The Cellar at Beecher's

Last night I went to The Cellar at Beecher’s, which is located in the basement of Beecher’s Handmade Cheese at 900 Broadway. I love the idea of a hidden wine bar, so I was really looking forward to this visit.

It doesn’t seem like much of a secret, however. Even on a Monday night at 6, this place was busy! I’m used to being one of the few, if not only, customers at a wine bar when I go there straight from the office, so this was a pleasant change.

The Cellar has a very cool setting. It definitely has a basement or even cave-like feel to it. Especially when the subway goes rumbling underneath, making your wine ripple like you’re in Jurassic Park and the TRex is coming for you. Anyway, there was an eclectic mix of seating in the bar; a large cowhide couch was in one corner, some of the bar stools were made of oak barrels, there were various plush chairs creating little living room vignettes, and one area had tables and benches made of big stone slabs. It was pretty Flinstone-esque unique and rustic.

Glasses of wine were $9 to $16, although there was a very small selection priced under $12. Bottles were between $33 and $167. All of the wines were from the US, with the majority being from California, Washington, and Oregon. This is the first time I’ve seen solely domestic wines at a wine bar and I was impressed with the selection. I ordered a glass of the 2010 Broadside Cabernet Sauvignon along with a side of their cleverly named “Flagsheep” cheese. When in Rome, right? The wine had a very fragrant nose with notes of rose and raspberry. It tasted like bing cherry and anise and had a full body and a higher alcohol content. It was a very cozy wine, I must say. I sank into the big leather chair a little further and took in the sights. It was then that I noticed a waiter on his way to a table with a glass of wine in his hand…and he was sniffing the wine. Guh-ross. His nose wasn’t completely in the glass, but if you’re going to smell a wine before serving it to make sure it’s in condition, that should be done in a different glass and behind the scenes, right? Maybe I’m just overly germaphobic, but this made me cringe a little.

The service was great and I didn’t feel left wanting for the attention of the waitress. She was very timely and friendly. The wine I had was delicious and I don't necessarily think that it was overpriced for the quality, but I felt that their selection was lacking in the area of value. Maybe their $9 glass of wine is fantastic too, but I would have liked to see more wines around $10-$11. The Cellar is a really, really cool place and it gets big points for the ambiance. Overall, it’s a great choice for a wine bar if you’re in the area and don’t mind spending a little extra on drinks. I give it a rating of 4.2 out of 5 glasses.

It looks like I've finally figured out how to properly work my camera! Look at those legs :P

The stone tables and benches

Lallisse

This past Friday I went to Lallisse, which is located in the Ramada Inn at 161 Lexington Ave. I believe this is the first hotel wine bar I’ve been to.

The place looks like it’s relatively new and it has an upscale beach restaurant feel. The seating around the walls consisted of tall and short heavy wooden benches accented by persimmon colored pillows. The entrance featured lightweight curtains of the same orange color and there were large windows, all with plants in them. Glass globe lamps hung low from the ceiling and added to the crisp, clean lines of the bar. As I was sitting there, I felt like it should be summer with a sea breeze blowing through my hair. But alas, it was a wet fall day. I’d say they definitely achieved the atmosphere they were hoping for.

After opening the menu, I quickly discovered why it had this vibe; it’s a Mediterranean wine bar featuring organic wines. Glasses of wine were $7 to $14 and bottles of the same wines were $28 to $54. There was a separate list for bottles only, which were between $32 and $200, with most being in the $30 to $40 range. Not all of the wines were organic, but if they were there was a notation indicting if it was organic or sustainable. When the waitress came by, I asked her if she could tell me the difference between “organic” and “sustainable”. She told me that in order to have the certification of “organic”, a vineyard has to use organically grown grapes and maintain organic processes and products for at least 7 years. It’s expensive to obtain this certification and includes regulations such as not using herbicides or pesticides and using only natural fertilizers. It also prohibits the use of added sulfites. The label of “sustainable” usually refers to a vineyard that is currently using some if not all of these same organic processes, but either has not been doing so for the minimum of 7 years, or chooses not to partake in the expensive organic certification. Sustainability also focuses on the benefit of the environment beyond the vineyard, so socially and environmentally responsible practices are implemented, such as water conservation and the use of renewable materials. Conveniently enough, many wine regions in the Mediterranean have been making wine this way for hundreds of years, so organic wine isn’t too difficult to come by.

I ordered the 2010 Element Terre Cabernet Sauvignon from the Languedoc region of France, which was an organic wine. It smelled like ripe red fruits and a little bit like cocoa powder. It tasted like blackberry and plum, had really soft tannins and a good balance of fruit and acidity. It was a very tasty wine! The Mediterranean air did these grapes well.

Lallisse has a great, relaxing atmosphere and a plethora of organic and sustainable wines. The waitress very nice and was willing to share lots of information about the wines served here. I really liked this place. I give Lallisse a rating of 4.4 out of 5 glasses.

My glass of tasty organic wine