Articles

5/31/14 - (Côte-Rotie in winter) It's become more and more difficult to find "traditional" winemaking in the Rhône Valley, north or south, so we're very happy to re-introduce the wines of Clos du Joncuas to New York. This estate, which has farmed with organic methods since the early 1900s, is making some of the most authentic and delicious wines of the southern Rhône -...

5/28/14 - (Gevrey 1er Cru "Fontenys") We're very happy to have a new shipment from our organic friends, Jane et Sylvain in Gevrey-Chambertin and we're extremely proud to feature new arrivals from Jean-Claude Rateau who was the first Biodynamic vigneron in Burgundy, dating back to 1979! Jean-Cluade Rateau was the fourth vigneron in France to convert to biodynamics, beginning with two hectares, learning from...

5/27/14 - (The view of Mont Blanc from Ardoisières vineyards.) Has this ever happened to you? You visit a wine bar in a foreign city (in this case Avignon); you order something interesting off the list that you’ve never seen before (in this case a white wine from the Savoie, because you’d like a break from the full-bodied reds of the south); you like...

5/21/14 - In Italy grappa is as common as mopeds and Fiats. We know from dining in Italy that grappa has an unparalleled ability to come to the rescue after many plates of pasta.  Italians are known to lace espresso, or even cake, with a healthy pour of the stuff.  The appreciation has not quite crossed over the Atlantic – maybe people are confused...

5/15/14 - We love mature Spanish Riojas for the reliable pleasures and extended drinking windows that they offer. The Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España (CVNE) has been producing wines that exemplify these qualities since its founding in Haro, the heart of the Rioja Alta, in 1879. We have tasted bottles of CVNE from as far back as the 1930s that still display bright,...

5/14/14 - (The Martyr's Chapel in the Neumagener Rosengärtchen vineyard) It is always a treat to drink the results of the pure, lithe bounty of 2001 in the Mosel. As they age, the structure and crackle that marks the vintage helps the wines to continue to improve remarkably. We have come across two 2001ers from the now defunct Weingut Ferdinand Krebs that represent something...

5/7/14 -  Sometimes we get lucky, and find a great deal – fewer times we get extremely lucky and we find a great deal from one of a small region’s best producers – Castello Conti.  Located an hour Northwest of Milan, Boca is part of the string of small Alto Piemonte appellations, along with neighbors Gattinara and Ghemme.  Here, individual villages’ wines differ slightly...

4/28/14 - Here in NYC it’s starting to thaw – last month’s ice and slush patches are returning to pavement, and TriBeCa’s dogs have traded in their sweaters for a more natural look. All of this makes us thirsty for the fresh flavors of the Caribbean. Rum has been slowing gaining a following among wine enthusiasts, as they realize that the spirits have a...

4/23/14 - When I arrived chez Bérèche for my appointment a week and a half ago, the winery was in a state of chaos. I found Raphaël wearing an apron and moving a mile a minute. He was racking the 2013 wines from barrel to stainless steel tank, and the winery floor was covered in plastic tubing and the occasional bucket of lees destined...

4/22/14 - Finally, after two years of location search and seven months of building, Racines NY has opened at 94 Chambers Street, just east of Church! A neo-bistrot and wine/bar in the Parisian fashion, Racines NY offers a full menu, dozens of wines by the glass, thousands of bottles in the cellar and a lively, informal ambiance. A partnership of David Lanher (Racines, Paris),...

4/11/14 - Chambers Street Wines had the opportunity to buy some wine from a great cellar that a gentleman had built up over many decades.  He stopped adding to this cellar in 1990.  The wines we are offering never moved until his heirs decided to sell off what remained.  These wines were very well cared for and are impeccable.  Every wine we have tried...

4/7/14 - We're happy to announce that the dynamic Stephane Tissot of Domaine Andre and Mireille Tissot in the Jura will be joining us for a festive tasting this Thursday, April 10th at 7:30. We'll taste the full range of Stephane's wines while enjoying a superb light supper and we'll get a sneak preview of the soon-to-be-opened Racines NY! Monsieur Tissot, who grew up...

4/3/14 - How do wines come to take on seasonal character? With central heat and air conditioning, we can turn our domiciles into saunas in December if we feel like sipping a crisp Sancerre, and refrigerators in July if we fancy a nice bottle of Piorat. Yet even in an age when we’re at liberty to escape the reality of climate if we chose,...

4/1/14 - The affable, soft-spoken Matthias Knebel has been making the wines at his family's estate since 2009. They've been a constant presence in the German section here at Chambers Street since well before then, albeit mostly in the form of the entry-level dry Riesling and the multi-site blend, Riesling Von den Terrassen. As we've mentioned several times, 2012 is a terrific vintage up...

3/13/14 - (The stash of 1989s still resting in the Kramp cellar) Lots of folks in the wine industry sell wine through storytelling. We prefer instead to tell you a little bit about a wine or spirit we like and why we think you should buy it; this can include anecdotes about the people who make the wine or perhaps some technical information about...