BIG RED BATTLE: MALBEC VS RIOJA VS TANNAT

BARRAMUNDAYS WINE & VINYL

Reds for a Rainy Day..

Tonight kicks off our new season of wines! We will have many Glorious Battles with brand new terriors- from the gravitas of France to the big, bold flavors of the New World: Chile, New Zealand, South Africa and more.

A full-bodied red is just the thing on cool rainy night, so tonight we bring you our

BIG RED BATTLE: MALBEC VS RIOJA VS TANNAT

Here's what's great about these wines. Not only are they full bodied, with varying degrees of oak, but they are three different single varietal wines from three different countries. And not a Cabernet Sauvignon in the bunch!

Massimo Malbec 2010 

From the most famous and arguably the best AVA in Argentina: Mendoza. Massimo quite literally means "big", so look for a deep purple-red color, dark fruit such as blueberries and plum with spice and tobacco on the finish.

Montecillo Rioja Reserva 2006

100% Tempranillo aged exclusively in French oak, expect cedar, vanilla and raisin, with firm tannins. Bodegas Montecello was founded in Spain in 1874, and today boasts one of the most renowned female winemakers in Spain, Maria Martinez Sierra.

Monte de Luz Tannat Reserva 2007

This 100% Tannat from Uruguay spends nine months in French oak. The color is deep, almost black, with cherry and tobacco aromas, deep dark fruit and hints of cocoa. 

Tunes by DJ Ilmo, Cheese by Saxelby's.

Tonight!

at Barramundi

67 Clinton St.

NYC

Light, Elegant Reds, Three Ways

BARRAMUNDAYS WINE & VINYL
Springtime French Reds

Chinon vs Red Sancerre vs Brouilly

Of course, when the weather grows more sultry we find ourselves reaching for the bottle of white- it's to be expected. Light dishes and fresh fish abound on most menus this time of year.
Good news for red wine lovers though. There are plenty of delicious light bodied reds for every palate: extremely food friendly and quaffable too.
Join us at Barramundi tonight for a battle between three light French Reds with real complexity.

Tonight!
at Barramundi
67 Clinton St
NYC

MALBEC MELEE: ARGENTINA VS FRANCE- BLIND!

BARRAMUNDAYS WINE & VINYL
Liquor of Fire/Wine of 1000 Names

MALBEC BLIND BATTLE: A Star is Born in Argentina

While Malbec has a long and venerable history in France's Cahors region, with the first vines being planted in the area around 50 BC, the varietal is used mostly as a blending grape in other areas of France: particularly Bordeaux and occasionally in the Loire Valley. Here the grape is used for its inky purple color, and deep dark fruit.

A very different story unfolds in Argentina. Although the varietal was introduced from France in the mid-nineteenth century, Malbec only came into its own as an Argentine powerhouse in the late 20th century, when the grape's potential was realized and focus shifted to premium wine production for export. And thank goodness for that!

Tonight's Blind Battle will put two of our Cahors contestants from a recent battle (including a winner) against an Argentinian entry. Cahors Malbec will have a more tannic, robust feel, with an inky purple color and dark fruit, and may be blended with up to 30% Tannat or Merlot. One of our Cahors wines will be made in the traditional style, and one will be in a more "New World" style, like that of Argentina. Add a true Argentinian to the mix, and this should prove to be a very interesting Battle.. Here we will look for big fruit flavors, especially plum, cherry and raspberry, along with tobacco and vanilla.


Come and taste for free! Premium wines go for only $8 a glass!

Tunes by DJ Ilmo. Cheese by Saxelby's

tonight
at Barramundi
67 Clinton St.
NYC

THE WHITE WINE WAR IN FRANCE: TWO CLASSIC WINES, BLIND!

BARRAMUNDAYS WINE & VINYL

Tonight will be a rare treat: how often do we get to taste two of France's most famous, classic styles of white wine against each other?


Sancerre vs Chablis

Sancerre:
Grown in the Central Vineyards" of the Loire Valley, which has a continental climate: short hot summers and long cold winters strongly effect the maturation of the fruit. The wines tend to be highly aromatic and very dry. 100% Sauvignon Blanc (for white wines).

Chablis:
These white wines are 100% Chardonnay, and very dry with a higher acidity than most other Chardonnays. This is due to the cool climate in which the grapes are grown- the northernmost disctrict of Burgundy. Chablis are mostly unoaked, and are often characterized by "gunflint" or steely notes.

How are these wines different? And more interestingly, how are they the same? Here we are looking to explore the varietal characteristics of each: what's great about these two is that they are made to be purer expressions of each grape- very little interference during the winemaking process. Both are dry and with pure aromas and mineral notes- terrior is important here.

Try them both tonight, for free. Drink them for $8 a glass (ridiculously discounted). Paired with delicious cheese from Saxelby's.

DJ Ilmo spins vinyl all night long.

at Barramundi
67 Clinton St.
NYC

Malbec Blind Tasting: The War in Cahors

BARRAMUNDAYS WINE & VINYL
Auxerrois, Cot, Pressac = Malbec


Rich, smooth tannins and big fruit laced with vanilla and tobacco are characteristics of the wine most commonly associated with Argentina: Malbec. (The grape was introduced to the region in the mid-nineteenth century). Tonight, however, we turn towards the Old World to find out how the climate and geography of Cahors, France influences this grape. After all, Malbec originated there as much as 2,000 years ago!

The popularity of "the Black Wine of Cahors" increased greatly especially among the English following the marriage in 1152 of Eleanor of Aquitaine to Henry Plantagenet, soon to be King of England. This support was cemented under the protection of Henry Plantagenet's successor, Henry the 3rd. Now that Argentinian Malbecs enjoy so much popularity in the new world, Cahors is beginning to come back into it's own: especially now that many producers are naming their wines Malbec instead of the old local terms Auxerrois, or Cot.

Join us for a blind tasting that will open your eyes: how does the more austere terrior of France influence this well-loved wine? We will be pouring two traditional wines paired with one more geared towards our American taste profile.

With our own DJ Ilmo spinning vinyl all night. And cheese from Saxelby's.

Tonight!
at Barramundi
67 Clinton St.

NYC

BEAUJOLAIS BATTLE, Part Deux

BARRAMUNDAYS WINE & VINYL

We are drinking the wine..

In the chilly depths of January, Barramundays brought you a Beaujolais Battle to add a little joie de vivre to a rough time of year- Christmas was long gone and we were all paying the piper, as it were, with our credit card bills due and Springtime just a misty dream..

Well here we are,it's 82 degrees outside (!), the flowers are blooming, taxes are due, and I think the time is ripe to bring back the Beaujolais! Especially since the season is here a few weeks early- like the Gamay grape itself.

The last time these two contenders faced off, the Brouilly kicked butt..

Chateau des Tours 2010 (Brouilly)
There is more complexity there, with lovely aromas of Violets and berries. This is a Cru Beaujolais, (the highest classification), from one of the 10 villages or areas in the Beaujolais mountains.

Please don't count this next one out, however. We've been finding that general appreciation of a particular wine varies widely depending on the context: season, weather, and what wine(s) are competing.


Chateau des Petieres 2010 (Beaujolais)
Lively, fresh and fruity, with aromas of raspberries. A typical, quaffable, well-made Beaujolais. I'm going to go out on a limb and say this one might win tonight..

Both wines free to taste and only $8 a glass, paired with cheese from Saxelby's.

DJ Ilmo spins eclectic lounge all night long!

at Barramundi
67 Clinton St
NYC

LISA'S WEDNESDAY WINE-ING - SANCERRE BATTLE RESULTS