Wine Truth: by Michael Dominic

Saturday night was the Pacquiao vs. Cotto fight, and as usual when there is a big fight on I invite friends over and I make a big meal of some sort. Tonight it was just me, my wife and my friend Jake. Jake is the son of a woman that I was with for three years, years ago. Jake and I were always close and even though until recently he lived in Colorado, we were always in touch. Now that he’s attending NYU I have the opportunity to see him more often.

Every year Wine Spectator Magazine and winespectator.com publish a top 100 list of wines that they feel are worthy of such accolades. WS is one of the top resources for wine critiquing and if I’m buying blind I will often default to a recommendation that they have highly rated. This does not mean that it will alway be to my taste, ad sometimes I just disagree.

This list will be released in two days, but as a member I get early access. Below you will find the top 10 of the top 100 of 2009.

There is fine wine, table wine and then there is bum wine. I’ve only every had the displeasure of tasting Thunderbird once when I was in college, but there’s a whole wealth of low-grade, high alcohol wines out there for the discerning bum. Luckily for them there is bumwine.com (if they ever get to a computer). Bumwine.com covers the main selection of swill with images, descriptions and even rankings of which gets you the most wasted.

When I first saw this I thought I might try a few and give notes on them here as a joke—but I’ll leave that honor for bumwine.com.

A while back I wrote about my dad’s wine club. I discussed whereas I loved the 2003 Cantina Zaccagnini, I really felt that the 2004 had missed the mark. A few days ago I bought the 2005 – Cantina Zaccagnini, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva, ($15). Even after the poor 2004 showing I wanted to give it another shot.

Some men open up a skunky brew while watching a ball game. I can be that man, but I am not a big drinker and I love wine. For a team as elegant as the New York Yankees I thought a good bottle of red would be more appropriate. Leave the hops for the Philadelphians, their cheese steak clogged arteries and the soon to be defeated Phillies.

In a previous post I wrote about my love for 2004 – Wellington Vineyards, Zinfandel that I culled from my honeymoon—and the days we spent in the Sonoma Valley. For diversity I also purchased a bottle of the 2005 – Wellington Vineyards, Sonoma Valley, Syrah ($17).

My wife Ting and I just bought our first home. A huge prewar apartment in Jackson Heights, Queens. I’m sorry to leave behind the movement of Manhattan, but the trade-off in space makes it a no contest. 280 square feet to 1400 square feet.

When I first went to see it, I saw that in the kitchen was a 50 bottle built-in Vinotemp wine cellar. I swear, I got a little choked-up. Vinotemp is not a brand that I would trust long term with my finest bottles, but I figure I’ll keep it at drinking temperature, and keep more bottles at the ready. Of course I will still have my 3-temp EuroCave.

We should be moved in by the end of May or the start of June. If you want to see more pictures of the apartment go here. That’s not our furniture and stuff in the place, it’s the sellers.

After ingesting a good, albeit, oleaginous meal at Great Jones Diner, my friend Todd and I wandered over and down to East 1st Street. A new wine bar opened a few months back named Simon Sips. My wife and I sat and had a glass there a week earlier, while waiting for a table at a restaurant around the corner. It was relaxed, small and welcoming in comparison to other similar places, and made me want to return. My friend and I were greeted by a frazzled but kind-eyed woman. In the evening the space is dim, but in the day it’s large plate window pours the sunlight in.

One of the six or so small tables was available, so we sat down and looked over the menu. Next to us were a table of lanky women that could have only worked in fashion. At the outside tables there were men fiddling with laptops. Not only is Simon Sips a wine bar but it is also a cafe, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as brunch and an array of desserts.