Stecchino

Last night I went to Stecchino, which is located at 765 9^th Ave in Hell’s Kitchen. While their website says that they are a wine bar and bistro, the place only advertises that it’s a bistro on its awning. It was also pretty empty when I arrived, so maybe it’s not even a great bistro. But I’m not here to review the food now, am I? Unless it’s cheese

The bar smells like an old building – the old wood scent reminded me of the house my grandparents used to live in. The space was decorated in an understated, masculine way. If the place was a little smaller and they served only scotch, it could pass for a cigar lounge. The brick wall, tin ceiling, and beige puckered leather benches and dark mahogany wood of the booths gave it a refined cozy feel.

Wines at Stecchino are priced between $9 and $15 and bottles were priced up to $95. Not too shabby. They also have a happy hour from 4 to 7 and another one from 11pm to 1am. Select wines are $5, although I didn’t see a list showing which wines these were. I ordered the 2007 Tinto Portuguese because I don’t often see Portuguese wines on a menu and decided to take advantage of the opportunity. However, the waitress came back and told me that they were out of the wine and suggested that I order the 2009 Bagordi Cosecha Rioja. Being a Rioja fan, I agreed, although I wanted to write about something new for my dear readers. One thing that stood out to me on the menu was that they had a 2010 Cotes du Rhone that was labeled “Grand Reserve”. For us wine nerds, this is cringe worthy. Each country has its own labeling laws that require wine producers to meet certain standards. For example, in order for a wine from Spain to have the term “Gran Reserva” on its label, the wine needs to be aged for two years in oak barrels, and three years in the bottle before it is released. In France, the labeling terms for quality wine are as follows: Villages, Premier Cru, and Grand Cru with slight variations depending on the region of the vineyard. There is no such thing as a “Grand Reserve” French wine and that kind of labeling is somehow slapped onto a wine in order for it to sound more special and therefore generate more sales. I would never, ever, ever select this wine to serve in a wine bar.

Most of the wines were from Europe and there were a couple from California and Oregon. The menu briefly describes the flavors of each wine, which is helpful if you’re uncertain of the style of the wine. My glass of Rioja was described as medium bodied, bramble fruits, hints of oak, and a smooth finish. Sounds decent. It was quite oaky on the nose and smelled of chocolate and cedar. It was a little harsh on the acidity, but the tannins were smooth and it tasted like bramble fruits. Just kidding, I have no idea what a bramble fruit is! What I can tell you though is that it had a slightly tart character to it and it tasted like cranberry or an under ripe black cherry. It actually wasn’t as bad as I was expecting, given the offensive labeling of that French wine. Sorry, I know I’m a wine nerd.

Stecchino was kind of what I was expecting from a wine bar in the heart of Hell’s Kitchen. It wasn’t very wine-focused and it could use a little more life from the staff. The service was good, but not very outgoing, which I always like because it makes you more comfortable asking for suggestions. It wasn’t a bad experience, but it wasn’t anything I would rave about either. In other words….meh! I give Stecchino a rating of 3 out of 5 glasses.

"Hell's Kitchen Bistro" It's a little blurry, but noooooo you're a wine bar too!

Take away the weird Christmas lights and it's a cool looking place

My camera really couldn't do the place justice, so I pulled this from Stecchino's website

My glass of Rioja

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