mtkr

I haven't been to the River Room since last fall, so I guess I got the previous chef. The night we went was very quiet, so we didn't experience the delays in service that you got. I enjoyed the food, although after all these months I can't remember what I got. I do remember thinking it was a little overpriced, but I really liked the idea of an upscale take on soul food. And you are right about the view. In any other neighborhood this place would be packed just for the view.

I don't make my own at home, but our wine group uses Make Your Own in Westchester, NY to make a yearly batch. This year we are making a Super Tuscan. Last year we made a Cab/Merlot blend. Its a lot of fun, educational, and much easier than dealing with things at home. Here's the website: http://www.myowine.com/ I'm sure there are places like this in many other locations. The folks at MYO seem to really know their stuff. Mary

I sent back two cases of wine through checked luggage with no problem. I just got one of the styrofoam packing containers that many of the wineries have available at a small cost. I don't know if they have the same type of cases for six bottles, but you could ask. ←

I sent back two cases of wine through checked luggage with no problem. I just got one of the styrofoam packing containers that many of the wineries have available at a small cost. I don't know if they have the same type of cases for six bottles, but you could ask.

I'm looking for something similar but not exactly the same. Anyone know a place where 10-15 women in their 20s, 30s and 40s would feel comfortable? We're looking for a place with some excitement but perhaps not with the insanity of Nevada Smith's or some of the German bars.

And then of course you have the podcasts. I like the shorter, more focused ones. But I don't usually have time to listen to the longer ones.

I like Pisticci in Morningside Heights (LaSalle btwn Claremont and Broadway).

The Burgundy Wine Company is actually at 143 West 26th Street (between 6th/7th Ave.) It's a great store, and the people there very friendly and helpful. According to their website they have tastings every day, but I know for sure that they have them on Saturdays. The one in Chelsea Market is called Chelsea Wine Vault, which has a large selection of wines from various regions. ← Burgundy does have a bottle open every day. But on Wednesdays they usually open three and its a bit more of a tasting environment. They usually have a bit of cheese as well.

Burgundy Wine has a tasting every Wednesday of three wines. And every other week they have live jazz (bass and guitar players) to accompany the tasting.

Turning Point in Piermont has great music. However, the food is just average pub food.

My ex used Wine Commune on a number of occasions and got some great deals. I haven't used them myself though.

So is the intent to follow along region by region sampling various wines? Guess I missed January, but I'll be looking forward to hearing more about wines from Lombardy in February.

Wine for All is a great shop and Eli is fantastic. The only thing to keep in mind is that he only stocks low production wines. So you aren't going to find a lot of the stuff that traditional wine shops sell. What you will find are interesting wines that have production runs of 1000 cases or so, often less than that. He does make a couple of exceptions for larger production runs, but not often.

Yes its in Sparkill. Have you tried Heather's Cucina in Nyack? I haven't been there for a while but had a very good experience the last time I was there. Its at 12 N. Broadway. Another Nyack spot is Lanterna, a Tuscan restaurant also on Broadway.

I haven't been to Freelance or Xaviers but I've heard great things about them. As for the earlier mentioned Mountain House, its definitely an interesting place. Good pizza, good beer, and a very townie feel. Lots of fun.