Vin et Fleurs

I have the pleasure of being on “staycation” this week, which I sometimes prefer to an actual vacation because I get to explore my city during the week. And go to wine bars that are open in the afternoons, such as the beautiful Vin et Fleurs was today. This bar is located in Soho at 69 Thompson St.

The thing you notice about Vin et Fleurs immediately is that it is a gorgeous bar. The name translates to Wine and Flowers and that’s really what you see here. There are flowers and other botanical arrangements everywhere. It’s really very charming and chic; very fitting for a Soho bar. It actually has more of a café vibe to it with the little wooden chairs and tables and the open front wall. It was very inviting.

The menu was smaller than I would have expected. They have very few wines by the glass. Only five whites and four reds. However, they are priced well at no more than $12 a glass. Bottles are on average between $35 and $65, with just a few being more than that. The most expensive was $195. Despite the very French name, not all of the wines are from France. Some are from Italy as well, but the food on the menu was all French cuisine. No complaints there!

I ordered a glass of the 2009 Mas De La Source Pays D’OC Chardonnay for $9. It smelled very much like bread dough. I’m glad I touched on this topic in my last review because this told me once again that this wine was aged sur lie, meaning it was aged with its sediment and the dead yeast cells (lees) were stirred into the wine. This gives the wine the fresh bread dough smell and the creamy texture. This Chardonnay surprisingly had a bit of spiciness and tanginess to it, which I wasn’t expecting. It tasted a little like apricot and had a touch of lemon to it with a white pepper finish. I liked the spicy surprise.

The service was great – I was greeted and seated immediately and the waiter took my order once I looked like I was ready. They checked up on me often and were courteous.

My favorite part of Vin et Fleurs was that they seem to have thought of every detail in the décor - right down to the worn wooden floors and the distressed looking tin covered bar with a granite countertop. I like it when bars choose eclectic lighting and this place definitely has it. The hanging bulbs that are above the bar and all of the tables look almost Edison era. Very cool! It is a simply beautiful place for an afternoon glass of wine. I could see this being the perfect spot to stop in for a light lunch after shopping in Soho. It’s a nice garden-like escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.

I give Vin et Fleurs a rating of 3.4 out of 5 glasses. It was one of the more visually interesting bars I’ve been to, but the wine list could have been much more exciting. Cute and worth a visit though!

The chic interior of Vin et Fleurs

My lovely little table setting

The view outside from my table

Terroir East Village

After reviewing Terroir Tribeca a couple of weeks ago, I thought it would only be appropriate for me to check out the bar’s East Village location at 413 E 12^th St.

There are many similarities between the East Village and Tribeca locations; for example, the wine list for glasses and bottles is the same, although the East Village does not have as many by the glass wines for their happy hour special. They incorporated the same 1960s mod hanging lights as well. There is a cute little kitchen at the end of the bar area just large enough for one cook, so they do serve food at this location too.

There are differences between the two locations as well. This one is much more casual and smaller than Terroir Tribeca. Also, this location opens later; happy hour is from 5 to 6, rather than 4 to 6. So, you only have that one-hour window to grab a $6 glass of wine. The bar is set up more like a cafeteria and there are no individual tables. Instead, you can choose from either a seat at the bar or at the only table in the place, which is a long family style table. It forces you to talk to those around you, I suppose. Unfortunately, this setup makes it even more obvious that you've entered the bar alone when you pull out your metal stool and it scrapes loudly on the tiled floor, resonating your awkwardness throughout the bar. All of the other customers in here arrived alone as well, so each of us experienced this. It was an awkward bonding moment :) This place must be good if people are bold enough to venture here alone! I wouldn’t come here on a date – it isn't intimate enough, but I would definitely come here with a small group of friends.

The Summer of Riesling is also in full swing at Terroir East Village! I know I should probably have ordered something new, but I just loved that Hermann J Weimer Late Harvest Riesling so much that I had to get it again. Oh, how I missed it! The pour was very large making it mostly worth the $14. You may balk at me paying $14 for a glass of wine, but believe me - you would too if you've had this Riesling. If you haven't, buy a bottle of it or head to one of the Terroir locations for the Summer of Riesling a get a glass or three for yourself. It truly is heavenly.

After being a few wine classes deep, I can detect that the dead yeast cells (called lees) at the bottom of the barrel were stirred during the end of fermentation for this wine. This process gives the wine a pleasant creamy texture and can also give the wine the smell of bread dough.

I could go on about this wine forever, but this is supposed to be about the bar too! The service was very friendly and they were making sure all of the customers were well hydrated since it was hot as Hades outside. When one customer was unsure about which wine he wanted, the bartender began asking him questions about which flavors and styles he liked and helped him select a wine (Riesling, of course) based on the customer's feedback.

One thing I’ve noticed that is very consistent between the two bars is that the central focus is the wine. You can tell not only from the super informative wine-based articles in the menu, but from the staff as well, that providing great wine that is expressive of the region the grape was grown in is their passion. If you want to know what a classic red wine from Tuscany or a white wine from Alsace is truly supposed to taste like, come here. You really can’t go wrong with any choice of wine at Terroir.

I like Terroir even more each time I visit one of their bars. I hear they’re opening a new location in a few months, although I wasn’t able to find any information on which neighborhood it will be in. I’m looking forward to reviewing that bar as well! I am also curious to see if they declare a wine for next season. Maybe the Fall of Zinfandel? The Autumn of Pinot Noir? I’m anxiously awaiting :)

I give Terroir East Village the same rating as Terroir Tribeca: 4.5 out of 5 glasses.

The casual, cafeteria/family style set up of Terroir East Village

Hello, heavenly Riesling!