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Photo courtesy of: Kelsey Maloney
Tucked away on Warren Street in bustling Tribeca, resides the rising wine experts, New York Vintners, who have added an authentic and unique spin to the experience of wine tasting.
New York Vintners, located at 21 Warren St., are offering daily basic and advanced wine classes and are determined to educate guests in a fun and knowledgeable atmosphere. To heighten the wine-tasting experience, executive chef Ryan Smith, creates delicious food, selective to each type of wine and the theme of the class. The creative themes branch from Spanish Tapas and Wine, Korean BBQ Pairing, to Perfect Pizza Pairings.
“A lot of wine has to do with pairings, so we try to educate with a small serving,” said Daniel Orrison, New York Vintners business director. “We go through a spectrum of really light [servings] on the white [wine] side and to big and heavy [servings] on the red [wine] and they are always situated around a theme.”
Orrison moved from Napa Valley, Calif. to New York in January and said, “the wine country has a dear spot in my heart.” From working at a large winery while attending school in Virginia, to working with vino in New Zealand and France, Orrison is just one of the impressive wine enthusiasts at New York Vintners with an extensive background and passion for the world of wine.
“The more I learned the more I enjoyed,” said Orrison. “Then I was able to come back to New York and help increase someone’s awareness of wine and talk to them in a real personal tone.”
Greeted with a sparkling beverage to toast when walking in the front door, customers are welcomed by a friendly host and fun chef who will transport them through the exciting world of wine. The basic classes start with taking clients through the most important components of tasting and are revolved around having an enjoyable overall experience. The goal of this level is to have clients leave after a lesson feeling confident enough to be able to order a specific glass of wine at a restaurant or retail store. As for the advanced classes, which are a touch more formal, instructors dive more into the intricacies of the wine in the glass.
Photo courtesy of: www.newyorkvintners.com
The Vintners chose downtown to be their home because of its liveliness and growing food market.
“We think there is no better neighborhood in all of the United States to sell wine,” said Orrison. “We love the family aspect of the community and we think we can add something vibrant to a small part of New York City that loves wine and food.”
New York Vintners make conscious decisions on the vineyards they choose as their producers. Rather than chasing the big scores in the wine industry, they focus on the small productions with a high quality. They choose the world-wide vineyards that have stories to tell, just like their own.
Not only do these wine connoisseurs provide the ultimate wine experience, but they do private parties as well and have their own wine brand, Orison Wines, which can be purchased on their website or at the store. Some of the private parties are held and nestled down in their wine cellar, where a small group of friends or family can enjoy a night of great food and vino. If you didn’t think it could get any better, listen to this. If you’re hosting at your home and want to treat your guests to something really special, a Vintner chef and instructor can even come to your house to do a lesson!
“As opposed to a personal chef, we would come in and our chef and server will stand with the group at the table and walk everyone through the wines,” said executive chef Ryan Smith. “We’re a more experienced instrument then we are a catering place. Everything we do is an experience.”
They also offer a membership program, which provides specials and deals such as delivery of wine to clients throughout New York City and benefits for classes.
“We realized our ability to communicate our passion about wine was best served in a learning environment,” said Orrison. “Were kind of breaking a lot of stereotypes and stigmas with the typical wine class – we want to make it fun and interactive.”
To learn more or to schedule a class, please visit their website.
-by Kelsey Maloney