Columbus Day!

Join me for a Columbus Day dinner at Nice Matin. All the reds will be from either Spain or Italy. The obligatory white wine starter will come from CA.

There will be 1 white and 4 reds.

They are located on the corner of W. 79th and Amsterdam Ave.

Here is a link to their menu:
Nice Matin Dinner Menu

** The cost of this event is $38 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):

2023 Tongue Dancer Chardonnay Magnolia Montrachet ($60) - After this vintage, Tongue Dancer was forced to change the name, going forward it is named after the vineyard, Tolmasoff. The Drunken Cyclist gave this 97 points saying (and comparing it to the 2022 vintage), "The nose out of the bottle is more expressive with green apple, lime, and maybe a touch of pineapple. The palate is simply magical with plenty of the aforementioned fruit, a tantalizing minerality, and oodles of acidity. But. There is also a deeper richness here, a creaminess that verges on intense. Younger siblings often try their hardest to show up their older brethren, but often fail. This does not. At. All. It soars. Outstanding Plus."

2021 Dominio de Atauta Ribera del Duero Parada de Atauta ($33) - My first time trying this wine! All Tempranillo from Spain. WA 93 points, "The perfumed, floral and aromatic 2021 Parada de Atauta combines ripeness with freshness and elegance. It's not a shy wine at 15% alcohol but keeps the poise and harmony, with a round and tender palate, very fine tannins and purity of flavors. It was bottled after 12 months in French oak barrels, 20% of them new, and a further five months in concrete. 64,398 bottles and 2,767 magnums produced. It was bottled in September 2023."

2020 La Vizcaína Bierzo Lomas de Valtuille Las Gundiñas ($40) - A Spanish Mencia and on the lighter side. WA 95 (probably overrated at this score!) points, "The 2020 La Vizcaína Las Gundiñas has a new plot, a west-facing vineyard that is steeper and cooler. Pérez likes Gundiñas and Rapolao in warmer years like this. In 2020, 50% of the wine matured in 2,000-liter oak foudre and the other half in used 500-liter barrels. It was harvested much earlier, and the wine shows more freshness even if it shows more tannin today. He likes long macerations (40 to 45 days) and works toward having tannins and weight in his wines."

2013 Fattoria Galardi Terra di Lavoro ($50) - This Italian wine is sometimes called a "Southern Barolo", WA 94+ points, "Fattoria Galardi and consulting enologist Riccardo Cotarella have conspired to create a beautiful wine in this classic vintage. The 2013 Terra di Lavoro is a headline bottling on the Campania winescape. It has inspired a large generation of enthusiastic younger vintners today, especially in the Roccamonfina subzone—one of the most exciting areas in the bustling and up-and-coming regions of Southern Italy. The effect here is seamless, deep and penetrating with healthy red fruit that is nicely enhanced by spice, leather and campfire ash. The integration and smoothness of the mouthfeel is impressive indeed. (drink 2017-2030)"

2019 Vietti Barolo Ravera ($55) - WA 98 points, "The 2019 Barolo Ravera is a wine of impact and power, and it is also a wine of the future. That's because Ravera (in the village of Novello) is one of the break-out sites that continues to awe and surprise despite a changing climate. Indeed, its high elevation and open panorama toward snow-capped mountains keeps the microclimate ventilated but also protected. Luca Currado affirms that Ravera is what Cannubi was just a few years ago. Wines from Novello also show an extraordinary but very unique evolution in which the tannic impact of the wine remains firm. This vintage shows deep intensity and good freshness. It fully covers the palate from front to back. (drink 2025-2055)"