By François Steichen
Greenwich: The Study
I scooped the wine list for The Study’s annual Mother’s Day Weekend Rosé tasting today (Saturday), between 3:00 and 6:00 pm. Just keep it on the QT, OK?
- 2017 Domaine Grand Corbière Gris Sable de Camargue
- 2021 Flowers Rosé Sonoma Coast (Pinot Noir)
- 2021 Château Peyrassol Côtes de Provence Rosé
- 2021 Château de St.-Martin Eternelle Favorite
The Study is at 1041 North Avenue, or on the Web at: The Study.
More info later on their renowned Rosé Class and walk-around tasting, in July. The Study’s tequila class is taking place Thursday, May 26, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm.
Greenwich: Danny’s
It’s almost a done deal: Danny’s Wines & Liquors will be taking over the space occupied until December, 2019 by one of Greenwich’s Ur wine shops, Cos Cob Liquor, at 130 East Putnam Avenue (the CVS building, across from the new Wildacre Rotisserie).
Danny’s has provisional approval from the Connecticut Liquor Control Division, and is only awaiting final inspection. This is the fourth shop in the Modi package-store mini-empire, including A1 Cellars and Greenwich Wine & Spirits, both in Riverside, and A1 Cellars in New Canaan.
Greenwich: Tasting at OGWM
I happened into Old Greenwich Wine Merchants the other day as they were tasting wines from a local distributor, The Wine Trust. My notes on the five (red) wines will be on my blog, at Frenchy’s Wine Road, this Sunday by 11:59 pm. Meantime, I found the Nespolino Merlot/Sangiovese blend big & plummy, but surprisingly balanced. And if you’re looking for a Prisoner taste-alike at a lower price, the Red Phoenix, from Napa and Lodi, is a real crowd-pleaser (to steal a descriptor from the Wine Trust’s Keely Abbott). I do not know which wines OGWM eventually chose, if any, so please call them to ascertain availability.
Stamford: Boys & Girls Club Annual Gala
Last Thursday, the Boys & Girls Club of Stamford held its annual gala, a $300 per ticket event described as an “upscale chic cocktail party,” but in fact, a major auction fundraiser featuring some serious swag for a coalition of willing bidders: concerts with Elton John, Ringo Starr and Billy Joel, or vacations and excursions of the decidedly bling variety. Gary Wendt, Chairman of Deerpath Capital Management, was in attendance; he and his family have been long-time benefactors of the Club.
The undoubted showstopper among the wine lots was a Methuselah (6-liter bottle) of 1987 Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet, from Napa, donated by Paul Laveris of Glenville Wine, from the collection of Glenville’s owner, Greg Carlon.
Glenville’s donating focus is veterans and children’s education. So they sweetened the pot further with a 2005 Calon-Ségur St.-Estèphe from Bordeaux’s Left Bank; and a 2005 Pichon-Longueville Baron from Pauillac, also on the Left Bank.
Norwalk: Spacecat Brewing Company
Roger Krackow – Captain, USA; Veteran of Iraq; former Head Brewer at Two Roads in Stratford – is the charismatic leader at Spacecat BrewCo, but the brewery’s building has a charm of its own. You can walk from the South Norwalk train station, past East Coast Kombucha (or stop in there too!) to Spacecat. It’s in the former J&J Cash Textile Mill, a refurbished red-brick building with very tall windows that is very easy on the eyes.
There is nice flow from entrance to outdoor patio, with a big horseshoe bar and lots and lots of tables in the center of the main room. I was there in March for the third time in a year, and it is starting to feel like a nice e-space escape. The vats and haphazardly-strewn sacks of malt in the rear of the room keep the vibe down-to-earth, and give a small peek into the brewing process. I gravitate toward the Vienna Lager and the Spacecat Schwarzbier (a dark lager), amid the large selection.
François Steichen founded and owns Frenchy’s Wine Road. At 10 years of age, he took his first sip of a sparkling wine. Since that moment, the magic of fermentation and spontaneously-produced bubbles has never truly relinquished its hold on his curiosity.
François is a resident of Old Greenwich with almost 20 years’ experience in the Wine Industry. To learn how he can help you with wine- & beer-related matters, feel free to check out his webpage.