Three “sleepers” were big time winners at our June New York Expo Event

This year, Suburban Wines & Spirits held two major New York Wine events, one on 6/6 featuring about 40 wines from a dozen Finger Lakes vintners and the other on 6/13, featuring about 30 wines from eight Long Island and Hudson Valley vintners. As you might expect, many of the better-known New York wines did quite well. These are premium wines made in large production quantities that are distributed nationwide to liquor stores and specialty wine merchants like us by the major wine and spirits distributors. Examples of these popular, best sellers from the Finger Lakes were: Dr. Konstantin Franc ’07 Dry Riesling (Keuka Lake Southwest), Hermann Wiemer ’07 Cabernet Franc (Seneca Lake West), and, on a smaller scale, Lamoreaux Landing ’07 T23 Cabernet Franc (Seneca Lake Northeast).

Similarly, at our Long Island/Hudson Valley event, other well-known and commercially distributed New York vintners did very well. Examples of these popular best sellers were: Millbrook ’08 Tocai Friulano (Hudson Valley West), Pellegrini ’05 Cabernet Franc (North Shore LI) and Wolffer Estate ’06 Chardonnay (The Hamptons LI).

But we also poured wines from several small, limited production, artisanal producers with whom we have developed a long-term relationship and from whom we buy direct, because their wines are not commercially distributed. These were the “sleepers” of the tasting and many of them outsold their commercially distributed peers! For example, Chateau Lafayette Reneau NV Seyval/Chardonnay (Seneca Lake Southeast) was the overall best seller for both events. At the Finger Lakes event, tiny Villa Bellangelo (Seneca Lake West – next to Hermann Wiemer) not only tied for #2 best seller with their ’06 Francesca Rosso Merlot-Cabernet blend, named after the owner’s oldest daughter, but also tied for #3 best seller with their ‘07 Bella Bianca Seyval-Vidal Blanc blend, named after the youngest daughter. And the overall best seller at the Hudson Valley/Long Island event was from yet another small family run vintner – Whitecliff Vineyards (Hudson Valley) – with their captivating ’08 Awosting White Seyval-Vignoles blend.

With over 70 New York wine labels from 20 top quality New York vintners in stock, we are proud to be able to provide our customers with excellent wines from both widely available, high-volume, premium winemakers as well as small, hard-to-find, family-owned artisanal producers. - Jay Roelof – Suburban’s New York Wine Director

Michael in Aspen - In Praise of Pork

When Iron Chef Michael Symon first opened his restaurant Lolita in Cleveland in the ‘90s, he had trouble selling a menu item titled “Pork Belly”. Partner Tom Colicchio (Gramercy Tavern, Craft) suggested he rename it “Thick Bacon”. The same dish, re-titled, sold 40 servings on the first night! This story certainly demonstrates how far Americans have come in the last 10 years toward feeling comfortable with European-style cuisine. In the picture, Michael holds up a raw pork belly during a demo at the Food & Wine Magazine Classic in Aspen in mid-June, with which he proceeded to create the ultimate carnivore’s delight…..a pork belly and bacon sandwich. Before he bit into it, he proclaimed devilishly to the crowd “This is when it sucks to be you”.
–Michael Koehler

Michael in Aspen - Farm to Fork

On the east coast, we may know Michael Chiarello best for a Zinfandel, a “consorzio” of olive oils, a “stylish” Napa catalog of artisanal goods, and an “entertaining” cooking show. But if you lived in California, you would know him better for his one restaurant, Bottega in Yountville. As head chef at this Italian-influenced farm-to-table, he is an outspoken advocate for organic farming and local produce; one could imply he is the Dan Barber of the west. He likes to say, “we vote with our forks”, meaning, the consumer can change the paradigm of cuisine by choosing where and what to eat. Michael was super-polished in his seemingly off-the-cuff presentation, and is clearly connected to the chemistry of cooking. He made fresh mozzarella right before us, as he claimed to have done many times for the ladies he had dated! One fun result is the Boccontini, which Deborah is seen sipping below. Michael pours a martini glassful of tomato water and adds grey salt, and a skewer with alternating cherry tomatoes and balls of bocconchini. Refreshing, savory and non-alcoholic. –Michael Koehler

Charles Bieler of Three Thieves / Rebel Wine Co. and BIELER Père et Fils and Charles Smith of K Vintners, Magnificent Wine Co. and Charles Smith Wines have teamed up on a delicious rose offering. Their collaborationaptly named Charles and Charleshas yielded a single vineyard dry rosé from the Wahluke Slope of Washington State.

Bieler has been making rosé in Provence, France with his family since 1992 and was one of the early champions of the category in the US. In the late 90s it was only top tier shops that would carry any rosé at all, says Bieler, and it took serious explanation to convince people that in fact not all pink wine was sweet. Now, every good restaurant and retailer loads up on at least a few for the warmer months. Weve come a long way, baby.

With the long growing season and more moderate climate of the Wahluke Slope in the Columbia Valley, Charles & Charles has blended fruit for the same bright, fresh profile that has made European rosés popular for generations.

Smith made this 2008 rosé of syrah from the Talcott Vineyard from the Wahluke Slope (AVA) in the traditional Provencal way. He harvested the grapes at the early edge of ripeness, sent straight to the press without any extended cold soak, and fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks at cooler temperatures. New World fruit, Old World methods!

"I didn’t expect C & C Rose to be this good. Very crisp and refreshing and driven by an under-ripe but rich strawberry type of fruit profile. I’d be curious to taste a full on Syrah from the Talcott Vineyard judging by the quality of the rose. Distinctive, delicious and dry American rose for your 4th of July BBQs." - George Feaver - Suburban's Washington Wine Director

Because Suburban has the largest selection of New York wines in the NY Metropolitan area, we are able to attract small, artisanal New York vintners who do not choose to have their wines distributed by the major wine distributors, but are willing to deliver their wines to us to offer to our customers. They know that our customers understand and appreciate good quality New York wine! One such New York vintner with whom we have a personal delivery arrangement is Lieb Family Cellars, located on the North Shore of Long Island in Mattituck.

Their signature wine is their Reserve Pinot Blanc, the 2007 vintage of which was recently favorably reviewed by both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. In his write up, NY Times chief wine critic, Eric Asimov, said, "I got a bottle of superb 2007 pinot blanc, made by Lieb Family Cellars on the North Fork of Long Island. What a delicious wine! It was dry and creamy with a captivating texture and a mere 12.5 percent alcohol."

We have felt that way about Liebs flagship wine for quite a while now and are pleased to offer this now famous 2007 vintage to you for significantly less than you would pay for it at the vineyard! - Jay Roelof - Suburbans New York Wine Director

Interested? Click here ---> http://bit.ly/24u76

Michael In Italy - Slow Food and more

A sneak glimpse of Osteria Boccondivino, the famous restaurant where the Slow Food movement began 20 years ago, in the city of Bra. Currently under construction, the restaurant and its gastronomical philosophies have inspired the preservation of traditional food preparation customs in over 100,000 venues worldwide, and have resurrected the concept of eco-friendly gastronomy, perhaps in protest of the “fast food” cultures that had risen to prominence in the late 20th century.



The amuse bouche at Albergo dell’Agenzia, the Slow Food-associated restaurant in the lovely hotel in Pollenza (5 minutes from Bra) where we stayed and dined (that is a raw cased seasoned sausage!). The estate is also the home of a gastronomical university, and the newly-established Banca del Vino…..a cellar/museum that stores several cases of every great wine made in Italy, and will continue to do so with every future vintage. –Michael Koehler

My bride and I shared a bottle of the2008 Donnas Valle d’Aosta Nebbiolo Rose last night with a baby Arugula salad. Yeah I know…enough about freakin’ rosé….we get it….you like it….

Fine…I will be brief then…just a quick tasting note…

2008 Donnas Valle D’Aosta Nebbiolo Rosé

I am a huge fan of this co-operative in Valle D’Aosta region in NW Italy, just north of Piemonte. As a matter of fact, their 2005 Valle D’Aosta (nebbiolo) was my “Wine of the Year” last year….great stuff all around at terrific prices. As for the rosé, it is a bit darker in color than many of the ones that your will see from France (nebbiolo will do that), but the darker color also offers up a bit more in terms of layers and complexity. Red berries and an herbal quality are noted and a gorgeous richness is present throughout. Good stuff and a bit beefier than some of the ones I have been enjoying to date…

- Lance Cerutti – www.suburbanwines.com