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Wine-based cocktails
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Yes, that tannic, sometimes fruity profile has been sneaking its way into more cocktails. And I think it's great. Sommeliers and mixologists are both on board and making some great wine-based drinks and that's really exciting. This used to be something done in a back room and not discussed so it is great seeing it done in the light of day.
Now it's cool, cutting edge and a great way to sell wine. Even some winemakers (gasp!) are supporting the trend. The really on the ball bar chefs (do forgive the terminology but understand they are bringing the bar into the front of the house), have been using wine for years. It lowers the alcohol content in drinks, makes them more food-friendly and has slowly managed to bring more wine snobs over to the cocktail contingent.
I had seen some cutting edge concepts from über bar stars like Francesco LaFranconi, who heads up Southern Wine & Spirits' (our largest wholesaler) cocktail business do great things with wines in cocktails. But for the first time I am reaching out to sommeliers and seeing that they are getting really excited about cocktails.
I think I realized that the spirits boys and the wine gurus had finally met ways when I went to the opening of Michael Mina's first bar, called CLOCK BAR, right across from his restaurant here in Union Square. Master mixolgist Marco Dionysos is using the restaurant's custom-blended Cab in a Bourbon-based drink. It's called the Napa Sour and although I am not a Bourbon-drinker it's a wow. You can taste the tannins and structure of the wine in the drink.
A week later I went to Fleur de Lys for the first time, to meet with a wine producer. The young, brilliant som Marcus Garcia asks if he can offer me a cocktail (why not?B) and I go for it. It combines rye whiskey with a sparklng shiraz from Australia and it's brilliant. It's also savory and balanced enough to precede a serious meal. A sommelier once told me that having a cocktail before dinner was like sticking a spoon into the chef's eye. The new generation of wine-based cocktails isn't of that school.
Bellinis at the ready at The Phoenician.
Even old school and distinguished operations like The Phoenician in Scottsdale, Arizona are combining wine in their cocktails. The resort's Bellini program includes a super-easy drinking Guava bellini that has Cruzan rum in the mix with prosecco (although this might also demonstrate the inverse of spirits getting into the wine lineup). I also had an amazing mango and pineapple smoothie made with Malvasia at Page Spring Cellars the day before.
Care for a Malvasia smoothie in Arizona?
Cheers,
Liza the Wine Chick
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