In Vino

One rainy evening this week, I sipped at In Vino located at 215 E 4^th St. It’s not well marked (perhaps it was the nasty weather), but the warm lighting inside looks very cozy and inviting. Even if you weren’t looking for it, you would be drawn in.

The first thing I noticed was how ornate the space was. It’s beautiful and designed to look like you’re inside a cave or a really old, underground wine cellar, right down to the last detail. Awesome. Jazz music was playing and overall it was a very relaxing and intimate environment. Off the beaten path, cozy, alluring décor, I’m definitely intrigued by In Vino.

I highly suggest you make a reservation when you come here though. I arrived around 7:00 and they were hesitant to give me a table since they had many reservations later that night. They serve a full authentic Italian menu, so many people go there for dinner as well. P.S Try the gnocchi. However, once my husband arrived we were seated and waited on right away. Just how authentic is this place? There was a group of people at a table speaking Italian. It has to be a winner.

Although In Vino features only Italian wines, the selections are spectacular. The menu is made of soft leather and if you page through it, you’ll find the wines available by the glass, followed by detailed information about each region of Italy and the wines available by the bottle from each region. So, you get the story behind the wine you’re about to order. Nice touch! Glasses are priced $7 to $14 and the bottles range from $28 to $620 with the average price being between $40 and $50.

I ordered the 2008 Pico Maccario Barbera d’Asti. It was very savory and well balanced with the acidity. It smelled of dark berries and tasted like dried strawberry. I don’t normally drink Italian wines without food because they are higher in acidity, so I find them less pleasant to drink by themselves than other wines. However, this wine was so good that I didn’t notice the absence of a meal as I was sipping on it. The hubby even liked it and we shared my second glass :)

The service was very friendly and outgoing and even though there I didn’t have a reservation, they were very accommodating and made sure we had a table to enjoy our time there.

Great value for both the food and wine, charming atmosphere, and it reminded me of Italy a bit! I really like In Vino. You will too. This is definitely the best Italian wine bar I’ve been to so far. I give this place a rating of 4.3 out of 5 glasses.

Cave....or wine bar?

Rustic decor

My *first* glass of Barbera

Xicala Wine Bar

I ventured to the East Village one evening this week to stop by Xicala Wine Bar at 151 Elizabeth St. Let me begin by saying that I love, love, love Spanish wines. Hand me any wine from Spain; white, red, sherry, I’ll drink it and I’ll like it. So, my interest was piqued when I found out that Xicala focuses on wines from this region. However, it’s not what I would expect of a Spanish wine bar.

The bar is a little hidden from view as well and located in a questionable part of the lower east side. As I was walking there, the street was completely empty and the building next door to Xicala had a big red light that flashed on and off, which just seems to me to be a cliché of a dangerous area. Although I’m sure it isn’t, the street does look sketchy. The atmosphere inside the bar made me feel like I should be ordering a margarita and a burrito and smoking a hookah rather than drinking a glass of wine. It was like a mix of a Mexican restaurant and a hookah lounge. Loud, somewhat cheesy Latin music was playing and the place was dimly lit with red lighting and the red flashing from the building next door

Glasses of wine were priced $8 to $13, bottles of these same wines were $32 to $49, and you could order a flight of any three wines for $24. There is also a reserve list of wines available only by the bottle and they start at $70.

I ordered the 2008 Ribera del Duero Quintana, which is from Spain. It tasted like dried red fruits and had a very nice aged character to it, which I wouldn’t expect of a 2008. It also had really pleasant notes of cedar, which I always enjoy in a wine. It smelled like blackberries and tobacco leaf and the cedar came through on the nose as well. This could be a really great everyday wine. It’s the bar’s most popular wine and I can see why. It’s pretty delicious.

The decor of the bar, like the music, is a little tacky, but I did like the cute low profile wooden tables in a recessed seating area.

The service was ok. As I walked in only to find that I was the sole customer of the establishment that night, the waitress was sitting at the bar reading the menu and stayed that way the entire time, unless she was approaching my table and quietly mumbling a question to me. She was nice, but not very outgoing in terms of service. I remained the only customer at Xicala the whole time I was there, which is really odd considering most wine bars are pretty busy around 6:30. Apparently they have Flamenco Tuesdays why didn’t I come here on a Tuesday?!. Maybe this would add a bit more of the true Spanish flair to the bar as well as some customers. The major downer of the night, however, was discovering that there is a credit card minimum of $20. What the heck. Luckily I had some cash, but had to dig through my wallet to find enough change for the rest of the bill and tip. In a plastic society, a $20 minimum is a surprise. At least my wallet is a little bit lighter now...

Meh, I don’t think I’ll come back here. Tasty Ribera though! If you do come here, come with a group and probably on a Tuesday for the flamenco dancing. I give Xicala Wine Bar a rating of 3 out of 5 glasses.

There's that annoying red light...

The recessed seating area that's actually an enclosed part of the sidewalk

My yummy glass of Ribera del Duero