Zinfandel and Burgers!

Red Zins were the wines that got me into wine drinking, I really don't drink a lot of them any more because I find they can be a tough match with many foods....But, Altamirano Italian Ristorante has a Gorgonzola Burger on the menu and I think it would be a great time to have one of our Zin and Burger nights! It may not be the traditional Cheeseburger, but I think it will work. Of course, you can order anything you want off the menu, if you want to have something else.

Join me for this Saturday night dinner at Altamirano's Italian Ristorante on the UES. The owners are old friends who used to work at 83 1/2, and he reached out to me to invite us to his new place. I have now been there twice and love it.

The are located on the corner of E. 78th Street and York Ave. Here is link to their menu.

Altamirano Italian Ristorante Menu

We will have 1 white, and 4 Zinfandel wines. Should be fun!

Just a reminder of our usual rules:
** The cost of this event is $46 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):

2021 Rivers-Marie Chardonnay B. Thieriot Vineyard ($85) - To start off a single vineyard CA Chardonnay from a great producer! JD 98 points, "The 2021 Chardonnay B. Thierot Vineyard takes on layers of complexity, with a touch of almond nuttiness, as well as chalky earth and fresh white peach. Medium to full bodied, with a rounded feel and a soft mineral texture, it reveals notes of honeyed citrus and ripe apples and has a long finish. Long on the palate, it’s outstanding now, but it will benefit from time in bottle and has another 10-15 years of solid drinking ahead.\Owned by Thomas Rivers Brown and Genevieve Marie Welsh and based in Calistoga, Rivers Marie specializes in single varietal, single vineyard expressions of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Having been hit incredibly hard in 2020, their 2021s are showing even better than I could have anticipated from last year’s barrel samples. These are some of the best wines I have ever tasted from Rivers Marie, with exceptional balance and finesse."

2021 Ridge Evangelho ($40) - OK, I'm playing loose with the rules here, this is actually a blend of 58% Carignane, 22% Zinfandel, and 20% Mataro. JD gave this "only" 90 points, but I've had it and think it is much better than that!

2007 Turley Zinfandel Zampatti Vineyard ($45) - There is always a chance that a Zin this old could be over the hill, but so far, I've been very fortunate and pleasantly surprised with how well Turley's Zins age.

2021 Ridge Zinfandel Stone Ranch ($47) - CT 90.6, 15.2% Alcohol. 92% Zinfandel, 2% Carignane, 2% Petite Sirah, from Ridge's website, "Ripe strawberry, black raspberry, cocoa, and black pepper aromas. Bright acidity with notes of pomegranate, plum, blackberry and sage give way to ample structure and fine tannins with a lengthy finish"

2022 Outpost Zinfandel Howell Mountain ($90) - JD 92 points, "Red, blue, and black fruits, violets, candied orange, and some chocolate notes all emerge from the 2022 Zinfandel, a juicy, medium to full-bodied, round, successful 2022 that has sweet tannins and a great finish."