What Is "Black Fruit" Anyway?

Last Wednesday Gothamist had the privilege of attending the Wines of Bordeaux Dinner at Eleven Madison Park. We knew the food was going to be great and the wine would phenomenal, but would it be another stodgy wine event? Would everybody sit around chatting about how they smell mulberries that are 6 days old with a hint of cherimoya fruit?

Well, there was a little of that, but from the moment Clive Coates said to the President of PJ Wine, “I have to introduce you to the man who makes my shirts, he's called 'Fat Bastard,'” Gothamist knew this was not your typical wine dinner.

What made this wine event so, dare I say, fun, was the fabulous mix of people in attendance. It was so refreshing to chat with people who possessed different levels of wine knowledge versus a pissing contest of who knows more. Seated at our table was quite an eclectic group of wine enthusiasts. We chatted about everything from the potential of the 2001 Chateau Mouton Rothchild to gambling in Atlantic City. We learned from one another, we laughed and we didn’t take ourselves to seriously. This vibe circulated throughout the room – and as the wine kept on pouring – the fun escalated.

We suspected this wine event was going to be something we would always remember – but not for the reasons it was. There is a new generation of wine enthusiasts out there - those who have a passion for wine but are turned off by the pretension that has previously surrounded it. They are not afraid to explore, ask questions and approach wine as they would any other passion. Gothamist is sure you have met one of us. We’re the ones at the back table who are trying to figure out what the hell cherimoya fruit is anyway.