Kaia Wine Bar

Wine Spectator’s latest issue features South Africa and I felt inspired to go to a South African wine bar last weekend. Most wine bars will have at least a couple of wines from this region on their list, but it’s been a while since I’ve reviewed one that focuses solely on these wines, so I paid a visit to Kaia Wine Bar on the Upper East Side, located at 1614 3^rd Ave.

Kaia’s website advertised summer happy hour every day from 5 to 7pm and selected wines are $6 a glass with proceeds going to a good cause, although there weren’t any details of this week’s cause. Sweet! All wines on their menu were available both by the glass and bottle and the selection was large. All but a few wines were from South Africa, with just a couple from Argentina and the US. Glasses were $10 to $15 and bottles started at $40 and were no more than $90. There were plenty of well priced wines to choose from, but I was very tempted to get a good deal on the weekend from this “every day” happy hour. I asked the waitress what the happy hour specials were and she said that happy hour was actually just during the week, but offered to give us the happy hour deal anyway. She must have been aware of this mistake on their website (which has now been changed). That’s what I call customer service! We could choose from a Chenin Blanc or a Syrah. I chose the Syrah and she brought out the bottle and poured a small taste of the wine for approval before pouring a full glass, which is an gesture that I always appreciate even when I order just a glass. The wine smelled like cedar and dark ripe berries and tasted like wild berries, plum, and nutmeg. It was surprisingly satisfying for a happy hour wine!

South Africa’s production and export of wine has increased rapidly since the end of apartheid, so it’s a relatively young wine region compared to others, with the majority of vineyards being 15 years old or less. I incorrectly assumed that Pinotage was the most widely grown red grape variety in South Africa, since it was created in South Africa and is nearly exclusive to that country. However, it ranks third to Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. You learn something new every day! When it comes to wine, the country is also making a shift from focusing on quality rather than quantity and winegrowers are beginning to introduce Rhone grape varietals like Grenache and Viognier. With South Africa’s diverse soils and topography, I’m sure they will make delicious styles of these wines.

The décor of Kaia has an industrial feel and uses lots of gray tones for their color scheme. The floors were concrete and all of the low tables had a metal tabletop, which felt nice and cool on a hot summer day. The large lights hanging over bar area looked like they belonged in a warehouse, but they totally worked with the rest of the space. There was also a fun little seating area in the back corner that was composed of benches with brightly colored pillows and surrounded by stacks of books, which would definitely encourage me to linger and order a couple more glasses of wine. Overall, this place has a cool look, but a warm vibe. I like Kaia a lot!

Kaia is a cute, friendly wine bar that offers a very large and well thought out selection of wines in all price ranges. It’s a very pleasant place with great service a great wines and I have to say that it’s currently my favorite South African wine bar in the city. I give this place a rating of 4.2 out of 5 glasses.

The cool, industrial interior of Kaia

Tasty Syrah!

Vanguard Wine Bar

Earlier this week I went to a new wine bar, called Vanguard. It opened in December and it’s located in Kips Bay at 530 2^nd Ave. It’s set just below the sidewalk, and as you walk down the short steps into the bar, it feels like you’re walking into a different era.

The white subway tiles that are on the outside of the building make a prominent appearance inside as well and give the place a Euro feel. It’s decorated with eclectic antique pieces and posters and they happened to be playing one of my favorite movies on the tv behind the bar – Midnight in Paris. Seriously. It’s like they knew I was going to show up that day.

The wine list was arranged by the style of wine and each selection had brief tasting notes. For example, some style categories of white wines were “Crisp & Refreshing” and “Luscious & Fragrant” and “Elegant & Sublte” and “Zesty & Savory” for the reds. Many of the wines were from France and the US and I understand that their menu changes often to keep things fresh. Glasses were $10 to $14 and bottles were $30 to $90. I had the 2011 Mercer Estates Riesling from Washington. It had a very complex aroma of tropical fruits and a touch of honey. One of the notes for this wine was “beeswax”, which I can’t say I entirely detected, even after repeatedly sniffing my Burt’s Bees lip balm and comparing, but I guess it’s creative! It tasted similar on the palate and was surprisingly full bodied, which was offset by its dryness. It was a very tasty wine.

Much of the seating was around the sleek granite bar, but there were also marble high top tables and little alcoves of seating near the windows. With the last of the day’s sun streaming through the wooden blinds, music from the 1920s playing, and a nice glass of wine in my hand, I was transported. Everything about Vanguard is downright charming.

The service was wonderful and the bartender was happily chatting up everyone at the bar. This is a rare kind of place where I wouldn’t feel bad about spending too much money drinking glass after bottle glass of wine. It’s very laid back, extremely friendly, and they offer some great wines. I fell a little bit in love with Vanguard and they’re off to a good start in becoming one of the top notch wine bars in the city. I give this place a rating of 4.8 out of 5 glasses. I will certainly be back!

The Parisian bar area, and not just because of the movie :)

My wine in one of the bar's custom glasses