There are many things that get us in the holiday spirit. But none of them work as nicely as stiff cocktail. Being that Thanksgiving is the official kick-start to festive season, it seems only right to welcome it with a beverage that will put some color in our cheeks and some jolly in our step. So while we have the Pinot Noir all ready to go with our turkey, here are some cranberry cocktails to......

This week in New York life is like a box of chocolates – on steroids. (Mmmm, chocolate steroids.) The wicked masterminds behind the 10th annual International Chocolate Show decided that this year the usual three day, 40,000 square foot cocoa orgy just wasn’t going to cut it. So they’ve gotten a number of area restaurants to collectively boost the city’s blood sugar levels by declaring the next six days Chocolate Week. Some notable New York......

We’re probably not alone in the fact that we love wines from Burgundy but really can’t afford them. A great 1er (premiere) cru Gevrey Chambertain could cost us around $35 - $50, and while on special occasions they can be worth every cent, the reality is that we don’t get to have them as much as we like. But there is good news. Perhaps we owe a shout out to mother nature or maybe we......

For some reason we've had a thing about Antarctic expeditions and libations lately. It all started with an evening of Antarctic cuisine at the Explorer's Club last week sponsored by Redwood Creek Wines. The five-item dinner called Culinary Revivals was held to honor Sir Ernest Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1914-1916). Clockwise from top left the, er, delicacies featured were Tantalizing Turtle Bisque, Argentinean Ostrich, South American Prairie Hare and Pheasant Breast Pâté. In the center......

In a city that has everything, there are always a few things that we can use more of. For starters, maybe one or two more cheese shops, an extra beer garden wouldn’t hurt and who wouldn’t like another Trader Joe’s? Just saying. The same rule applies to wine bars. Sure we have a bunch, but after a while, the circuit gets old. Luckily, we have a new stop to add to our list. Wined......

First off, let us set the record straight. Gotham Bar and Grill and Gothamist are not related. We do not share any parent holding company and there is no sordid history to tell of. The experience that we are about to share is an unbiased tale of a wine geek, just trying to find a quality glass of wine and a comfy stool at the bar. After last weeks research on great happy hour deals......

There’s a little wine company that has been getting a lot of attention lately. Oriel Wines keeps on popping up in publications, wine cellars and conversations around the country. The reason behind the buzz is Oriel’s business model. Oriel hires top winemakers from around the world to create wines for them. They search out those whose style of winemaking reflects the terroir or personality of the region. Currently, Oriel is commissioning around 30 wines from......

February 17-18: Year of the Pig at The Spotted Pig The good folks at The Spotted Pig are ringing in the Year of the Pig with, you guessed it, a pig roast. 314 W. 11th Street at Greenwich. Call 212-620-0393 for details. Feburary 18: Year of the Pig at LeNell's LeNell's brings on the swine with free tastings of pork-related booze, including Wild Hog pinot noir and Pig Nose Scotch. 416 Van Brunt St between......

Gothamist is worried about global warming. Especially since we saw An Inconvenient Truth. Manhattan may start shrinking, then disappear altogether? No snow on Kilimanjaro? These thoughts were enough to make us run out to the hardware store for some energy efficient lightbulbs. Now the L.A. Times has an article on the effect global warming is having on wine production. Regions far north such as Sweden and Denmark--traditionally considered too cold for the development of wine--have......

So, if you’re a turkey, this probably isn’t a good time for you. Our condolences. But for us humans , we can’t help but get all giddy at the thought of long days spent lounging, nibbling and, of course, imbibing. It’s almost enough to make us want to stop and give thanks, in the very least to the turkey. Therefore to show it the respect it deserves, we’re putting together a delicious holiday meal.......

Whether you're ready or not, the holidays are fast approaching. Thanksgiving is just around the corner with Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa just a hop, skip and a jump behind. For many of us that brings happy thoughts of turkey, bourbon and pie but for others, it brings anxiety about all those gifts we have to buy. Now, save the “It’s not about the gift, but rather being with the people you love” speech. Whether we like it or......

It's easy to bring out your inner sommelier -- just step outside. At our doorstep are some of the finest ingredients just begging to be matched with wine. A stroll down Bleecker Street with Ted Allen, the food and wine expert from Bravo's Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (pictured at right tasting the pulp of a cacao pod for the first time) showed us how simple it was to create elegant and seemingly fancy......

The world of wine and spirits has historically been a male-dominated arena – from the old-school sommeliers in bowties and silver tastevins around their necks to the grand chateaus passed down from father to son. However, this ancient industry has evolved and grown to cater to its bellowing fan base. No longer only a boys’ club, women have become a driving force in the production, service and consumption of wine. Forget the notion of girls......

Here's another food-themed Google Maps mashup-- now being a wino (or is the PC term "drunkard"?) is 15% easier! Better living through technology, folks. [Related: we've been enjoying Echelon's Pinot Noir-- it's a great, cheap wine at $9-11/bottle, and pretty widely available. Check it out.]......

It was with a bit of sadness that Gothamist packed up our flip-flops and tube tops for the season. But we quickly whipped away our tear knowing that our future days would be filled with velvet and balloon skirts. This fall the trends are big and luscious, from the closet to the wine cellar, and we can’t wait to fall in love with the great pairs of the season. Black is back, with an Italian......

Pinot Noir has captured the hearts and tastebuds of all of us. The soft velvet texture, the bright raspberry fruit, a touch of earthy notes – it’s pretty much perfection. Some may ask, how could you ever improve on Pinot? Perhaps the answer is you can’t, but South Africa has found a way to kick it up a notch. (We promise, no more Emeril references). Pinotage is a grape that is made by crossing the......

Gothamist, like half of New York, left town last week. But perhaps unlike the other four million people in the exodus we stressed over making our own drinks. Sangria, the wine-based drink where we like to get our fruit portion of the food pyramid, can be made several ways. The most common variation is a red wine sangria and our favorite is from Cafe Noir. The drink, like the restaurant and bar with open windows......

It has always been one of our dreams to live in Spain. Be it the food, the wine or the flamenco dancing, this magical land, home of the siesta, has always held a special place in our hearts. While we haven’t been able to pack up and move just yet, we got a little taste of it recently at the P.J. Wines Spanish Wine Festival. It may have been a tease, but it sure whet......

Since, like most commoners in our fair city, I don't live in a climate-controlled apartment, how would you recommend storing open red wine? Room temperature can rise to the 80's on hot days, and I don't think it's that much cooler inside a closet. Can I keep it in the fridge and bring it to room temperature when I'm ready to pour a glass? On a related note, are there any reds that are acceptable......

July 3-4: Prix Fixe Menue at Barmarché They'll be donating a portion of the proceeds to City Harvest. Gotta love doing good while you eat. 14 Spring Street (at Elizabeth), call 212-219-2399 for reservations and more information. July 4: Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest Check out what is "believed to be the 90th installment" of this Fourth of July favorite at Coney Island watch four-time world champion Takeru Kobayashi of Japan......

…well not in the literal sense but ask any attendees at the Australian Wine Tasting party Gothamist attended on Wednesday and they will affirm, we should have taken first prize. Wine parties are on the rise. When you add a little friendly competition, lots of wine and nibbles and a dash of creativity it’s amazing how quickly an evening can be spiced up…even a Wednesday. The party Gothamist attended last week was one of the......

Every morning this week we've opened the window onto our fire escape hoping today would feel like a summer, like a craving for sangria. Then, fighting back tears, we put away our new sandals. Again. Every night this week, though, we've been drinking wines like the foodies eat their mac and cheese. On the recommendation of a currently nomadic friend who will always be a Brooklynite at heart, we visited Total Wine Bar in the......

…and it’s not recommended in the Wine Room at Philip Marie (glass door), however the Pinot Noir is pretty orgasmic. The “Wine Room” is a private tiny wine cellar with dinning for two tucked away downstairs at this West Village landmark. The cellar was first discovered as a coat-check room but behind a wall revealed a secret space with a trap door leading to a series of subterranean tunnels used as a Speakeasy in......

Today: Danny Meyer's Shake Shack re-opens. People are all in a tizzy about this place. We have to admit, we like the burgers at the Burger Joint more, but we haven't tried the famed dogs and custard yet. It's only open from 11-4 through April, but extended hours start May 1st. Madison Square Park, Southeast Corner. April 5: Take A Bite Out of the Big Apple. This event, featuring Marco Canora of Hearth, Ed Witt......

So you've made it through another Valentines Day -- whether you shared a romantic evening with your sweetie-pie or drank your sorrows away with some spicy shiraz, it's time to move on, as there are some food and wine events this week that need your attention: February 15: The Soul of a Red Wine, 6:30–8:00 p.m. Peggy Lauber of Bedell Cellars and Corey Creek Vineyards will lead a tasting and discussion of the basics of......

Cold? So are we. But never fear -- here are some booze-filled events coming up to warm your cockles, or whatever else needs warming: - January 21: Five at Five Fridays at Michael's presents "The Unique Expressions of Pinot Noir from Around The World". Every Friday at 5:00 Michael's sommeliers choose five wines from their wine list and offer an unlimited five glass flight for one hour at and around the bar. Chef Robert Ribant......

First it was Australia, then it was New Zealand . . . now the next New World wine region to capture the hearts and taste buds of New Yorkers is South America. What makes this region so spectacular for easy to drink, plush, fruity wines is the perfect climate. Grapes get to bask in the warm Latin sun – enjoying a particularly long ripening season. Kind of like the holiday we wish we could take.......

With the Jewish holidays in high gear, many of you will be washing down your gefilite fish with a glass or two of Kosher wines. We�re not just talking about Manishevitz, the official �fortified grape juice� of the Jewish people, but rather the growing selection of Cabernet Sauvignons, Chardonnay�s and numerous wines that are being made Kosher style. With all these Kosher wines on the market, Gothamist was wondering how they�d stack up to......

Excellent news for wine conoisseurs, winos, and those interested in living longer: A study says red wine extends life! It's all due to a nautral chemical substance called resveratrol, a compound found largely in the skins of red grapes. Also, resveratrol is found in grapes of cooler climates, like New York State, in what can only be a boon to the New York wine industry. The Times quotes the Oxford Companion to Wine: "Pinot Noir......