drink nice(r): argentina & chile

when: friday 11/5 @ 7pm est

what: bodega chacra is the sassicaia of south america, which is both silly and absurd to say aloud. BUT piero incisa della rocchetta (all one name) is the grandson of the aforementioned famous estate and has created a wonderful winery in patagonia.

pedro parra has taken chile by storm. he originally made his name as a global terroir expert, traveling the world in an effort to help producers better understand their own vineyards. now he makes his own wines and everyone is paying close attention.

wines (shipping not included):

bodega chacra pinot noir ‘sin azufre’ 2020 $27.99 + tax

pedro parra cinsault imaginador 2019 $17.99 + tax

drink nice(r): portugal

when: friday 11/19 @ 7pm est

what: to say portugal is the next big thing to happen in wine would be disingenuous—primarily because it’s been happening for some time. however, these wines will only become more and more popular, so now is the time to get a glimpse of what you may have been missing out on.

i was recently introduced to a new portfolio representing wines i’ve never before tasted. immediately i was taken aback by their purity and poise but something in the background seemed very familiar despite the labels being wholly foreign. i came to find out that the infamous, luis seabra, was responsible for making these beguiling wines which piqued my interested even further.

seabra is almost single-handedly changing the landscape of portugal by focusing upon wines that exude freshness and minerality. both of these wines will likely end up on my best of 2021 list.

wines (shipping not included):

muxagat branco 2018 $27 + tax

pretexto tinto 2018 $26 + tax

drink nice(r) live: beaujolais

when: 10/28/21 (thursday) @ 7pm est

the line-up: we are offering an insider’s look into the world of beaujolais via one of my favorite portfolios, grand cru selections. you’ll taste wines that are generally only available to the trade AND i’m bringing a few hits from the cellar too (think vintage foillard & lapierre).

vibe: we found an awesome space located in the lower east side. music will be playing, glasses will be full and this might just end up being the best tasting in nyc on a thursday nite.

location: 15 essex street, ny, ny 10002

tickets: $125/person which includes: wine, scarr’s pizza and one of the best wine communities in existence.

drink nice(r): the up-and-comers

when: friday 7/23 @ 6pm est

what: in the wine world, there is a perpetual hunt for the next ‘it’ producer. you often hear: this is the next coche or this is the next clos rougeard. which i imagine is supposed to make you like the wines more than you actually do.

well, we aren’t going to make comparisons here. instead, we’ll simply state that the two producers featured in this tasting represent the new guard in many ways. both are young, simultaneously embracing modernity and tradition. and both are making wine in some of the most exciting regions (namely, burgundy and the rhone).

to help us along this journey, the ever-talented whitney schubert (from polaner selections) will join us and share her own insights as to what makes these wines brilliant.

wines (shipping not included):

david trousselle hautes cote de beaune blanc la couleuvraine 2019 $22 + tax

domaine de l'iserand syrah vdf 2019 $20 + tax

drink nice(r) x saxelby: round two

when: friday 7/9 @ 6pm est

what: our first tasting was so fun (and informative) that we immediately decided to put another on the books. 

anne saxelby, proprietor of saxelby cheesemongers, will once again lead us through a cheese and wine pairing. anne and her team are taking care of the cheese portion and i will take care of the wine. 

for those of you who have yet to experience the magic of saxelby, this is your chance. we will taste two cheeses (which will ship separately in order to ensure maximum freshness) and two wines--these will deliver in the same manner as usual. 

*we created a special cheese link for you here--if nothing else, it’s good to get acquainted with the saxelby site because you will, guaranteed, want to order more. 

cheese: $38 + shipping (you can purchase here: cheese package)

goat tomme

sherry gray

wines (shipping not included):

domaine de la pirolette beaujolais st. amour 2018 $18 + tax

albert bichot (domaine adelie) mercurey blanc les champs michaux 2017 $25 + tax

drink nice(r) live: the loire valley

when: 6/26/21

where: noreetuh

what: cellar-aged loire is one of the more intriguing adventures in the wine world today. we will taste our way through the masters of chenin blanc, sauvignon blanc & cabernet franc.

domaine de belliviere

chateau yvonne

francois chidaine

pascal cotat

philippe alliet

domaine des roches

price: $150/person all-inclusive (wine, food, and restaurant gratuity). feel free to reach out for more details: info@vindecision.com

drink nice(r): the withers

when: friday 6/25 @ 6pm est

what: i remember the first time tasting with andrew tow, owner of the withers, a few years back and being totally blown away by the beauty of his wines. though i had never heard of the winery before, i immediately understood that something special was going on. 

a little more investigating led me to find that winemaker david low (anthill farms) is also involved in the withers. if you’ve tried or even heard of anthill before, then you already know that their wines are considered by many to be among california’s best. 

for this tasting, andrew will lead us through two of his southern rhone varietal wines. not only are we aiming to showcase the talent of this fine estate, but we will also become acquainted with the successes of growing rhone varieties in california. 

wines (shipping not included):

withers grenache el dorado 2016  $30 + tax

withers cinsault el dorado 2019  $30 + tax

drink nice(r): domaine denis bachelet

when: friday 6/11 @ 6pm est

what: domaine denis bachelet is one of the most important estates in burgundy. for decades now, denis has crafted honest expressions of gevrey-chambertin that often serve as benchmarks for the region. despite this success, bachelet has remained humble and pricing is still very much reasonable, despite the upward trend of nearly all of his colleagues and neighbors. 

i still remember trying my first bottle of bachelet and being blown away by both the power and delicacy. after all, gevrey is a village known for its assertive structure (which also makes it one of burgundy’s beguiling), but denis masterfully treads upon the precipice of an alluring smokiness and couples it with a harmonious elegance. 

 this is a rarity and likely won’t happen again.

wines (shipping not included): 

denis bachelet bourgogne aligote 2016 $22 + tax

denis bachelet cotes de nuits villages 2016 $60 + tax

drink nice(r): snev's picks

when: friday 6/4 @ 6pm est

what: if you’ve been with drink nice(r) since the beginning, then you know snev is an integral part of the community. in fact, she was vin-decision’s first client. so not only has she shown a level of commitment rivaled by few, but she’s also learned a few things along the way. 

snev will take the reins for this tasting, sharing some of her favorite wines with us. not only did she choose well, but this type of experience is what wine is all about. we will talk about what makes these bottles special, as well as snev’s own connection to her selections. 

wines (shipping not included): 

arnot-roberts california rosé 2020 $22 + tax

domaine du gros nore bandol rouge 2015 $41 + tax

drink nice(r) x saxelby: wine & cheese

when: friday 5/14 @ 6pm est

what: wine and cheese: potentially the world’s greatest gifts to (wo)mankind. on one hand you have an ancient libation that has mesmerized the masses for centuries on end. on the other, a perfectly hedonistic ode to all that is dairy. when the two come together in the right way, it is hard to imagine a better pairing. 

anne saxelby runs the best shop in town (in my opinion, the country) and is actually just this week celebrating the 15th anniversary of her eponymous cheese brand: saxelby cheesemongers. she will lead the cheese portion of this tasting and i’ll lead the wine segment. 

we will ship a cheese box (one that was selected by anne herself) and your choice of either one wine or two. see below for details. 

cheese box (shipping included):  $50

calderwood 5oz hand cut wedge (cow’s milk)

st. johnsville 60z round (goat’s milk)

wines (shipping not included): 

chidaine (vouvray) argiles sec vdf 2018 $35 + tax

pascal jolivet sancerre 2019 $25 + tax (optional add-on)

drink nice(r): saint-estèphe vs pomerol

when: friday 5/7 @ 6pm est

what: though bordeaux has long been a household name, the nuances of each commune are still largely ignored. sure, left bank vs right bank is easy enough, but digging into the specifics of each sub-region is what bordeaux is all about. we will taste two terroir-driven expressions while our special guest helps guide us along the way. 

keep in mind (and this may be obvious), bordeaux tends to be on the bigger side as far as structure, so having food/snacks nearby will be especially advantageous. grilled meats and vegetables will certainly serve as a fine pairing, but whatever you choose, lean toward the heartier side of things.

wines (shipping not included): 

château taillefer pomerol 2016 $35 + tax

château tronquoy-lalande st.-estèphe 2016 $33 + tax

drink nice(r): insider burgundy

when: friday 4/16 @ 6pm est

what: an insider’s approach to burgundy doesn’t always come easy. with the younger generation almost fully in charge, the atmosphere is changing dramatically. in addition, many of the sites that were historically too cold to produce meaningful wines are now finding a place in the spotlight. we will taste two examples of insider burgundy, while our special guest guides us through the wines.

wines (shipping not included): 

pierre girardin bourgogne blanc ‘vieilles vignes’ 2018 $27 + tax

dureuil-janthial rully rouge "en guesnes" 2018 $40 + tax

drink nice(r): ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY

when: friday 4/9 @ 6pm est

what: this is a celebration! drink nice(r) began as a small group of friends gathered together in an effort to forget about the world for even an hour or two. it has since grown into a fully functioning (and thriving) virtual wine tasting series. however, none of this is possible without you. as such, i sourced two of my favorite wines—both happen to come from champagne.

wines (shipping not included): you may choose both or just one

marguet pere & fils grand gru shaman extra brut rose nv $45

george laval brut nature nv $81

drink nice(r): south africa with arvid rosengren

when: friday 4/2 @ 6pm est

what: south africa is one of the most exciting wine regions in the world today. the quality has never been better, though they continue to progress with each new vintage. arvid rosengren, former world’s best sommelier, will lead us through a tasting of south africa’s best.

wines (shipping not included): 

kloof street chenin blanc swartland 2020 $17

mullineux syrah swartland 2017 $31.50

drink nice(r): the art of dolcetto

when: friday 3/26 @ 6pm est

what: dolcetto comes in two ways: made for the cellar and made for a plastic cup. the former is generally crafted by the masters of piedmont while the latter is simply meant to appease those looking for a quick fix. we will be tasting two LEGENDARY examples from two of the region’s most exciting producers: bartolo mascarello and flavio roddolo.

wines (shipping not included): 

flavio roddolo dolcetto d’alba superiore 2015 $22

bartolo mascarello dolcetto d’alba 2019 $39

drink nice(r): barolo vs barbaresco

when: friday 3/19 @ 6pm est

what: barolo and barbaresco are, arguably, italy’s most prestigious wine regions. however, just how different are the two? to give you an idea, barolo has long been considered the ‘king’ of piedmont, while barbaresco, the ‘queen.’ while this old adage is antiquated (and incorrect for several reasons), the general sentiment rings true for most. we will compare and contrast both in an effort to understand each village in its own right.

wines (shipping not included): 

giacomo brezza & figli barolo 2015 $37

giuseppe nada barbaresco casot 2017 $34

drink nice(r): terroir talk--chablis

when: friday 3/12 @ 6pm est

what: what makes chablis so grand? well, in part, terroir. i find the only way to truly understand this concept is to taste. thus, we will focus on two wines from the same producer—one classified as villages and the other from the hallowed site, montée de tonnerre. if you’re at all interested in chablis, this is not one to miss.

wines (shipping not included):

billaud-simon chablis 2018 $31.50

billaud-simon chablis 1er cru montée de tonnerre 2018 $34 (half-bottle) or $67 (full)

drink nice(r): graillot vs gramenon

when: friday 3/5 @ 6pm est or 3pm pacific 

what: arguably the two biggest names in the rhone valley will go head to head with a cult bottling showdown. 

while the graillot family is best known for northern rhone syrah, we will be exploring one of their newest projects, which focuses on the southern rhone. 

similarly, while gramenon is virtually synonymous with grenache, they also make a truly exciting iteration of syrah. think all the beauty you’d expect from this far south in the rhone, but add a touch of smoke and savoriness. 

we found the lowest pricing around, so might as well taste along! 

wines (shipping not included): 

antoine graillot clos somi 2019 $20

gramenon sierra du sud 2017 $28

drink nice(r): live with borgo del tiglio

when: friday 2/26 @ 6pm est or 3pm pacific 

what: when it comes to italy’s friuli, few estates can compare to borgo del tiglio. the wines are thought provoking expressions of terroir and varietal, perhaps existing as some of the most profound in the region. mattia manferrari will be joining us to speak about his family’s wines and the beauty of friuli in general. both wines are made from friulano and, for the most part, it is borgo’s white wines that garner the most attention.

wines (shipping not included): sold as package $100

borgo del tiglio friulano 2016

borgo del tiglio ronco della chiesa 2018

drink nice(r): australia with volcanic selections

when: friday 2/19 @ 7pm est or 4pm pacific 

what: we are finally venturing into the down under. for this adventure, we are teaming up with volcanic selections (jeff porter) and his team will take us through the wines and the regions. of particular focus will be grenache and pinot meunier, a grape that is generally found in champagne but also happens to thrive in australia.

wines (shipping not included):

reed grenache 2019 $39.99

stargazer rada pinot meunier/pinot noir 2019 $38.99