have a better palate. “But I want to bring an old school, delicate, elegant syrah from the Northern Rhone to prove how wrong you are!” If it is a well-aged Guigal La La, Chave, or Rostaing, maybe, because my palate is not as narrow as yours and I should like it, but it will take some convincing. Same concept for other themes in the future unless the group wants a Judgment of Paris style reboot one day.

I’d love to join you but this is the night before the PDH dinner.

That is correct. However, the holidays are coming and I want to get one in this year. More important, there is a major boxing event at MSG on Saturday the 11th and Messrs Lomachenko, Kovalev and a few other notable practitioners of the pugilistic arts will be having dinner together at a particular restaurant on the west side. The last time I had dinner at that restaurant, Mr. Kovalev was also there but he could not drink the wine I offered to him because he was fighting the next day (he lost, much to my surprise). I told him that if we met again I would give him another glass. I want to discharge that promise if I can make arrangements at the restaurant in question.

Rita and I are in.
I can do many different Saxum including 2007s, Rocket Blocks, Many different SQN, Alban, Bionic Frog.
Also some old Run Rig.
Would probably avoid Hermitage given the other wines.

Bump - see post one.

Hope you have a speedy recovery!