Mano a Vino - The Pleasures of Wine and Food

Welcome to Mano a Vino, here you can discover great wines food and wine pairings, exotic cocktails, and reviews on fun restaurants in New York & New Jersey. Enjoy.

Errazuriz Carmenere a fine Red from Chile

I am ever excited about the many interesting wines that are coming from Chile.  This one is the creation of the exceptional Valle de Aconcagua vineyard called Errazuriz.

It is a beautiful wine of 97% Carmenère and just a touch of 3% Shiraz. While Carmenere is a prominent grape in Chile many who enjoy it do not know it is also know by wine historians as the “lost grape of Bordeaux.” Many decades ago it was one of the major grapes of the Médoc region. Even under the best of circumstances, it was a difficult grape to grow in Bordeaux, but in Mediterranean like climate of the Valle de Aconcagua with it's warm summers and cool Pacific Ocean breezes this grape seems to do well. 

This wine has a distinctly Bordeaux character and we enjoyed it immensely with dinner of South American cuisine. Selling at between $16+20 it is an excellent value.

 I thank my friends at Vintus Wines for the introduction to this excellent wine.

A Fabulous Summer Cocktail - Watermelon, Cava, Lime, Agave Nectar

Here is a beautiful and easy to make summer cocktail that your guests will adore.   

It is made with fresh watermelon juice; Cava, the luscious sparkling wine from Spain, fresh lime juice and the wonderful and healthy sweetener, Agave Nectar.

It can be made as a punch or if you are in to presentation blended as served.

I garnish with a lime slice and fresh mint leaves.

Here is the recipe.

My pasta Bolognese is always good, perfect with this Nipozzano Chianti Rufina

When we talk about Italian red wine the first thing that pops into may people's mind is the straw covered bottles of Chianti that were once almost synonymous with Italian red wine. Much has changed since then and Chianti from Tuscany has gained a much more sophisticated identity among wine lovers.

This wine is made with the renowned Italian grape Sangiovese which I love with dishes like a Pasta  Bolognese. A dish I make with a recipe handed down for generations in handwritten notes from my friend's family in Italy. 

This Chianti, Nipozzano Reserva,  from the Rufina area of Chianti, Tuscany, Italy, also has a rich family tradition and was a perfect pairing to the dish.

The wine is artfully produced at the Castello di Nipozzano Estate where the Frescobaldi family has tended to the vines for 30 generations.

Burger Deluxe brings the Greek Diner to a New Level with Retro Style

Burger Deluxe on Route 23 in Wayne, NJ is a fun dining experience. Created by the Livanos Restaurant Group who are best know for their very fine New York City Restaurants, Molyvos, Greek; Oceana, Seafood; and Abboccato, Italian.

Burger Deluxe like City Limits in White Plains has a different angle. They have taken the best of the highway diner format, thrown in some lively design elements and added a very diverse menu. All together you've got a modern day retro diner that is all fun.

Geoff's Superlative Sandwiches!! Providence, RI

This trip to Providence, RI intensified my delight in this wonderful little city. During his six weeksat RISD my son had become a regular at this Providence institution Geoff's Superlative Sandwiches and he was excited to take us there.

In Montclair, NJ, Watchung Deli serves up a terrific array of delicious sandwiches but Geoff's is a whole nother story. With what must be over 100 variations, not counting whatever you can dream up yourself, Geoff's has got to be the king of all sandwich shops.  

Raymond's - Montclair, NJ Restaurant Review

Dined at Raymond's twice this past weekend on request. They are on top of their game. Dinner was perfect both nights.

This review written 4 years ago still holds true. Winner of NJ Monthly's 2009 Readers Choice award for best breakfast. The place could be a winner in other categories.

It's easy to love French Rose, a Great Summertime Wine

These pretty pink wines are so pleasant for summer sipping. 

Feminine, like delicate ballerinas they please many senses.

Here are two from Amanti Vino in Montclair, who offers a very nice array of excellent Roses.

"Wine is sure proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." Benjamin Franklin 
 

Damilano Barbera d'Alba a Good Red for Osteria Giotto, Trattoria Rustica or Pizzeria Ah Pizz

Damilano is one of the best “new-generation” wine makers in Piedmont, where Barbera is made. Wine Spectator writers James Suckling along with Jo Cooke and Rosanne Quagliata noted Damilano as one of the Wineries to Watch in Piedmont in 2008.

Actually Paolo Damilano has been hard at work along with wine maker Giuseppe Caviolasince since 1998 when he took over operations of the vineyard which had been producing wine since the 1800's.  

Naturally, being in Piemonte, their focus is on Barola, but fortunately they also produce a couple of thousand cases of this excellent Barbera. 

We enjoyed with a delicious Eggplant Parmesan I made for dinner, the comments were; "This is real Italian wine, just what I hoped for. Delicious."

National Root Beer Float Day Cocktail Recipes

It is less than a week until one of my favorite holidays, National Root Beer Float Day on August 6th.

It is a day to recall my fond memories of sipping ice cold floats at drive-in restaurants we loved to frequent. That great part of Americana is mostly gone. But we keep the tradition going by whipping up sparkling floats at home with a new twist.

  

Found by chance, exceptional Vietnamese cuisine at Co Ba Restaurant NYC

We were in New York City for the opening party of a young artist we know. The gallery was blazing hot and not just from the warm weather we were having. The advant-garde art and the surging attendance of beautiful young people was fascinating but the heat and hunger lead us to seek out a cool place to eat.

We wandered down Eighth Avenue in Chelsea all the way to 19th Street and found nothing that really caught our eye. That strip was once a mecca of great restaurants but has gotten very tired. We decided to head west and try Ninth Avenue.

As you know on Ninth Avenue you can find almost any cuisine with many great restaurants on every block north of 42nd Street up into the 50's. But many great restaurants are now also opening on the lower parts of Ninth. We were very pleased to find this very appealing new Vietnamese restaurant on the North West corner of 19th and 9th. It is called Co Ba.