Flute

One summer day, I found myself in the mood for some Champagne. Flute is a Champagne bar located at 40 E 20th St and it happened to open earlier than most wine bars do, so I headed over there. I was a bit too punctual with my arrival because they had opened about 30 seconds before I stepped through the door. Judging by the staff’s reaction, they don’t see to many people in there at that time of day. Whoops! As I looked over the menu, the staff made their last preparations and were fully ready for me by the time I decided what I wanted to order. From that point on, the service was very professional and courteous. 

The place has a party vibe even at 4pm. It mixes retro with modern - the place was decorated with vintage looking round metal tables, 1920s style chairs, bubble chandeliers, graffiti-ish paintings of Marilyn Monroe and other bombshells of the time. There was also a private area that was set on a small stage, complete with velvet ropes. To top it all off, techno flapper music was playing. I could almost envision the Great Gatsby themed parties that take place here - girls wearing pearls and tipsily sloshing their coupe glasses filled with champagne. I’ve basically just described a commercial. It was a bit much for me - I felt tipsy without even taking a sip of champagne. 

Wine by the flute (see what I did there?) was $12 to $55, with the average glass being $17. Bottles started at $45 and the most expensive was $3,000. They also offered a flight of 3 champagnes or roses, priced at $32 and $35 respectively. I appreciate the fact that the vast majority of their wine list is real champagne - from Champagne, France. Everything else is just sparkling. Some Cava and sparkling wines from the US and Italy also made an appearance on the menu to add a little diversity. Thumbs up for the selection.

I felt like being fancy, so I ordered the Paul Goerg Blanc de Blanc 2002 for $20 a glass. In addition to feeling tres fancy, I selected it so that I could give you some interesting tidbits about Champagne. Blanc de Blanc appears in some Champagne and it means that the wine is made with 100% Chardonnay. Most Champagne is made with a blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay. Yes, Champagne uses red grapes! The reason the wine looks completely white is because the wine does not have any contact with the grape skins during fermentation, which is where red wine gets its color. The red grapes are used to add body, aroma, and red fruit flavors. Chardonnay provides the freshness and elegance to the Champagne, so a Blanc de Blanc will exhibit these delicate characteristics. The second reason I ordered this wine was because it’s a 2002 Champagne. Most Champagne in the market is nonvintage and uses a blend of wine from different years so that it has a consistent flavor. But perhaps two or three times every 10 years or so, the harvest happens to be so exceptional that it is not blended and bottled as a vintage Champagne. However, part of this amazing vintage is still reserved to use in the nonvintage blends, so you still get to drink it without paying top dollar. Woohoo!

The Paul Georg Champagne smelled like bread dough and a little nutty. It tasted like pear, almond, and fresh bread. The dough and bread qualities come from the prolonged contact with yeast as the wine is aged. Now, I don’t drink Champagne as often as I would like, so I’m not even close to being a connoisseur, but I’ve had better 2002 Champagne. This wasn’t bad, but I wouldn’t pay $20 for a glass of it again. 

I liked the selection that Flute offered, but I would like to separate the wine from the location. This is either going to make me sound like a grandma or a giant ass, but this would have been my scene nearly a decade ago. My partying days are behind me and I prefer a chill, intellectual environment where I can drool over a wine list and talk about arthritis wine with the other old ladies geeks in the bar. Flute just seems like a loud lounge that happens to specialize in champagne. If that’s what you’re looking for though, you’ll really enjoy Flute. It’s just not a place I would go to anymore. I give this place a rating of 3 out of 5 flutes.

The private are of the bar. So much red. So much velvet.

My glass of Champagne

Sorella

After a very busy week, I actually have time to write my latest review! Last week, I went to Sorella, located at 95 Allen St in the Lower East Side. The front of the building is covered in a permanent heavy wooden grating, which looks like a metal gate that is pulled in front of a closed store. At first glance you wouldn’t know that it’s open, let alone a chic wine bar if it wasn’t for the subtle logo above. Semi-secretive. I like it.

Once inside, it’s cozy and minimalistic. The floors creak with each step of the bartenders, the brick wall behind the bar is painted white, the wooden ceiling is barreled and accented with little Edison lights and some larger unique light fixtures, and the bar top is made of a smooth wood. It feels like you’re in a chic cellar. There is also a charming room in the back of the bar that looks like a great place for a private party.

After reviewing the menu, I realized that Sorella is an Italian wine bar and offered some not so typical wines. Glasses were $8 to $18 and although bottles were not on the menu, my friend and I were able to later order a bottle of one of the by the glass wines, so there must be a separate menu that lists the bottles.

I ordered the 2011 Lo Triolet Gamay. Normally I’m not a big fan of this varietal, but I’ve been to so many Italian wine bars lately that I wanted to try something different. The Gamay that I usually encounter is often too tannic and jammy. This one, however, was quite the opposite. It smelled like summer, which is the first word that popped into my head. It had notes of berries, plum, and nutmeg and tasted like raspberry and date with a zingy acidity. It was tasty enough that I couldn’t possibly refuse a second glass of it. I should also mention that it pairs nicely with their cheese plate.

The bartenders at Sorella were really friendly and seemed to know everyone that walked into the bar. I think some of them were former employees, which says a lot about the place. Surprisingly, it didn’t fill up very quickly even on a Thursday evening. The “Sorry, we’re closed” façade might have something to do with that. The atmosphere is warm and inviting and they have a unique selection of Italian wines at decent prices. It’s a great wine bar to duck into, especially after walking several blocks in the frigid wind of a New York City winter. I give Sorella a rating of 3.9 out of 5 glasses.

There's a wine bar behind there, I promise!

My glass of Gamay and some tasty breadsticks