Manoavino Taste!

Cotta Osteria and Wine Bar, NYC - Just Right after To Rome with Love

This Sunday we made our way into NYC for a beautiful walk in Central Park. Then saw the new Woody Allen film, To Rome with Love at the Lincoln Plaza Cinema, that was fun.  After that strong dose of Italia it had to be an Italian Wine Bar which we found after a leisurely stroll up Columbus Avenue.  

Cotta, a wonderful Osteria and Wine Bar, hidden here behind the inevitable NY scaffolding, transforms you to Italy with a wonderful wine list, 7 very nice beer taps, and a delicious menu. The bar and wait staff are all American, but what can you do.

Donna Anita Roero Arneis Piedmont, Perfect Wine for a Perfect Evening

Roero Arneis, is one of my favorite wines. Can I really have so many favorites? Well yea I can. It is all in the moment and the food.

Diana is off playing Mahjong with her girls. Decided to make a quick pasta of what was in the fridge. Sausage, arugula, garlic, baby peppers, EVO, Pecarino Romano, and herbs from the garden came together with little effort. Could not be better. Picked this wine to pair and was very happy.

Italian Wine of the Marche, Full of Passion and Pleasure, Wines of Saladini Pilastri

Imagine yourself in the beautiful Marche region of Italy, looking out over the glistening Adriatic sea. Evening comes and you wander down the path from your villa to a candlelit trattoria where you are offered a bottle wine from a local vineyard that is just a few kilometers away. 

Those were my thoughts as I savored the wines of Saladini Pilastri so wonderfully presented by Pietro PiccFound these wines at Stew Leonard's in Paramus, such amazing valueioni during an intimate tasting this week.

Like most Italian wines, these of the Marche have distinct characteristics. I particularly enjoyed a white wine, new to me, called Offida Pecorino. Pecorino is not just cheese but also  the name of a grape and the DOC where it is grown. We also had another beautiful white and two fabulous reds.

Baby Voga Sparkling Finds a New Friend. Sexy New Sparkling Wine from Trentino, Italy Meets American Imperial IPA from Idaho

Voga popped on to the scene some years ago with an exciting new approach to marketing Italian wines in a striking cylindrical bottle design that has caught the world by a storm. You've probably seen it, hard to miss.

Their latest offering is called Baby VOGA Sparkling which comes in a small bell shaped bottle that surely will be a hit with the party and night club crowd.  It would be fun anytime, on the beach, on a picnic, wherever. It is made of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Grigio and made in a prolonged Charmat method, just like they do in France. 

 

I decided to do something different and introduced Baby Voga to a new friend, a rich and robust Imperial IPA from Idaho. Like the farmer boy and Italian super model destined to fall in love in the Rosetta Stone commercial, they got along famously. 

My Facebook page lit up with comments when I posted this cocktail last night. I think I'm on to something. Do me a favor and like this.

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, Newark NJ, Legendary Smoked Meats and Elevated Southern Cuisine in a Historic Location You Will Surely Enjoy

Legendary, now that is not a word you often see in restaurant reviews, but it is appropriate, along with Authentic, Creative, Entertaining and any number of other emphatic adjectives that could be used to describe this Fantastic place. Oops there I go again.

A couple of weeks ago I got an invitation from a Scott Kleckner to come try Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. He calls himself VP of Operations, but I would say, CEO, Chief Exceptional Officer. But as you get to know Dinosaur it seems that everyone wears that hat.

Beer Authority NYC - A Place to Love Beer

I love beer, I love wine too, but I'm in love with beer, there is a difference.

The thing is this, the craft of making beer has ascended to high art. That means high pleasure, believe me it's true. Beer is not your daddy's Bud anymore. Then there are places like the Beer Authority that take the enjoyment of beer to a wonderful new level.

For months I've been waiting anxiously for the opening  of this exciting new place that promised 80 taps and another 100 beers in bottles. I was sceptical at first fearing that this might be another shallow corporate restaurant with all the icing but no cake. Not so with Beer Authority, this is the real thing, or at least the 21st Century version of real thing.  

Looking for a Perfect Summer Hostess Gift for Your Wine Loving Friends

Here is a great way to say thank you to your summer party and weekend hosts.

These beautiful custom made ceramic tile wine coasters are preciously unique.

You can order then with stock art or personalized with your own photos, art or even wine labels.

Available at MyArtware.com

Scenic Biking In Lower Manhattan with Brunch at Gottino

You really don't know New York City until you have biked or strolled along the Hudson River in the beautiful Hudson River Park. This weekend we biked the lower half from 22nd street all the way south to Battery Park. This route is filled with endless surprises.

On our way back our ride took us through SOHO and into the West Village for a stop at the new Italian food extravaganza, Agata and Valentina, and then on to a favorite spot Gottino for brunch sitting a table away from Amanda Seyfried and friend. It was a beautiful day.