Wine was the center of attention last Tuesday night as Wine Enthusiast magazine gathered at the achingly hip Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg to celebrate its 100 Best Wine Restaurants of 2015 issue.
The evening kicked off with a panel of experts talking shop under the guidance of Wine Enthusiast’s executive editor, Susan Kostrzewa, before segueing into a swanky night of cocktails, nibbles and, of course, high-class wines.
Sitting in the hot spot on the panel were Lee Campbell, wine director of Brooklyn hotspots like Diner, Marlow & Sons, Roman’s Achilles Heel, and the Wythe’s own Reynard; Jeff Porter, beverage operations director for Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich’s hospitality group; and Ryan Hardy chef/partner of Soho favorite Charlie Bird.
They were there to talk wine and food trends—what’s hot and what’s not. And it turns out, everything you thought was not is hot, with rosé taking the lead across New York’s restaurant scene this summer — with the best varieties made with native yeast, according to Campbell. Even the uncool favorite among grandmas everywhere, sherry, is making the hip rounds these days.
No clue where to start with wine? Don’t be fooled by expensive prices. “There’s a lot of esoteric shit out there,” Hardy said. “Just because you think you pay $60 for a bottle, doesn’t mean it’s good.” Instead, the panelists recommended following sommeliers on Instagram. If in doubt, “what grows together goes together,” Hardy added.
And good news New Yorkers, while panelists spoke of the trend for the country’s best restaurateurs to open up shop in places as far afield as Pittsburgh, North Carolina and Minneapolis, Hardy believes the next trend will see the best chefs moving back to where they belong: in this fair city.
So if you’re wondering, here are the New York City spots that made the cut in the magazine’s top 100 wine restaurants nationwide:
Bar Boulud New York
Charlie Bird
Daniel
Del Posto
Eleven Madison Park
Gotham Bar and Grill
Hearth
Le Bernardin
Maialino
Molyvos
Momofuku Ko
Oceana
Reynard
NoMad
Pearl & Ash
Upland
Twisted Talk: What’s your favorite wine trend? Are you up for getting on board with rose? Discuss below!
