BLIND TASTING: SEXY SYRAH SMACKDOWN!

BARRAMUNDAYS, WINE & VINYL
Our first blind tasting!



Three Syrahs will vie for your vote in our first ever blind tasting. Three syrahs, three different regions, three different price points ($8, $15, $18)! You taste all three (for free, of course), pick your favorite, and any wine you pick is only $8 a glass!

A little something about Syrah:
AKA Shiraz in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, (and sometimes in the US), Syrah is a dark skinned grape variety, indigenous to France's Northern Rhone Valley. There are soft, yet ample tannins, making this varietal quite age-worthy. "Old world" style Syrah tends to be lighter in body than Shiraz from warmer climes, showing red currant, raspberry, pepper and spice. A "New World" Shiraz will have riper, more concentrated fruit and generally a fuller body.

All this fun plus artisanal cheese from Saxelby's. DJ Ilmo spins the sounds all night long!
We are drinking the wine..



at Barramundi
67 Clinton St
 NYC

LISA'S WEDNESDAY WINE-ING!!

Lisa presents the results of Monday's Wine & Vinyl at the lower East Side's infamous Barramundi.  This week "Battle of the Beaujolais"!

THE BATTLE OF BEAUJOLAIS.. (2010)

BARRAMUNDAYS, WINE & VINYL
Disloyal Gaamez!

So cried Phillippe the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, in 1395, and with that outlawed the grape's cultivation, (despite its fecundity), due to its "very great and horrible harshness". He liked Pinot Noir.


Now we know better. Beaujolais can be very fresh and light-bodied, ranging from the popular Beaujolais Nouveau, (fermented for only a few weeks before its traditional release on the the third Thursday in November), to a fuller bodied wine capable of some aging, adding dimensions of black pepper and even chalk, (as commonly expressed in a Beaujolais Cru), to the characteristic expressions of crushed red fruit and violets. Which leads us to OUR BATTLE- both Beaujolais, both 2010:


Chateau des Tours 2010 (Brouilly)

A "Cru" Beaujolais from Brouilly, in the foothills of Mont Brouilly, Chateau des Tours has been making wine from these vineyards since 1153. We'll be looking for great balance and delicacy, with aromas of berries, currants, and violets.

Chateau des Petieres 2010 (Beaujolais)
This should be fresh and fruity, with aromas of raspberries, quaffable and charming, with all the classic characteristics of a true Beaujolais.

As always, an absolute steal at $8 a glass. With DJ Ilmo and some fresh tunes. And cheese from Saxelby's.

We are drinking the wine..
at Barramundi
67 Clinton St.
NYC

ZINFANDEL SMACKDOWN: WHO WON?

BARRAMUNDAYS, WINE & VINYL

Zingy Zins- Two Way Tie

Frei Brothers Reserve 2009 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel

Missed the win by 1 point. Unfortunately, that means last place! Never mind that. Super-concentrated fruit on the nose, with great structure and a lot of character made this Zinfandel a winner in our eyes. 


WINNERS: A TIE..

Manifesto! 2009 Lodi Zinfandel

The manifesto here is all about smooth drinkability, and and up-front flavor. This was one of the two winners and a real crowd pleaser.  

Folie a Deux 2009 Dry Creek Vally Zinfandel, Sonoma County

Our second winner couldn't be more different: ripe red fruit and great baking (and a touch savory) spices combined with a long finish and soft tannins. This is a great Zin to enjoy on its own.

Check in later on for tomorrow night's Wine Battle: Gorgeous Gamay!

at Barramundi

67 Clinton St.

NYC 

ZINFANDEL SMACKDOWN: A HORIZONTAL TASTING

BARRAMUNDAYS, WINE & VINYL
California's Great Grape


Zinfandel gets a bum rap.
Part of the reason is that White Zinfandel is so wildly popular. Although made from the same grape, the wines couldn't be more different. The same high sugar content of the Zinfandel grape that makes the white version so sweet makes red Zins high in alchohol: as high as 15%. The wine's flavor profile includes red and/or black fruit, bramble, spice, and pepper, although this can vary depending on when the grapes are picked, climate, and other factors. A Zinfandel can be lush, spicy, full-bodied and mouth-coating, or lighter-bodied and fruity.

All our Zinfandels tonight are from the North Coast region of California, and all 2009. I wager what will make this Battle interesting is terrior, and especially the personality of the wine-makers. It seems California really likes to have fun when making this kind of wine, and I believe these three will all be very different.

Frei Brothers Reserve 2009 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel

Using a modern approach, good portion of the grapes used to make this wine are left whole, thus reducing harsh tannins while allowing vibrant red berry flavors to com through. 5% Petit Syrah and 4% Syrah are added to round out the flavor.

Manifesto! 2009 Lodi Zinfandel

The grapes rest on their lees, and the wines are all natural and sustainably farmed in Lodi just south of Sonoma and Napa. While the Lodi appellation lacks the pedigree of the other two counties, I think the wine-makers want it that way, a little "punk rock" in every glass.

Folie a Deux 2009 Dry Creek Vally Zinfandel, Sonoma County

Folie a Deux literally means "a madness shared by two". It will come as no surprise that this winery was founded by two psychiatrists in 1981! 10% Petit Syrah is added to enhance the mid-palate flavors.

DJ Ilmo will be spinning eclectic lounge while we DRINK THE WINE..
and eat the cheese, from Saxelby's.


TONIGHT
at Barramundi
67 Clinton St
NYC

JUNE IN JANUARY IN MANHATTAN

RAT PACK COCKTAILS + OUR FRIEND DAVE = SWINGIN' MONDAY NIGHT
(Wine & Vinyl returns next week).

David Vincola channels DEAN MARTIN  this Monday Night as he Guest Bartender at Barramundi.

No, he won't be crooning, (not unless you ask him nicely), but he will be slinging a signature cocktail inspired by the Dean Martin tune of the same name.
"June in Janurary"
Named as such as a nod to our ever-surprising NYC weather, I can only tell you the "June in January", is made with bourbon in a classic style, can be served hot (as a toddy) or cold (as a Manhattan), and is sooo good, you might want to try it both ways.

I feel sorry for people who don't drink. They wake up in the morning and that's the best they're going to feel all day. -Dino Paul Crocetti, (AKA, Dean Martin: former speakeasy croupier, welter-weight fighter, and rum runner).




See you there.
at Barramundi
67 Clinton St
NYC

KIR ROYALE, FOUR WAYS

BARRAMUNDAYS, WINE & VINYL

A Toast to Peace..

Felix Kir, born in 1876, was a Catholic priest, resistance fighter, and later Mayor of Dijon up until his death in 1968. During his work for the French Resistance, he helped the escape of 5,000 prisoners of war.  Arrested, wounded, and condemned to death, he managed to survive, and was made a knight of the Legion d'Honneur in 1945. 

Our hero popularized a local drink, blanc cassis (created around 1841), by offering it to visiting delegations. Thus the internationally popular drink, the Kir, was born. The drink consists of white wine and a splash of creme de cassis, a blackcurrant liqueur. The Kir Royale uses champagne or sparkling wine. 

Tomorrow night at Barramundi, we honor Monsieur Kir with a New Year's Toast: Kirs or Kir Royales with your choice of the classic Creme de Cassis, Pear, Framboise (Rasberry), or Peche (Peach).

Amazing, Deeply Discounted Wines, Artisanal Cheese, and the Fine Musical Stylings of DJ Ilmo..

Every Monday Night

at Barramundi

67 Clinton St.

NYC