Yes, at Barbone again. My hangout even though it's 40 blocks away and 3 avenues over from the M15 bus. In short, a schlepp. And worth every effort.
I write to you in exhaustion. Good old Seymour's decline continues, the vigil endures. Regular life is suspended.
Well, not entirely.
My nephew Joe came in from Denver for a few days, a long-planned mini-vacation and escape from the wide open spaces to the packed-tight world of Manhattan. On his first night in NYC we went to Barbone, where I was also graced with the presence of rising punk-rock lyricist-lead singer star Eric Hughes of the band Golden Error. (They had just killed 'em in Montreal and have been signed by an indie label. Their vinyl release will, I'm sure, be a cult item available in a quantity of 200 records.)
We sat in the garden on a warm night, arriving about 9:30 or :45, leaving at after midnight. The kind of heaters you see all over Europe have just been made legal in New York, at last, which extends the outdoor dining season by months. This is a tremendous boon for a small place like Barbone, since the garden easily doubles the size of the restaurant.
I brought a bottle of a Malvasia recently sent me a young winemaker in Puglia named Francesco Mazzone of the family winery Azienda Agricola Domenico Mazzone. I wrote about this wine not too long ago, and I expressed my surprise at liking this example of Malvasia. (Click here for that article.) I wanted Joe and Eric to try it to see their reaction. And I asked Alberto, the owner and sommelier at the restaurant, to assess it. Like me, he normally doesn't much like Malvasia.
Alberto's pronouncement: "I'd buy this." Bravo, Francesco.
This Mazzone white was a nice aperitif, aromatically fruity with just enough residual sugar to ease you out of your hunger. It paired extremely well with one of Barbone's perennial hits, the lightly battered and quick-fried asparagus.
For the main courses we all had different fall/winter dishes despite the very warm night.
For the main course, we all reverted to our carnivorous true selves. Veal, duck and porchetta (suckling pig), all hearty and singing with flavor. (Find menu here. It may not be seasonally updated yet.)
Ah but the wine, what to choose?
I gave the wine list back to the waiter and told him, "Tell Alberto what we're having. Let him pick the best wine." Aside to the boys: "He always nails the food/wine pairings."
He did not let us down.
A few minutes later Alberto came over with a decanter and a bottle of Molon Traverso Schioppettino 2005. For such a new wine it already had a well-integrated complexity of flavors, and a vinous, not too fruity nose. It was a big hit with all of us. As this link to the Schioppettino page informs us, Schioppettino is the local name for Ribolla Nera, which is grown both in Italy and just across the border in Slovenia. The grapes are harvested in late September/early October by hand, and they are carefully placed into cassette or large "drawer" like containers. Maceration takes place for 8 - 10 days, with daily delestage. Complete malolactic fermentation takes place, assuring a smoother, silkier texture and flavor, and the new wine is aged in stainless steel for several months before spending 7-8 months in oak of various ages. Finally, it is bottled and held at the winery several more months before release.
The result is a savory wine with balanced fruit reminiscent of raspberries and blueberries -- but, as I say, not tiresomely fruttato. The website says something about "ruby with violet notes" in the color, but to me it seemed somewhat paler -- certainly lighter than the deep purple Schioppettino from Dorigo, which I have had many times. The Traverso version is much finer, I think.
13% alcohol. 4000 bottles/year. Retail price about $30.
Vinyl? What's that, boss?
Posted by: Fredric Koeppel | October 19, 2007 at 09:48 AM
Eric is a vinyl snob. His crew believe that only vinyl is "real." Cds and so on are soulless corporatist bulllshit. Like international-style vino is for us...
Posted by: Terry Hughes | October 19, 2007 at 09:50 AM