What we’re about
We are a Wine and Dine Group! We share some good (sometimes Great!) bottles of wine over food and conversation.
A few times per month, we have small group dinners, either 6, 8 or 10 people at each event. The group organizers will host dinners on both weeknights and weekends. The organizer will supply 4 bottles of wine for 6 person dinners, 5 bottles of wine for 8 person dinners, and 6 bottles of wine for 10 person dinners. Most of the time, the wines will come from the event organizer's personal collection.
The cost of each event will be for an individual's share of the wine and in some cases the wine corkage charge of the restaurant. Dinner is not included and must be paid for at the event.
To attend an event, the wine payment must be made in advance, and reservations are on a first come, first serve basis. Once you pay, refunds or credits are only available if you cancel AND your spot gets filled by someone else. All refunds are subject to a cancellation fee from $3 to $5, depending on the cost of the event. There is no refund or credit for no-shows.
No other outside wine will be permitted, unless prior arrangements have been made with the host, but attendees may order wine or spirits from the restaurant, at their own expense. Attendees are expected to order at least an entree and one other item from the menu, either an appetizer, a side dish or a dessert.
Along with the wine charge, everyone will be expected/required to pay for their own meal, along with a 33% charge for tax and tip.
We will be dining at restaurants that we have established relationships with, where we can bring our own wine for us to enjoy. Corkage varies from restaurant to restaurant, from Zero to $25 per bottle.
PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PROFILE PICTURE WHERE I CAN SEE YOUR FACE, YOU WILL BE REJECTED FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THIS GROUP.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Inflation Busting St. Paddy's Day at ABAABA Istanbul Café, New York, NY$19.00
March the 17th is St. Patrick's Day, so join me for a St. Paddy's Day dinner at group favorite ABA Turkish Restaurant.
This will be an 8 person dinner with one white wine and four red wines. I will be digging through my cellar for some of the least expensive bargain priced wines I can find, as we try and outmatch inflation! PLEASE be forewarned that while these wines have all been stored well, these are inexpensive wines and I really have no idea how they will taste/show. So lower your expectations!
The cost for this event is $19, which is for the wine only.
PLUS a reminder of our usual rules:
You will also have to pay the cost of your food (plus 33% for tax and tip). Please order at least two courses (i.e. a main dish and either appetizer or dessert) for your dinner. There are very few restaurants that allow us to bring our own wine for a low corkage fee. We must be good guests to encourage the restaurant to continue to be generous to us.
Please read and understand the group's cancellation policy. If you take spot, then cancel, and no one else takes the spot, you will not receive a refund or credit. No refunds or credits will be given for no-shows or late cancellations (unless someone else takes your spot). All cancellations are subject to a $5 service fee.
Here is a link to the menu....
ABA TURKISH RESTAURANT MENUNOTE: Meetup has started charging a "Partner Fee" that is above and in addition to the listed price of the event. It comes to approximately $3 more for each RSVP. You will see this charge when you complete your rsvp and pay for the event. MEETUP+ members are exempt from this charge.
Please use public transportation - NO DRINKING AND DRIVING!
The Wines (notes will be distributed at the dinner)
2022 Domaine des Peregrins Petit Chablis ($24) - I would normally save this for a restaurant that serves Oysters, but it is the least expensive white wine in my cellar and I'm trying to keep the cost of this event down! BIO/organic; Eleonore Moreau; 100% limestone-laced, salt-spray and mineral dusted Chardonnay that could only be from one small region – the environs of Chablis!
2018 Liberalia Enologica S.L. Tinta de Toro Toro Enebral ($14) - Tinta de Toro is another name for Tempranillo for this Spanish wine. James Suckling 93 points, “A firm, tight red for the region with blue fruit, dark chocolate, walnut and some hazelnut. It’s full and very tight with intense tannins and a flavorful finish. Linear and racy. One that will age very well. Better after 2021.”
2022 Brook & Bull The Silent Ode ($14) - From Washington's Walla Walla Valley, this was a mystery wine from Full Pull. It is a blend of 54% Malbec, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Petit Verdot, and 9% Cabernet Franc.
2021 Bodegas Val de Horna Viño de la Tierra de Valle del Jiloca La Loma ($19) -From Spain's Ribera del Jiloca in Aragon. The Ribera del Jiloca IGP designation only belongs to a handful of vineyards and Ramon Reula’s family has some of the finest topography and vines (including the Val De Horna). I think this is 100% Garnacha (Grenache), but I can't be sure.
2009 Zephros Cabernet Sauvignon Champoux Vineyard ($18) - My last bottle and first since 2018. This was a mystery purchase from Garagiste, but it is one of my favorite vineyards. Hopefully it has aged well.
- Pies & Pour Decisions: Grenache & Zin EditionDonna Margherita, New York, NY$44.00
What do you think when you hear Grenache? I think of Rich, Spicy, fruit driven wines.....
Join me for this Wednesday night dinner at Donna Margherita. We have been there a few times recently and have always enjoyed it. We will have 1 white Grenache blend and 2 Grenache red blends wines from France and California and 1 pure Garnacha from Spain at this 8 person event, PLUS just to keep everyone on their toes, a CA Zinfandel.
Donna Margherita, has great personal sized pizzas and a nice variety of Pastas. They do charge a corkage fee, which is included in the event cost. Check out their menu here:
https://www.donnamargheritany.com
Just a reminder of our usual rules:
** The cost of this event is $44 and is for the cost of the wines, plus corkage only.NOTE: Meetup has started charging a "Partner Fee" that is above and in addition to the listed price of the event. It is annoying and confusing, but there is nothing I can do about it. It comes to approximately $3 more for each RSVP. You will see this charge when you complete your rsvp and pay for the event. Sorry! Meetup+ members are exempt from this charge.
You will also have to pay the cost of your food (plus 33% for tax and tip). Please order at least two courses (i.e. a main dish and either appetizer or dessert) for your dinner. There are very few restaurants that allow us to bring our own wine. We must be good guests to encourage the restaurant to continue to be generous to us.
Please read and understand the group's cancellation policy. If you take spot, then cancel, and no one else takes the spot, you will not receive a refund or credit. No refunds or credits will be given for no-shows or late cancellations (unless someone else takes your spot). All cancellations are subject to a $5 service fee.
Please use public transportation - NO DRINKING AND DRIVING!
The Wines (notes will be distributed at the dinner):
2022 The Walls Vineyards Grenache Blanc Lip Stinger French Creek Vineyard ($30) - I had this in December and loved it, a blend of Blend of 45% Grenache Blanc, 32% Viognier, 12% Marsanne, 8% Roussanne, 3 % Picpoul.
2013 Domaine Cabirau Maury Sec Serge & Nicolas ($30) - CT 90.8, WA 95 points, "The 2013 Maury Sec Serge & Nicolas is a blockbuster that goes screaming past its humble price point. Made from a blend of 60% unoaked Grenache and 28% Syrah and 12% Carignan aged in 500-liter demi-muids, it boasts tons of kirsch, peppery herbs, licorice and hints of crushed flowers to go with a full-bodied, layered, and beautifully concentrated feel on the palate. Coming all from the black schist soils around the village of Maury, it pretty much maxes out the QPR scale and is a complete, balanced Roussillon to drink over the coming 7-8 years. (drink 2015-2023)"
2019 Arnot-Roberts Zinfandel Kirschenmann ($40) - CT 89.9, Vinous (Antonio Galloni) 88 points, (1/2021) "The 2019 Zinfandel Kirschenmann is an exotic wine. There is something about the balance I find awkward. It's as if the wine's ripeness (a bit higher than in the past) is in conflict with the 100% stems. The flavors are at once ripe and vegetal. Perhaps time in bottle will bring out a greater sense of harmony. For now, the Kirschenmann is an unusually disjointed wine."
2019 The Farm Winery Touchy-Feely ($76) - WA 93 points, "The 2019 Touchy Feely is composed of 69% Grenache and 31% Syrah. It has bright scents of red berries, citrus peel and dusty earth. The medium-bodied palate is softly framed and vibrant with a concentrated core of juicy fruit and a long, spicy finish."
2021 Comando G La Bruja ($25) - CT 89.7, WA 95 points, "The 2021 La Bruja de Rozas is their edgiest and most austere mineral and soil-driven version of their entry-level red. It's herbal, with no concession for fruit, and it has electricity and grip. It's a good preview of what's to come from 2021. It has a lot of 2018 and 2016 characteristics, a cool summer, a year with rain and even some during harvest that complicated matters and made them lose some grapes, but there's more grip, more minerality, more depth, layers and subtleness. It needs time in the glass, and my guess is that at age eight it's going to reach an outstanding level. A grown-up Bruja, it’s more for soil fanatics than the general public, and it’s one to lay down in your cellar (by the case) while you drink your 2020s. There were 55,184 bottles produced. It was bottled in August 2022. (drink 2024-2030)"
- Exploring the 2018 Bordeaux Right Bank VintageBobby Van's 230Park, New York, NY$65.00
Join me to explore a selection of 2018 Bordeaux Right Bank wines. The 2018 growing season on the Right Bank experienced a rainy start, but the weather cleared up earlier than on the Left Bank, leading to drier conditions in the second half of the season. These conditions favored the clay and limestone soils, but the wines are more varied overall—some offering beautiful expressions, while others lean towards slightly austere, herbaceous profiles. The late-ripening Cabernet Franc plays a key role in this unique vintage.
For this dinner with six people, we'll be having one white wine and three reds. It will be at Bobby Van's on Park Avenue, at the corner of Park Avenue and 46th Street.
Here is a link to their menu...
Bobby Van's on Park MenuJust a reminder of our usual rules:
** The cost of this event is $65 and is for the cost of the wines only.
NOTE: Meetup has started charging a "Partner Fee" that is above and in addition to the listed price of the event. It comes to approximately $4 more for each RSVP. You will see this charge when you complete your rsvp and pay for the event. Sorry! Meetup+ members are exempt from this charge.
You will also have to pay the cost of your food (plus 33% for tax and tip). Please order at least two courses (i.e. a main dish and either appetizer or dessert) for your dinner. There are very few restaurants that allow us to bring our own wine for a Zero corkage fee. We must be good guests to encourage the restaurant to continue to be generous to us.
Please read and understand the group's cancellation policy. If you take spot, then cancel, and no one else takes the spot, you will not receive a refund or credit. No refunds or credits will be given for no-shows or late cancellations (unless someone else takes your spot). All cancellations are subject to a $6 service fee.
Please use public transportation - NO DRINKING AND DRIVING!
The Wines :
2021 Chateau La Fleur Morange Blanc - 50% Sauvignon Gris, 50% Sauvignon Blanc.
From the Winery: The first vintage for a white Fleur Morange was 2020. As the Julien family is determined to do different things, Mathilde and Jean-François decided to make an exceptional white wine.
From a vineyard located in the southeast of Saint-Émilion, on parcels of limestone clay, and flint, where two grape varieties are grown, Sauvignon Gris and Sauvignon Blanc. The grapes were picked up and laid in crates prior to crushing into stainless steel vats for cold maceration, after which the juice was pressed off to be vinified at a low temperature. When the alcoholic fermentation ended, the wine was moved to 500-liter French oak barrels from various forests and left on the lees for 12 months.
The result is a fascinating white with aromas of citrus, grapefruit, lychee, acacia flowers, and a touch of fresh butter on lightly toasted bread. The mouthfeel is vibrant with acidity while remaining full and very pleasant, with a zippy, long finish.
2018 Annonce de Belair-Monange, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru - First introduced in 2014, this is the 2nd wine from Château Bélair-Monange, a Grand Cru Classé B estate situated at the highest point of Saint-Émilion`s famed limestone plateau. The 2018 vintage was problematic in places, but some exceptional wines were produced including this release, which is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Expect notes of juicy plums, blueberries, rhubarb and hints of liquorice.
2018 Chateau Rouget Pomerol, WA 93 - Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Rouget sports quite a lot of oak at this stage, opening out to lively red and black plums notes and notions of baked cherries, blueberry compote and dried mulberries plus wafts of raisin cake, tree bark and bouquet garni. Full and concentrated, with a firm, fine-grained frame, it fills the palate with berry preserves and offers plenty of spicy and earthy nuances on the long finish.
2018 Chateau Hosanna, Pomerol - WA 96, The 2018 Hosanna is composed of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, the nose needs a bit of swirling and coaxing before it soars from the glass with compelling blue and black fruit scents of blueberry pie, blackberry preserves and stewed plums, plus hints of spice cake, unsmoked cigars and violets with a touch of cloves. The full-bodied palate shimmers with opulence, laden with black fruit preserves layers, supported by seductively plush tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and oh-so-spicy. It is very tempting to drink now, but 3-5 years of patience will offer a little cerebral tertiary contribution to all that decadent fruit. It should easily cellar for 25 years thereafter.
BONUS WINE!!!!
2021 Chateau La Fleur Morange - "Highly spiced on the attack, plenty of bright berry fruits underneath, this is enjoyable. Silky tannins, intense and concentrated but with a sense of fun. Totally living up to its En Primeur promise, this has so much nuance and succulence - gorgeous mix of concentrated berry fruits and lilting violet and rosebud notes. Low yield of 20hl/ha" - 95 points, Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
