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
5
- $19.00
Bargain Wines at ABA
ABA Istanbul Café, 325 West 57th Street, New York, NY, USJoin me for an 8 person dinner of Bargain wines with one white wine and four red wines. We will be dining at group favorite, ABA Turkish. Most of these wines came from WA state marketers Garagiste and Full Pull. One came from Last Bottle. A few of these were Mystery wines, where I got a basic description of the wine, but the producer was unknown to me until the bottle arrived. Should be fun!
The cost for this event is $19, and 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):
2021 Domaine Glantenay Bourgogne-Aligoté ($21) - I love Aligote and think it is one of the bargains of the wine world. NOTE: I bought 4 bottles of this and have already had 2, and I found some big time bottle variation between those first 2 bottles. So what will we find with this one? From the importer, "From a .2 hectare parcel of 45+ year old vines in the En Juillet lieu dit. They make roughly 125 cases of this in a good year, but just 50 cases in 2021! This is downright classical in its sense of body and cut, a refreshingly mineral and white floral example that screams Bourguignon.2024 Adam Lee Pinot Noir Phone Booth ($21) - From CA's Santa Lucia Highlands and a Last Bottle purchase. I can't find the original sales pitch, but here is Vinous' 93 point review for the 2023 version. "The 2023 Pinot Noir (Santa Lucia Highlands) is a rich, expressive wine that shows all the hallmarks of a long growing season in its concentration and complexity. Dark, slightly salty fruit meets heightening tones of chapparal herbs and stony minerals. This is impeccably balanced and totally approachable. (Drink between 2025-2035)
2017 Reynvaan Family Vineyards Syrah The Unnamed Series ($23) - Reynvaan stopped making this cuvee after the 2019 vintage. It comes from WA state's Walla Walla district. From the importer, "The 2017 “Unnamed” Syrah is an anomaly (unlike any other vintage of the wine) and folks have always wondered if this one specific vintage of “Unnamed” was pretty much the same wine (or a slightly junior version) as the actual Reynvaan “In the Hills” or “Foothills in the Sun” or “Contender” or some combination of their estate Syrah parcels (all trade in the $60-90 range)? We have no idea, but our intuition is a resounding “yes”.
2019 W. T. Vintners Syrah Les Collines Vineyard ($25) - Also from Walla Walla. A one bottle purchase of a Mystery wine from Full Pull. Oddly enough I also bought a Mystery wine from a different vintner, and a different grape, but the same vineyard, from Garagiste the same week! CT 92.3, Owen Bargreen 93 points, "The 2019 Syrah Les Collines Vineyard is sourced from a hilltop location that has become one of the great sites for Syrah, and underwent 100% whole-cluster fermentation. It shows off really a good aromatic range, offering garrigue, violets, wet stone, beef drippings and suggestions of blood orange zest. The palate has a refined mouthfeel and quite literally bursts with mouthwatering acidity and flavor. Kirsch and dark currants combine with shades of iodine, fresh sage and copious minerals on the palate. (Drink between 2021-2031)"
2020 Basina Tribidrag ($25) - A Croatian wine and Tribidrag is the Croation term for Zinfandel. At 13% alcohol is less alcohol than almost any US Zin. It is more elegant. Think of a Pinot Noir influenced Zinfandel. I've had 2 bottles and really enjoyed them.
8 attendees - $52.00
Bordeaux @ Bobby Van's
Bobby Van's 230Park, 230 Park Ave, New York, NY, USIt has been months since I hosted a Bordeaux night, so let's return to perennial favorite, Bobby Van's on Park for a night of Bordeaux wines!
For this dinner with 8 people, we'll be having one white wine and four 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 $52 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 :
# 2018 Château Valandraud Blanc de Valandraud ($45) - JD 95, Vinous 93 points, "The 2018 Valandraud Blanc still needs encouragement on the nose before it unveils its attractive scents of honeysuckle, broom, crushed rock/basalt and just a touch of apricot. The palate is well balanced with a lovely peach-tinged entry. This brims with energy, revealing orange zest and touches of quince toward the very poised finish. Utterly delicious from beginning to end. (Drink between 2021-2033)"
1986 Château Gruaud Larose ($150) - CT 93.3, NOTE: THIS IS A VERY OLD BOTTLE.....IT HAS BEEN STORED PROPERLY, BUT YOU REALLY NEVER KNOW IF THE WINE WILL BE FLAWED. Neil Martin for Vinous (March 2024) 91 points, "The 1986 Gruaud Larose is a vintage that has cropped up several times at various dinners, and after the splendid 1982, it vied with the 1989 as the best of the decade. A magnificent-looking imperial is poured at Zoldering in Amsterdam. This indicates that a proportion of the fruit has faded in recent years, rendering the aromatics a bit distant and standoffish, in direct contrast to the 1982 that doesn't disguise its desire to give sensory pleasure. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins that are typical of this vintage. A little austere at first, it requires time to open in the glass, black fruit conveying a Graves-like personality, warm gravel/terracotta notes infusing the slightly faded black fruit, perhaps just a little Brettanomyces towards the finish. Maybe a bit unyielding for some Bordeaux lovers, it is a vintage I would broach in the near future. Gentleman's claret? Tasted in January 2024. (Drink between 2024-2040)"
2015 Château Larrivet-Haut-Brion ($43) - CT 91. JD 93, WA 91 points, "Medium garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Larrivet Haut-Brion offers up fragrant notes of crushed raspberries, Bing cherries and red plums with hints of baking spices, black tea and potpourri plus a touch of crushed rocks. Medium-bodied and vibrantly fruited in the mouth with impressive energy and tension, it has a soft, silky frame and finishes on a lingering perfumed note. (drink 2020-2038)"
2008 Château Malescot St. Exupéry ($85) - CT 91.2, WA 93 points, "An amazing success in this vintage, the dark ruby/purple-hued 2008 reveals its noble terroir in its complex aromatics of spring flowers and burning embers/charcoal. A medium to full-bodied mouthfeel displaying no hard edges and a seamless integration of acidity, tannin, alcohol and wood result in an approachable, already evolved wine that can be drunk now or cellared for 15+ years. (drink 2009-2029)"
2010 Château Saint-Pierre ($80) - CT 92.6, Vinous 93, JD 97, WA 97 points, "The final blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot has resulted in a wine of great power, stature, gravitas and density. The wine has a black purple color and a brilliant nose of scorched earth, creme de cassis, espresso roast, blackberries, truffles and licorice. Full-bodied, extremely powerful, yet with abundant sweet tannin, this stunning effort should prove sensational if given 7-10 years of cellaring. It should also last for 30-40 years."
8 attendees - $48.00
Syrah!
Nice Matin, 201 West 79th St., at Amsterdam Ave., New York, NY, USLet's go to Nice Matin for a night of Syrah wines. This will be an 8-person dinner featuring 4 different Syrah wines, plus the obligatory white wine starter..
Here is a link to their menu:
Nice Matin Dinner MenuNice Matin is located at 201 W. 79th Street, the corner of Amsterdam Ave.
** The cost of this event is $48 and is for the cost of the wines.
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 $4 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.
Just a reminder of our usual rules:
You will also have to pay the cost of your food (plus 33% for tax and tip). You will be expected to order at least 2 dishes (an appetizer and a main, or main and dessert) to help support the restaurant.
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.
The Wines (notes will be distributed at the dinner):
2022 Nanclares y Prieto Albariño Soverribas ($55) - A Spanish Albarino from Rias Baixes. Vinous 94 points, "The 2022 Albariño Soverribas de Nanclares, from Ribadumia, Salnés, Rías Baixas was fermented in 2,000-liter wooden vats. It showcases a yellow hue and aromas of hops, acacia and a slight oxidative twist. The broad and concentrated palate delivers a long expressive finish with floral and fruity nuances. This distinctive white reveals plenty of personality and flavor. (Drink between 2025-2037)"
2015 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas Renaissance ($115) - CT 92.1, JD 96, WS 94 points, "This has a terrific core of raspberry, plum and boysenberry fruit that is vivid and pure, streaked with savory, rosemary, olive and bay leaf notes. A brisk iron accent pierces the finish, adding freshness and drive. Best from 2020 through 2035" , WA 92 points, "The 2015 Cornas Renaissance is a blend of two young-vine (under 25 years of age) parcels with a bit of Sabarotte to bind them together. It’s fruit-forward and verging on jammy in this hot vintage, but it has a base of crushed stone and iron to ground it. It should drink well young. (drink 2020-2030)"
2012 Château de l'Ou Syrah Secret de Schistes ($30) - CT 91. WA 94 points, "The 2012 IGP Côtes Catalanes Secret de Schistes comes all from the black schist soils of Maury and is a blend of 100% Syrah that was raised all in new oak. It’s unusual to see this quality of Syrah come from Maury (especially in 2012), but this beauty has incredible notes of crème de cassis, melted licorice, crushed rocks and toasted spice to go with a full-bodied, elegant, seamless and silky feel on the palate. The purity here is off the charts, it has a full, layered mid-palate and fine tannin that emerge on the finish, all of which allow it to drink beautifully today. It will have no issues holding for another 7-8 years."
2019 Alain Voge Cornas Les Vieilles Vignes ($75) - CT 93, WS 96 points, "This is packed with succulent cherry, plum paste and blackberry fruit flavors that show hints of mulled spice, dried anise, singed tobacco and sweet tapenade as they move through. A mouthwatering mineral edge extends the lengthy finish. Cellar patiently, then serve with game for the full seduction. Best from 2024 through 2038."
2016 Domaine Vincent Paris Cornas La Geynale ($60) - CT 92.7, WS 92 points, "A vibrant, fresh style, with a pure beam of cassis and bitter cherry fruit lined with mouthwatering white pepper and chalk notes. Shows a long violet echo on the finish. Built on purity, this should age gracefully. Drink now through 2026."
8 attendees 
Discover the Beauty and Versatility of Madeira
Ideal Glass Studios, 9 W 8th St, New York, NY 10011, United States, New York, NY, USHello friends,
We’ve got an awesome Buy One, Get One Free deal for this event. Bring a friend, double the fun, and enjoy twice the excitement for the same price!
The ticket $55.00 + Sales tax + $4.28 fee for 2. The attendee list is set to 16, but the event is open to everyone who buys a ticket.
https://events.humanitix.com/madeira-wine-experience-new-york?accesscode=MANHATTANFINEWINEMadeira, the fortified wine from Portugal’s island of Madeira, is a wine that delights the palate. From dry to sweet, Madeira is perfect for every occasion - enjoy it on its own, paired with a meal, or in a cocktail. Explore its rich history, unique aging process, and remarkable versatility at this exclusive New York event.
The walk-around tasting will take place between 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm and feature six Madeira producers, as well as six cocktails. The cocktails will be crafted by six bartenders, and we invite you to taste and vote for your favorite. Appetizers will be served.
In addition to the walk-around tasting, check out what else is happening:#### 6:00pm - 6:45pm: Madeira Cocktails Made Easy
Discover how Madeira, Portugal’s iconic fortified wine, elevates any cocktail. With its long shelf life and distinctive flavor, Madeira is the perfect addition to any home bar. Join bartender Francesco Dionese for a fun, hands-on session and learn how simple it is to shake, stir, and sip your way through Madeira-inspired cocktails.
#### 7:15pm - 8:00pm: Speed Tastings
> Learn about different styles of Madeira in 15-minute speed-tastings with sommelier and Wines of Portugal's brand ambassador Eugénio Jardim.
7:15pm-7:30pm – Madeira Wine Varieties
7:30pm-7:45pm –Madeira's Different Levels of Sweetness
7:45pm-8:00pm – Madeira: 10 Years Old Face Off6 attendees
Past events
405
