Uva

I had been meaning to visit Uva for a long time, but it’s difficult to get to from my office so I kept putting it off. After over a year of seeing it on my database of wine bars, I decided it was about time I crossed it off the list. It’s located at 1486 2^nd Ave  between 77^th and 78^th.

I went to Uva on a warm summer day, ducked under the purple awning, walked through the outdoor seating, and into the bar. Holy rustic cuteness. The place is spacious and filled with old looking tables of all sizes. All but a small portion of the walls are brick, there are kitchen and garden themed decorations everywhere, it’s dimly lit, and there are little tealight candles placed in small insets in the brick walls. There's even a fireplace! It has a very romantic and charming ambience. It would be super cozy on a winter evening. I will definitely be returning when it’s colder to fully appreciate the warm atmosphere here.

Glasses of wine were between $8.50 and $21.50, with most being $9 to $11. I was surprised to see that the prices weren’t sky high considering the upscale look of the place. Bottles were $27 to $195 with selections limited to wines from Italy the US. They have six options for flights of wine, which is more than I have seen at any wine bar so far. Usually it’s 2 to 4 selections. The flights at Uva range from $12 to $18. They also have something really, really cool on the menu - Wine in a Bowl! It was a tradition in taverns of Northern Italy to drink local red wines out of a small white porcelain bowl, which would show a wine's quality by the dark rings left inside the bowl. How cool is that? I wish I had seen this before I ordered! Next time, I suppose. I hadn’t seen a flight offered in a long time, so of course I decided to order one. I went with the Dry Red Flight, which consisted of a 2010 Lusardi Sangiovese, a 2009 Regale Chianti Classico, and a 2007 Pentinace Barbaresco.

The Sangiovese smelled like dark raspberry with a hint of cocoa powder and herb. It tasted like strawberry and was a little juicy tasting with a well balanced acidity. It had a pretty simple finish, but it was good. Next was the Chianti, which smelled like sweet cherries and tasted earthy with a subtle raspberry flavor. This one was quite dry and lacked enough acid to back it up. Not my favorite Chianti, but it was enjoyable enough. Lastly, I tried the Barbaresco. It smelled tart and a little bit like coffee. You know that sweet smell of coffee, steamed milk, and syrup hanging in the air at Starbucks? It smelled kind of like that, but not as strong and more grapelike, if that makes any sense at all. This wine tasted like cherry and had a great mouthwatering acidity. It was lively and had a nice fruity finish. It was my favorite wine of the three.

The service at Uva is excellent. I never felt like I was waiting for a waitress to come to my table or that she was popping by too often. Everyone I dealt with was nice and very professional.

The crowd was not quite what I was expecting. Most of them were WASPy and a little on the older side or at least dressing like they were. Everyone was conservatively dressed and it felt a little stuffy. It kind of contrasted with the atmosphere of Uva, which was surprising. I actually felt underdressed in a lightweight summer dress with leggings. I should have known better; it is the Upper East Side after all! So, if you come here, it’s probably best to dress like you’re going to a country club classy.

Overall, Uva is a fantastic wine bar with a wine selection for any taste and budget. The bar is downright charming and cozy and I can’t wait to go back on a blustery winter day to curl up with some wine and try some of the hearty and delicious looking food that they serve. I give Uva a rating of 4.8 out of 5 glasses.

How cute is this?

 

Can this be my kitchen?

My flight of dry red wines

CT Wine Bar

Last week, I went to CT Wine Bar. It’s located at 1728 2^nd Ave, which happens to have been the previous location of another wine bar that closed down. Was it the location that killed the bar and is this one doomed to follow in its footsteps? What I discovered wasn’t that dramatic, but I did notice some very…curious things about this place.

“Wow” is the first thought I had when I walked in. The place is teeny tiny. If you don’t include the outdoor seating it could maybe seat 12 people around the high top table and the counters along the wall. And the vibe is very, shall we say, interesting. Pop music from the early 2000s was playing along with a few Lady Gaga songs. I believe this was the first time I’ve heard such a playlist in a wine bar. This wasn’t the interesting part, however. The owners are trying way too hard to make sure you know that it’s a wine bar. Corks are everywhere. And I do mean everywhere. They’re inlaid in the table tops, the mirrors and pictures are framed with them, the ceiling is lined with them, you can hang your coat on one near the door, and in the window sit huge vases filled with…you guessed it – corks. There are also vintage corkscrews in frames to shake things up a bit. Talk about overwhelming! I couldn’t tell if they were going for a campy feel or if they’re just really confused. I think CT just needs a little direction, which I’ll get to later.

Alright, on to the wine. Glasses were between $9 and $12 and most of them were $9 or $10. Carafes were available at $24 to $30 and bottles started at $32 and as expensive as $90. White and red wines were divided into categories that briefly describe their body and flavor. No vintages were listed on the menu, which is an unfortunate trend that I’ve been seeing lately. I ordered a glass of the Muscadet Sevre et Maine. It was decent. It smelled like lemon and tasted the same with hint of toast, but it was a little too acidic.

The service was very friendly, prompt, and even a little chatty. For the most part though, the bartenders just talked to each other or played on their phones.

Overall, I was not impressed by CT Wine Bar. I’ve had better wine and I’ve been to better wine bars. The atmosphere was just so odd. If they want to go for a campy vibe, they need to change the music to something more indie or something drastic like 60s music. The décor needs to be severely tamed down and replaced with something less obviously wine related or vintage posters that subtly include wine. What they have now is just too tacky and misses the mark of what a wine bar should be. Sorry guys! For now, I give CT Wine Bar a rating of 2.8 out of 5 glasses.

Cork art

The cork bar

My glass and minicarafe of Muscadet

Update on Monday, May 20, 2013 by drinkofthevine

CT Wine Bar has since closed and there is a new wine bar in its place. Will the curse continue? I'll find out soon!