On Finding Amazing West Coast Wines in NYC

We love wines made from California grapes! In fact, we source many of our winemaking grapes from high quality vineyards in California’s premiere winemaking regions. We’ve already released an elegant 2010 Pinot Noir (we call it “Brooklyn Noir”) produced with grapes from the Russian River Valley, and we are currently aging several other California varietals in our facility, which we will release in the future. In the meantime, if you’re looking to explore California wines like Chardonnay, Zinfandel, or Cabernet Sauvignon but don’t know where to start, California Wine Merchants can lend a helping hand.

This lower Manhattan wine shop has already narrowed their selection down to wines from (duh) the great state of California. If you’re in the mood for a California wine and find yourself unable to pop in to Brooklyn Winery for a glass of our lovely Brooklyn Noir, we recommend trying this wine shop. Their philosophy is very similar to ours; we agree that wine should not be an intimidating or exceedingly expensive beverage—it should be accessible to all. We recently spoke with Jennifer Frank from California Wine Merchants to get some advice on what to look for when shopping for wine.

What exciting things do you see happening with California wines? There are some really passionate young winemakers in California experimenting with unfamiliar grapes, using unconventional methods, and exploring unproven locations. For example, grapes indigenous to Italy and Spain are making a real impact in California right now; there are true expressions of Tempranillo and Dolcetto, Albarino and Ribolla Gialla to name a few. We’re introducing our customers to brands that are putting out superior wines because of their curiosity, their attention to detail, and the fact that they are making wines they want to drink versus chasing ratings. Matthiasson, Donkey & Goat, Wind Gap, Arnot Roberts, Massican, Arbe Garbe, Donelan, and Vivier are just a few of the California brands to be excited about right now.

Any particular areas outside of Napa and Sonoma that you are excited about? On our latest visit to California we drove to Anderson Valley and Mendocino. Although there aren’t nearly as many wineries to visit as in Napa and Sonoma, many of the best brands are buying grapes from Anderson Valley. The cool, coastal climate gives the wines great character and we’re really getting into the Pinot Noirs and Gewurztraminers from that area.

You have some excellent selections on your "Under $20" table. Are you finding really good quality California wines in the $10 - $20 range? Care to share some favorites? People have the misperception that California does not offer bargains and that’s simply not true. We like to rotate our under $20 picks so our regular customers don’t get bored; at the moment our top five value favorites are probably: Flora Springs Chardonnay ($16.99), Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc/Viognier ($13.99), Trentadue 'Old Patch Red' ($13.99), Entwine Merlot ($12.99), and Gen 5 Cabernet Sauvignon ($15.99). A good tip for California bargain seekers is to look to blends (like the Old Patch Red) and less glamorous regions such as Lodi (Gen 5 Cabernet’s home).

You don't openly display ratings for most of your wines. Can you share your philosophy about not using the 100-point scale when promoting your wines? We don’t rely on scores in the store. We provide customers with our own notes on the wines we carry. We do provide scores subtly on our website and for some of our $200+ wines; a second opinion never hurts when you are spending the big bucks! We believe that people should rely on what they like and not on what one critic’s palate has awarded a high score. You’re going to miss out on a lot of great juice relying on points alone. That said, scores have their place in helping people navigate the overwhelming choices that are available to them.

What are you drinking tonight? We popped the cork on the 2009 Outpost Grenache from Howell Mountain. We’re big fans of winemaker Thomas Brown and recently had the opportunity to taste the 2010 vintage of this Grenache out of barrel with him. We’ve had our eye on this wine since we brought it in and it is really delicious and seductive.

So there you have it. If you have any favorite California wines, drop us a line—we’re always up for tasting something new and different!

California Wine Merchants Location: 15 Bridge Street, New York NY, 10004 (between Whitehall and Broad Streets in Manhattan’s Financial District)

Phone: (212) 785-7285