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 (4+)
See all- Producer Spotlight: Evening Land of OregonABA Istanbul Café, New York, NY$40.00
NOTE: SADLY, ONE FIFTH HAS CLOSED THEIR DOORS. I HAVE CHANGED THE LOCATION OF THIS DINNER TO ABA TURKISH RESTAURANT AT 325 W. 57TH STREET, BETWEEN 8TH AND 9TH AVES.
For this "evening" we will sample the many wines of Evening Land (pun WAS intended) Vineyards. A wonderful Willamette Valley, Oregon winery that I, along with some fellow wine group members, visited in 2023. We will have 1 Pinot Noir Blanc White wine, a Beaujolais styled Gamay, a Passetoutgrain (a Gamay/Pinot Noir blend), a Pinot Noir and finally a Syrah.
This will be an 8 person dinner.
The cost for this event is $40, which is for the wine, and the corkage.
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 $6 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 $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.
Please use public transportation - NO DRINKING AND DRIVING!
The Wines (notes will be distributed at the dinner)
2023 Evening Land Vineyards Pinot Noir Blanc La Forêt Seven Springs Vineyard ($45) - La Forêt is a particularly enchanting piece of Seven Springs Vineyard. As the name suggests, it abuts a forest of Douglas firs, and this cold parcel seemed fit for a direct-press Pinot Noir. Passion fruit curd, Fragola Fabbri and river stones whoosh from the glass. Limpid and mineral, a flicker of green spice shows the forested earth from which this wine comes. Merging these elements are silky texture and soft lees influence, which contribute to a long, full finish.2023 Evening Land Vineyards Gamay Noir Seven Springs Vineyard ($48) - 2023 marks the first vintage we have produced both a Gamay Nouveau and a Gamay Noir, and this bottling illustrates the potential for depth of the former while being just as viscerally pleasing as the former. Rainier cherry, strawberry Bon Bon and red flowers are the liftoff for juiciness that builds itself around a line of tangy spice and acidity. A considerable finish dashed with stony minerality is somewhat unexpectedand plenty welcome, just like this wine’s place at any holiday table. It may not last long there.
2021 Evening Land Vineyards Passetoutgrain Seven Springs Vineyard ($38) - "Our Passetoutgrain draws inspiration from the great—and frequently overlooked—blended wines of Burgundy. Composed of a co-fermented blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay, fruit for this wine comes from the iron-rich basalt soils of Seven Springs. All grapes are farmed organically and biodynamically; additionally, the vineyard is LIVE certified sustainable. In the glass, the wine pours a beautiful magenta-purple hue, offering high-toned aromas of red cherry, raspberry, violets, and potting soil. On the palate, the wine pops with punchy flavors of black cherries, damp forest floor, and cracked black pepper, which lead to a refreshing, acid-laden finish – think of it like Cru Beaujolais meets Oregon Pinot Noir in the best possible way."
2022 Evening Land Vineyards Pinot Noir Seven Springs Vineyard ($48) - CT 89, WS 93 points, "Steely and precise, with vibrant raspberry and pomegranate flavors that reveal accents of stony mineral, dusky spices and black tea as this gathers verve and tension toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2032"
2022 Evening Land Vineyards Syrah Threemile ($45) - "Three Mile Syrah has wowed us from the beginning. Just a quick glance and whiff is enough to see why. The wine’s opacity does well to explain rich, impenetrable aromas of purple sage, blueberry coulis, peppered jerky and bark spices that plume from the glass. Effusively Syrah, this bottling is powerful and mouth-coating, though there’s lift that offers a cool exhale to all the headiness. Delicious but quite brooding now, it will be a delight later this decade and into the next, when the wine’s complexity can shine through its muscle."
- ABCC - Anything but Chardonnay or CabernetAkdeniz, New York, NY$39.00
Are you a member of the ABCC crowd? Of course it stands for, "Anything but Chardonnay or Cabernet." We have many members of the group who gladly tell me that they "hate" Chardonnay. So join me for this celebration of ABCC wines, as we have 1 white wine and 4 reds, NONE of which will Chardonnay or Cabernet (Franc or Sauvignon).
We will be dining at Akdeniz, a favorite Turkish restaurant located at 43. W. 46th Street, which is Midtown West.
Here is a link to the Akdeniz Menu
NOTE: Meetup charges 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. Sorry! NOTE: Meetup+ members are exempt.
Just a reminder of our usual rules:
** The cost of this event is $39 and is for the wines and corkage. 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 appetizer ). There are very few restaurants that allow us to bring our own wine for a low corkage.
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:
2022 Do Ferreiro Albariño Rías Baixas ($30) - CT 89.8, WA 93 points, "The young and tender 2022 Albariño is the blend of the grapes from 165 plots in the Salnés, fermented with a pied de cuve from the old vines, fermented in stainless steel and matured with lees. It has a balsamic nose with notes of grass and bay leaf, a round palate with pungent flavors and good acidity. It's clean and varietal, reflecting a warmer year."2019 Force Majeure Parabellum Coulée Rhone Blend ($40) - CT 91.8, JD 94 points, "What can be thought of as the entry level Rhône blend from this estate, the 2019 Parabellum Coulee is based on 76% Syrah, 11% Grenache, 7% Mourvèdre, and the rest Cinsault and Counoise. Rocking red and blue fruits, white pepper, leafy herbs, graphite, and crushed stone define the nose, and it's medium to full-bodied, has terrific purity, plenty of tannins, and a great finish. Drink this impressive Syrah over the coming 10-12 years. (Drink between 2022-2034)"
2022 JM Cellars Carménère Bramble Bump Carmenere Margaret's Vineyard & Seven Hills Vineyard ($40) - A Carménère from WA State's Walla Walla Valley. I had a tank sample at the winery before the wine was released and I was IMPRESSED.
2020 Bodegas AAlto Ribera del Duero AAlto ($45) - A Tempranillo from Spain, CT 92, WA 94 points, "The nose of the red 2020 Aalto comes blasting with tons of toasted oak, spice, smoke and more toast, ripe berries and a luxurious creaminess like the finest modern wines from the turn of the century. This is predictable but exactly what their customers are looking for, with ripe berries, generous oak and a velvety palate with volume, soft tannins and mellow acidity. It matured in French and American oak barrels for 18 months. Some things never change. 330,000 bottles. It was bottled in July 2022."
2021 Ridge Mancini Ranch ($40) - JD 95 points, "Based on 73% Carignan and 27% Zinfandel, the 2021 Manchini Ranch reveals a ruby/plum hue as well as a gorgeous nose of red and black plums, cigar wrapper, cedarwood, and candied strawberries. It's incredibly complex, medium to full-bodied, has a supple, elegant mouthfeel, and fine tannins. This is a brilliant example of Carignan, and I'd put it up with the finest expressions of the variety I've tasted. I generally don't like how Carignan ages (it tends to turn more rustic), but the level of purity and balance in this beauty makes me think it will easily evolve for 10-12 years, if not longer. (Drink between 2023-2035)"
- Bordeaux vs. Washington at Bobby Van'sBobby Van's 230Park, New York, NY$39.00
Join me for a return to perennial group favorite Bobby Van's on Park. For this dinner we will compare Bordeaux red wines to Bordeaux style red wines from Washington State. BLIND. There will also be 1 white wine starter.
Bobby Van's on Park is located on the corner of Park Avenue and 46th Street. The entrance is in the East side walkway that connects 45th and 46th Streets.
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 $39 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!
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 $5 service fee.
Please use public transportation - NO DRINKING AND DRIVING!
The Wines (notes will be distributed at the dinner):
2021 Tongue Dancer Chardonnay Pratt Vineyard, Irwin Lane ($45) - CT 92.7, WA 89 points "The 2021 Chardonnay Pratt Vineyard - Irwin Lane offers up more freshness, with yellow apple, lemon pith, and wet stone. Full-bodied, it offers loads of ripe fruit on the palate, with notes of fresh pear, tangerine, and fresh flowers. It’s an attractive wine to drink over the next few years."
2015 Domaine de Chevalier ($65) - CT 93.5, JD 97, WA 95 points, "The 2015 Domaine de Chevalier is composed of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. It went through malolactic and aging on its lees during three months in 35% new, 35% one-year-old and 30% two-year-old barrels, with a total aging of 18 months. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it has lovely spiciness on the nose—Chinese five spice and black pepper—with a core of red and black cherries and smoked meats. Medium-bodied, finely crafted and refreshing, it's quite minerally in the mouth and persistent on the finish. (drink 2022-2042)"
2006 Château Léoville Poyferré ($70) - CT 91.2, WA 92 points, reviewed 7 times by the WA, most recently in May of 2016, "Tasted at Bordeaux Index's annual 10-Year On tasting in London. The 2006 Château Léoville Poyferré has one of the most harmonious and complete bouquets from Saint Julien: very well-defined blackberry, briary and chalky scents, real focus and delivery here. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, ripe tannin matched with well-judged acidity. Like the 2006 Léoville-Barton, it is stubborn and backward, but there is clearly harmony and focus on the finish, the new oak deftly assimilated in the fabric of the wine. This is a lovely wine from Didier Cuvelier. Tasted January 2016."
2008 Andrew Will Champoux Vineyard ($50) - CT 91.8, WA 95 points, "The 2008 Champoux Vineyard is made up of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. It sports an inviting bouquet of sandalwood, rose petal, Asian spices, a hint of leather, black currant, and blackberry. This is followed by a succulent, plush, pleasure-bent wine that deftly conceals enough structure to evolve for 5-7 years. It offers a drinking window extending from 2016 to 2028+."
2010 Fidelitas Cabernet Sauvignon Champoux Vineyard ($50) - CT 91.8, WA 94 points, "Even better and a prodigious Cabernet Sauvignon that’s up there with the best Washington has to offer, the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Champoux Vineyard is made all from Cabernet Sauvignon and was aged in 83% new French and American oak. Red and black fruits, wild herbs, cedar, lead pencil and toast are just some of the nuances that emerge here, and the palate boasts stunning richness, medium to full-body and solid underlying tannic grip that emerges on the finish. Still holding onto the overall elegance of the estate, this is a great Cabernet that will shine for 15+ years. Drink now-2025."
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