September 1, 2010
If you’re going to get your hands on a bottle of the Andre-Michel Bregeon Muscadet 2008 selected by the NY Times as both ‘Best of Tasting’ and ‘Best Value’ and which they describe as “tangy, fresh, deep and long with savory heavily mineral flavors” and “insanely cheap”, you’re going to need a knight in shining armor. This being Brooklyn, our chosen knight was named Frankie a/k/a “Frankie Cupcakes”.*
We beckoned Frankie yesterday at 6 a.m. seeking bottles of this elusive delicious elixir but alas he bore the bad news that nary a bottle remained in the storehouse. But halt . . . he had heard good word that 12 cases would arrive that very day. Go, mighty Frankie, we said. Battle valiantly and bring us as many cases as your trusty carriage can hold. Hours later, we heralded Frankie’s triumphant return from his quest bearing 9 of the remaining 12 cases. And he’s sworn vengeance on the knave who pilfered the last 3 that were rightfully ours.
We haven’t seen one wine selected as both ‘Best of Tasting’ and ‘Best Value’ in years. And Muscadet makes the perfect wine to salute the last hot days of summer. From the Melon grape grown where the Loire River meets the Atlantic in France, Muscadet truly brings the beach to Brooklyn. Bregeon Muscadet spends some time ‘sur lie’, which means it picks up depth and texture from being allowed to rest on the sediment that gathers during fermentation (the “lees”) for a few months. But the predominant quality here is a clean, almost saline minerality. A perfect pair for oysters, the Times also recommends serving it with seafood dishes & light poultry or pasta preparations and notes that “apart from food pairings, Muscadet is just plain delicious.”
Andre-Michel Bregeon Muscadet Sevre et Maine 2008 $15/bottle, $13.50/bottle for 12 bottles or more. Very limited stock, when it’s gone, it’s gone. To order, call (718) 797-9463 or click here.
*Dubbed thus for his investment in a Brooklyn restaurant famed for its cupcakes.
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Posted by greenegrape
August 25, 2010
The long wait for the first local honey harvest of the year is officially over! We’re proud to have the latest harvest of Brooklyn Bee honey – harvested right here in Fort Greene – in the shop. The Brooklyn Bee is John Howe, the sweetest beekeeper you’d ever want to meet, a driving force behind the recent legalization in urban NYC beekeeping and a bee educator par excellence. For more information about John and his educational outreach programs, check out his website.
Every year, John’s limited harvest goes quickly. Local honey, in addition to be thought to have many beneficial anti-allergenic effects, makes a great gift. If you’re a guest anywhere for the rest of the summer, grab an extra jar as a host/hostess gift.
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Posted by greenegrape
August 13, 2010
Join us at the wine store tonight from 5-7pm and try a Txakolina, a fizzy, fresh white from Spain that was featured in this week’s New York Times along with some tidbits from Provisions. For red lovers, we’ll also uncork Elena Walch’s Schiava 2009 ($17.00), a juicy, lively red from the italian border of Austria that was recently featured in the Wall Street Journal.
Eric Asimov’s Wines of the Times column this week focused on Txakolina wines, refreshing, simple, easy, slightly effervescent wines from Spain. If you’ve tried our Vinho Verde from Casal Garcia ($8.75) and enjoyed that style of bright, fresh, crisp, slightly fizzy white wine from Portugal, you should definitely pick up a bottle of our Alejandro Arregui Mendizabal Txakoli 2009 ($17.50).
Txakolina is meant to be poured from up high to work up a vigorous lather in the glass so you can get the full effect of the tart acidity and slight effervescence. It is an ideal pair with seafood and is ubiquitous on the coast of Spain in August, though in the Northern Spain region where it is from, it is drunk year-round with a variety of dishes. A perfect aperitif to cleanse the palate for a good meal and a fun wine if you can perfect the flourished pour!
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Posted by greenegrape
August 7, 2010
In this weekend’s Wall Street Journal, columnist Lettie Teague raves about one of our newest wines – the 2009 Elena Walch Schiava ($17). From the article: “This plump, juicy, utterly delicious red tastes like a Pinot Noir but is actually Schiava, the most-planted (but perhaps least-respected) grape of the Alto Adige region of Italy. I ordered it in a restaurant recently and it impressed even my high-spending wine friends.” Juicy and lively, we agree this is a great summer red.
Alto Adige lies in Northern Italy right on the border of Austria and is a blend of german and italian in terms of languages, culture and cuisine. The valleys get 300 days of sun but mountain breezes cool down the nights even in summer. And the grapes, like the residents, enjoy late afternoon cool breezes blowing off Lake Garda. Schiava in italian, Vernatsch in german, this grape is indigenous to the region and makes delicious, fruity, quaffable wines. If we have any left, we’ll serve it this Friday, August 13 from 5-7pm at the weekly wine and cheese/charcuterie tasting we have with the folks at Provisions. If you pick up a bottle this weekend, we think the wine’s relatively light body and full fruit will pair nicely with a selection of charcuterie.
We’ve only got 5 cases in stock in each store (Brooklyn and Manhattan) so if you’d like to try this wine, call us at (718) 797-9463 (Brooklyn) or (212) 406-9463 (Manhattan) or order online in Brooklyn or Manhattan.
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Posted by greenegrape
August 5, 2010
Recipient of Austrian vintner of the year and included on a list of Austria’s top 24 vintners, Ludwig Neumayer commands prices upwards of $35 for his wines. His reputation preceded him so when we got the call from his former importer that 7 cases of his 2006 Cuvée Vom Stein could be had at a price allowing us to offer them under $15 to you, we raised an eyebrow. A deal this great is usually too good to be true.
We called Ludwig’s new importer, who had declined to pick up the wine, and asked about it, expecting a bad review. Their answer surprised us – an excellent wine, a fantastic year, drinking perfectly now. But this wine is in such demand in Neumayer’s native Austria that the price he asked put it in a higher-end market that has not yet fully recovered from the recent recession. But you know this – if you’ve participated in our wine of the week, you’ve been drinking wine well above price point. One silver lining to cloudy economic conditions.
Neumayer Cuvée Vom Stein 2006 blends riesling and gelber muskateller, a grape in the muscat family, sourced from 60-year old vines. A nose laced with stone fruits, especially peach, and hints of minerality and flowers leads to a palate displaying citrus fruits and a pronounced floral element (thanks, gelber muskateller!) Sipping light and lovely, this is simply a delicious, refreshing summer wine and an amazing deal at $14.75/bottle, $13.28/bottle for 12 bottles or more. Don’t miss it.
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Posted by greenegrape
July 29, 2010
Across the pond, Jancis Robinson, wine columnist for the Financial Times, thinks 2009 is such an exceptional year for Beaujolais that it will finally change the perception of the region as a source of inexpensive seasonal Beaujolais Nouveau. In 2009 Beaujolais, Jancis finds “delicious” wines, “stuffed full of fruit” that are actually “delicious to drink. Now.” She describes the vintage as “delightfully warm without being too hot” which allowed the defining characteristic of Beaujolais – its relatively high acidity – to evolve into “the most delightful complement to all that ripe, crunchy, mouth-watering fruit.”
The only downside to such an extraordinary vintage is that it finally gave Beaujolais producers the opportunity to raise prices. The wisdom of raising prices in a recession was hotly debated – the low price of Beaujolais had made it a darling in the wine world, driving demand. In the end, however, the opportunity was too good for the producers to pass up. One producer broke ranks and raised his price and one by one, the others soon followed. The average price increase? 30 cents a bottle.
Even with this outrageous example of opportunism, price gouging and greed (ahem), we heartily recommend these wines and were happy to be able to track down five cases of one of Jancis’s top recommendations – Jean-Paul Brun’s Terres Dorees 2009 $17.50/$14.88 a bottle with 15% case discount – for you.
The bright fruit of Terres Dorees pairs perfectly with anything coming off the grill. When you take your chicken out of the fridge to grill it, pop in the bottle of Beaujolais. By the time your chicken is done, the wine should have a slight chill allowing the ripe red fruit to blossom and perfectly match your dish. Summer couldn’t be simpler.
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Posted by greenegrape
July 22, 2010
Wouldn’t it be nice (but overrun with tourists)?
Unfortunately it
doesn’t exist but the closest place we know is Europe. Television ads tout the health benefits of milk chocolate (gotta get your daily calcium!) and the most renowned breakfast spread is Nutella, a chocolate hazelnut mixture made in Italy but that nearly every other European country has tried to knock off.
We’ve eaten bathtubs full of the stuff and can tell you from experience the imitators are never as good as the original.
The Nutella we carry is the original, imported from Italy, not the Nutella packaged specifically for the US. The staff swears there’s a difference in taste. And when it comes to your health, you don’t want to mess around.
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Posted by greenegrocery
July 20, 2010
We are excited to carry Schoolhouse Kitchen’s new Anytime Spreadable Fruit at Provisions. Schoolhouse Kitchen is a family run business based in Brooklyn that not only creates delicious condiments but also donates part of their profits to a variety of educational programs. We have always been fans of their Balsamic Vinaigrette, SweetSmoothHot Mustard, and Bardshar Chutney so we are thrilled to carry Schoolhouse’s new line of Spreadable Fruit. They are a well balanced mix of naturally sweet fruit and herbs making them a perfect pairing for both sweet and savory foods.
After tasting the Cherry Blackberry Sage & Clove one of our employees compared the flavor to a Thanksgiving pie. Since the spread relies on the fruits natural sugar it is not too sweet and blends perfectly with the cloves and sage. Schoolhouse suggests pairing with roast beef, muffins, or a triple creme brie. For their Strawberry Black Peppercorn we suggest pairing with Miticabra or Blue Ledge Farm’s Camembrie.
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Posted by greenegrocery
If you’re going to get your hands on a bottle of the Andre-Michel Bregeon Muscadet 2008 selected by the NY Times as both ‘Best of Tasting’ and ‘Best Value’ and which they describe as “tangy, fresh, deep and long with savory heavily mineral flavors” and “insanely cheap”, you’re going to need a knight in shining armor. This being Brooklyn, our chosen knight was named Frankie a/k/a “Frankie Cupcakes”.* 
