The Restaurant Guys

Byron Kosuge's California Pinot Noir: November 7

Byron spent the first fifteen years of his wine making career, as winemaker at Saintsbury in Carneros. Since 2001, he's been on his own, making complex and delicious Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in California. In his own words: "I could never be a “rock star” winemaker... I’m most comfortable knocking around in the vineyard or the cellar, trying to improve my craft." Sorry Byron, you're a Rock Star! We're lucky to have him and to have dinner and pour his wine. We will serve five Pinot Noir and one Chardonnay.

Hors d'Oeuvres
Champagne Cocktails

Scallop
Charred Romaine, Preserved Jersey Tomato,
Pork Belly, Warm Garlic Aioli
Chardonnay 2012; Sonoma Coast

Quail, Duck, Pumpkin Ravioli
Fennel, Red Wine, Chanterelle Mushrooms
Pinot Noir 2012; Sonoma Coast
Pinot Noir 'The Shop' 2012; Carneros

Lamb Loin
Jamon, Beet, Pearl Onion, Spaetzle, Bacon
Pinot Noir, 'Hirsch Vyd' 2012, Sonoma Coast
Pinot Noir, 'Hirsch Vyd' 2006, Sonoma Coast

Nectarine and Blood Orange
Blood Orange Thyme Ice Cream
Pistachio Mint Pesto & Brittle
Coffee

Related articles

Dinner with Byron Kosuge

Spring Ramps, Morels, and Wines by Paul Hobbs

The Brunello of La Fiorita with Roberto Cipresso: October 24

Roberto Cipresso is widely known in Italy as one of Tuscany's greatest winemakers, wine writers and wine educators. Over there, he's the smartest man in show business. Here in America, not so much...yet! He was the winemaker of the famous Brunello of Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona, a wine we've carried for almost 20 years (when we can get it). Roberto, with a couple of partners, founded La Fiorita in Castelnuovo dell’Abate, a small town in southeastern Montalcino. The wines are amazing. We will pour wines from '07, '06, '04, '03 and '01. 

Reserve here or at 732-828-4444

Hors d'Oeuvres
Autumn Bellini

Duck and Root Vegetable Pan Roast
Rosemary and Austrian Pumpkinseed Oil
Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2003

Kentucky Fried Pheasant
Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Garlic Gravy
Brunello di Montalcino 2007

Roasted Veal
Smoked Polenta, Shibumi Farm Mushrooms, Pancetta
Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2006
Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2004
Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2001

Applejack Poached Pear
Smoked Pear Carmel with Lemon Cream
Coffee

Related articles

Walk-Around Wines Announced

Thanksgiving and the Wines of Fall

The Way the World Drinks Fine Wine Is About to Change

Coravin is the most important invention for wine consumers in my lifetime. It is the future. It will change the way the world drinks fine wine. It is a revolutionary modern tool for wine enthusiasts and restaurateurs alike. After reading the opinions of experts we trust and experimenting ourselves with vintages from our cellar, we believed in the ability of the Coravin to withdraw portions of a corked bottle of wine, while leaving the rest of the wine in near perfect condition. Now I'm sure beyond doubt.

 

Greg Lambrecht (Coravin), Francis Schott, Christy Canterbury MW, Charles Curtis MW

 

 

Tuesday, I was lucky enough to participate in a small blind tasting arraigned by Greg Lambrecht, the inventor of The Coravin. Greg, two Masters of Wine (our friend Christy Canterbury and Charles Curtis), tasted different wines in blind flights of freshly opened control bottles alongside bottles that had been opened six months ago. We tasted a 2010 Grand Cru Burgundy that had been accessed 15 months prior. We were all amazed at the freshness of these wines.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is a game-changing device. Greg is charming, intelligent and engaging. He will be here on Friday September 12. We will pour several wins preserved with Coravin as part of our fall tasting. We will also demonstrate the device and also have some for sale. Henceforth, we will have a selection of reserve wines from the finest parts of our cellar (including Bryant Family Vineyards) for sale by the individual portion. Please come and meet the inventor of this most important device. You can drink a glass of any bottle in your cellar without wasting the rest of the bottle, or just check on it's condition!

The device, of course is secondary. The wine is what matters, and we always deliver great juice. On Friday, September 12, from 5-8 PM, we will host a Walk-Around Wine Tasting featuring twenty-five great wines (some preserved by Coravin).

Tasting will be $29 - credited towards the purchase of your first case of wine. Wine Club Members - Free Admission. We will offer Coravins for sale. We will have a great array of carefully curated wines for your tasting pleasure and your consideration in stocking your cellar this fall.

Make a reservation by emailing [email protected] or by calling 732-828-4444

Freedom of Choice by the Glass

Introducing the Coravin Reserve Quartino List, Now Available In Both Restaurants.
(Coravin allows us to pour rare wines by the portion!)

White Wine (Quartino 250 ml)

Chardonnay 1997; Stony Hill; Napa (From Magnum/1.5L): $85
Chardonnay 'Cuvee Agustina' 2008; Paul Hobbs; Sonoma (From Magnum/1.5L): $100
Pessac-Leognan 2005; Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte; Bordeaux: $65
Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru 2010; Chat Maltroye; Burgundy: $70
Condrieu 'La Petite Cote' 2012; Yves Cuilleron; Rhone: $50
Trebbiano d'Abruzzo 1995; Emidio Pepe; Abruzzo, Italy: $60

Red Wine (Quartino 250 ml)

Cabernet Sauvignon 2001; Renaissance; North Yuba, California: $45
Cabernet Sauvignon 'Beckstoffer - Dr. Crane' 2011; Paul Hobbs; Napa: $130
Cabernet Sauvignon 2001; Bryant Family; Napa: $335
Barbaresco 'Paje - Black Label' 1998; Roagna; Piedmont, Italy: $190
Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru 'Champeaux' 2006; Harmand-Geoffroy; Burgundy: $65
Cote Rotie 'La Chavaroche' 2004; Bernard Levet; Rhone, France: $70
Domaine Le Galantin 'Longue Garde' 2000; Bandol, Provence, France: $29
St-Julien 1999; Chateau Leoville Las Cases; Bordeaux, France: $120

Sweet Wine (3 oz Glass)

Banyuls 'Cuvee Reynard' 1994; La Cave de L'Abbe Rous; France: $18
Sauternes 2005; Chateau dYquem; Bordeaux, France: $160

Make a reservation in Stage Left or Catherine Lombardi or just stop by the bar to enjoy these selections in addition to our regular wines by the quartino: More choices, great wine.

The Most Important Invention Since the Corkscrew

Greg Lambrecht is the inventor of the Coravin, a revolutionary device that allows one to access a portion of wine from a corked bottle, while leaving the remainder of the bottle undisturbed. It is nothing short of revolutionary. Greg will be joining us for our fall wine tasting on Friday, September 12. Mark and I have spent our whole careers listening to folks tell us that they have the perfect wine preservation system. At best they add days to most bottles and don't help at all with many more delicate wines. Coravin works. It may be the most important invention relevant to the consumption of wine since the corkscrew.

I have just opened six different bottles of wine. I may open a few more. These are some of the wines I will pour on September 12. They will still be in great shape. Thirteen year old Cabernet Sauvignon - No Problem. Fourteen year old Bandol? 2008 Bordeaux? Younger Pinot Noir? - No Problem.

Read more.

Friday, September 12: Walk-Around Wine Tasting

Friday, September 12 we will host a Walk-Around Wine Tasting event. We'll feature twenty-five great wines and the inventor of Coravin (the most revolutionary wine preservation system ever) will be a special guest. Greg Lambrecht's invention can access a portion of wine from a bottle and leave the bottle intact for unlimited further aging. This invention is changing the face of the wine world and you can see it demonstrated and talk to the inventor here.

Tasting will be $29 - credited towards the purchase of your first case of wine.

Wine Club Members - Free Admission.

We will offer Coravins for sale.

Wine Dinner with Perusini on May 9

This spring we’ve lined up an amazing trio of wine dinners (this is the second). To entice you learn more about these cool and interesting wineries, we’re offering them at a” don’t miss” value. Each dinner is $149 per person plus tax and $30 gratuity. Come to all three for $99 per dinner. Come to two for $125 per dinner.

Giacomo Perusini, combined his research and academic writings about wine with the running of the estate, until his premature death in the First World War. His wife Giuseppina continued his work and re-launched Friulian wines on the Italian market and abroad. She was a painter, a writer and a canny businesswoman who lived to be more than a hundred years old.

Her son Gaetano took degrees in Agriculture and Literature. As Professor of Popular Arts and Traditions at the University of Trieste, he carried out radical research on land reform and vine-growing in Friuli. Her other son Giampaolo has done innovative work, particularly with the white Ribolla Gialla, native to Friuli. The family tradition has continued on the hills of Gramogliano near the Judrio River. This was the border between Italy and Austria until 1918.

They produce an extraordinary array of wines from the grapes of their own vineyard, all terraced on loam. Friuli is one of the most exciting regions of Italy right now. It's the sommelier's secret weapon. Come dine with Carlo de Pace and his family's wines on Friday, May 9 at 7 PM.

Hors d'Oeuvres
Including Baked Oysters w/ Absinthe & Marjoram Station (SB)
Sauvignon Blanc 2012
Pinot Grigio 2012
Refosco 2012

Trumpet Royale Mushroom 5 Ways
Ribolla Gialla 2012

Filet Mignon, Marrow Bone,
Roasted Cippollini Onion
Cabernet Franc 2010
Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Wild Boar Chop
Black Pepper Pasta, Leek Puree
Merlot "Etichetta Nera" 2010

Lemon Rosemary Pannacotta
Coffee

Wine Dinner with Duemani on April 29

This spring we’ve lined up an amazing trio of wine dinners (this is the first). To entice you learn more about these cool and interesting wineries, we’re offering them at a ”don’t miss” value. Each dinner is $149 per person plus tax and $30 gratuity. Come to two for $125 per dinner. Come to all three for $99 per dinner.

Duemani makes some of the most profound wine in Tuscany. If you would like outside opinions to corroborate my own, check this out. These guys make mind-bending, bold and complex reds that are unlike any other wine on the planet. They have a small vineyard area planted to Cabernet Franc and Syrah. Yesterday, I tasted the current vintage of their wines and they are amazing. The Duemani and Suisassi are knee-bending-eyes-roll-back-in-the-head extraordinary. Considering that some of the wines we're featuring in the dinner generally retail for between $100 and $200 per bottle, the $149 for the dinner is a very fair price. If you bundle it down to $99, it's an outright steal. 

Elena Celli will join us for a dinner with her wines on April 29th at 7 PM. The menu:

Hors d'Oeuvres
Cosmopolitan Delight

Cabernet Franc Marinated Quail
Blue Cheese Spaetzle and Thyme
CiFra 2012
Cabernet Franc

Shibumi Mushroom Stuffed Lamb
Leeks and Roasted Beets
Altrovino 2010
Cabernet Franc

Blood Orange Braised Short Rib
Spring Vegetable Pistou and Preserved NJ Tomatoes
Duemani 2010 * Cabernet Franc / Merlot
Suisassi 2009 * Syrah

Olive Oil Cakes
Cointreau-Preserved Nectarines
Applejack-Preserved Cherries
Coffee

Spring 2014 Wine Dinner Bundle

We're offering a bundle pricing for three really fantastic wine dinners that's pretty amazing.

Each dinner is $149, but if you come to two dinners, they're $125 and if you come to all three, they'll be just $99 each. You don't have to pay in advance. So that's about the most exciting wine deal on the planet right now!

Read more on our events page.

The Stage Left Wine Dinner Club

We're starting the Stage Left Wine Dinner Club. Come to 6 Wine Dinners* in a calendar year and you're in the club: You will get 20% off all wine purchases in both restaurants for the entire next calendar year. Contact us for more information!

*Full-Service Winemaker Dinners and Select other Dinners Qualify.