The December Wine Hit List: St. Anselm, Popina, Compagnie, and More

We can safely say Joe Carroll’s ode to the grill is not exactly under the radar. But its extraordinary wine program is often overlooked — one that goes long on reds, as you’d expect, given the sheer quantity of beef on tables, but one that also shows a deep appreciation for curious white wines, and skin contact (a full dozen choices).  Even with the reds, there’s a blend of expected (cabernet, big-time pinot noir) and far less predictable, like a veritable ode to gamay noir. The range here embraces everything — from classic (Bordeaux like Sociando-Mallet) to new wave (Australia’s Ochota Barrels) to, should you be feeling it, those big-footed darlings of a previous era (Sine Qua Non, anyone?). This is, frankly, what a steakhouse list should be in the 21st century. And to think we saw it here, on Metropolitan Ave. 

Bodegas Tradicion Fino Viejo Sherry ($12/glass): You haven’t lived until you’ve had the Bootsy-level funk from dry-aged beef paired with great sherry. And that’s what this is — one of the most epic projects in Jerez, available by the glass in a rare style, namely fino (sherry aged under a yeast veil) but well aged, years past when most bodegas stop calling it fino. 

Chamonard Morgon Clos de Lys 1997 ($109): As the legends of Beaujolais go, Joseph Chamonard is a name often inexplicably left out — despite being arguably part of the original Gang that made the region what it is today. Every now and then you find a well-aged bottle. So no, this isn’t a misprint. These are the wines they open in Beaujolais to show how gamay ages. It’s still a youngster, and it’s spectacular.

Caleb Ganzer and his merry band have had multiple pivots this year — dining in various forms, wine classes, retail, and the like. No dining right now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t access their deep knowledge and deep list, specifically at 25% off to go. There also are classes, and gift packs, including our personal fave, the Hawaiian-themed party pack, continuing Compagnie’s fascination with all things Hawaiian — in this case comprising island wines, Kona Brewing beer, and more.

Huré Frères L’Insouciance Brut Rosé Champagne ($135, list price): Of course you’re going to need sparkling wine for New Year’s Eve, and after this year, it really is time for real Champagne.  May we suggest the work of the talented Huré brothers of Ludes, who’ve brought contemporary stylings to the conservative Montagne de Reims? Insouciance is their pink version, made so with a bit of still red pinot noir and pinot meunier. Somehow contemplative and festive all at once, which defines this year’s holidays. 

Unico Zelo Esoterico Riverland White 2018 ($60, list price): Compagnie is also deep on the New Australia, and this is that: a mix of fiano, moscato giallo and zibbibo (muscat of Alexandria) from South Australia’s haven for Italianate varieties, macerated on skins for about a week. The muscats give it flair, the fiano adds rectitude; the result is a wine that’s happy without being overzealous.

The UES isn’t admittedly the first neighborhood that comes to mind for wine adventure. But Eli Zabar has quietly been keeping it in great wines for a long time now, with pricing that resists every New York trend. While Eli’s Table hasn’t been open during the pandemic, its sibling spot on 91st and Madison remains open, with an outdoor setup. (Call 646-755-3999 for reservations.) 

The bar’s list covers an awful lot in just six pages, amply offering the Burgundy that’s Zabar’s true love, but also a tight edit of the rest of the Old World.  That said, right now you can access the full Eli’s Table list while dining at Bar 91 — just email wine@elizabar.com for a current copy, and get your request in by 1 p.m. the day of your meal. And hence some holiday cheer: multiple vintages of Tollot-Beaut’s Corton-Charlemagne for $195; or deep into the Côte de Nuits reds of Anne Gros and Hubert Lignier; or aged Soave (it’s a thing) from Graziano Pra.

If you’re rounding out holiday prep with trip uptown for stollen or black-and-whites from, say, William Greenberg, might we suggest finishing your shopping here?

Domaine Guiberteau Brézé Saumur Blanc 2014 ($100): As we said, the bar list is a gem itself — as evidenced by the presence of this much-sought bottle from one of the Loire’s rising stars, and Saumur’s best vineyard.

Stroblhof Pigeno Sudtirol Red 2014 ($75): The après-ski theme for dining this month gets real with this bottle — high-altitude pinot noir from one of Alto Adige’s best wineries, near the Italian border with Austria. They call this region “southern Tyrol” for a reason.

This Prospect Heights mainstay from Steve Wong, Nico Russell and Piper Kristensen remains a wonderful case study in doing more with less — they’ve steadfastly proclaimed themselves as a bistro, even if Russell’s cooking has always exceeded that. This fall’s outdoor menu tossed off dishes like salt-roasted sweet potatoes with dried chile and caviar as if it was a minor whim. And Kristensen and Wong’s work with the beverage side achieves much the same, flexing with wines like Partida Creus’ Vy Blanco by the glass as though it was the most obvious thing. Hence a perfect approach for these times — a bistro list utterly driven by beauty. Also, monthly subscriptions for wine and sundries.  And did we mention the holiday pop-up sherry bar?

Weingut Beurer In Der Luft Württemberg White 2019 ($60): Jochen Beurer is bringing a spotlight to Germany’s unheralded Württemberg region (think Stuttgart), in part with riesling and pinot noir, but also with wines like this: a mix of riesling, chardonnay, gewürztraminer and such, the label a tribute to Beurer’s BMX-riding days. 

Philippe Tessier Chemin Noir Vin de France Red 2016 ($70): Tessier is best known as one of the talents of Cheverny, the unusual appellation in the eastern Loire. (Google “romorantin.”) But this is unusual even by those standards — a spectacular example of the Loire-native grape pineau d’aunis, which you might imagine as the happy offspring of pinot noir and mezcal.  That spice is what we’re all about for winter patio time.

Seeing as the dark-hued wine bar, stocked with orange wines and esoterica, is a common trope today, it can be easy to forget how unusual Anfora was when it opened a decade (!!) ago.

So it’s a relief that, even with the dramatic shifts in the West Village, and even with this messy year, it remains still a haven along that odd little block of Eighth Ave. between Jane and West 12th. Beverage director Cody Pruitt continues the approach defined by opening partner Joe Campanale (now of Fausto and LaLou) — the orange crush remains, along with unexpected sparkling wines and rugged reds, although France and Austria have crept more prominently into the frame.

While the list is condensed right now, you can also get nearly all of it to go, in addition to enjoying it with snacks on the heated patio. More details here.

Gabrio Bini Serragghia Fanino Pantelleria Rosso 2017 ($135): If today his pointy bottles are now part of the naturalist canon, Bini’s name was hardly known when Anfora opened. But so it goes — Gravner and Friuli for one era, Bini and Pantelleria for the next. What you might not have had is his red, a mix of pignatello and catarratto, the sort of hearty bottle just right to enjoy under heaters.

Claire Naudin Le Clou 34 Vin de France White 2017 ($145/magnum): As we said, France has joined the roster, but the love of skin-contact whites lives on. And few are more compelling than Naudin’s subtly macerated aligoté from the high ground of Burgundy, bracing but also fully textured.

The beloved Columbia Waterfront haunt made a tough call last month to shift back to its role as a wine and provisions shop, Wednesday through Sunday — although perhaps a prescient one, giving how quickly dining rules have shifted this month.

Either way, James O’Brien’s meticulously chosen list has morphed into retail format, with as much diversity and curiosity as ever. That means deep dives into Piedmont and the new California, classic grower Champagnes, and this month, the Popina Holiday Market, with packages like 7 Wines for 7 Fishes, to accompany that best of Christmas traditions. Order here.

2018 Sandlands Contra Costa County Red Table Wine ($35): Tegan Passalacqua is a current California star — making wine for Turley as well as this, his own label — and given how deeply allocated these are, being able to order a bottle to go feels almost too easy.  Whatever. It’s been a tough year.  Here’s your perfect holiday red.

2012 Pierre Peters Les Montjolys Brut Champagne ($225): You might have had Rodolphe Péters’ wines, but have you had his new single-parcel Champagne, from a parcel adjacent to his more famous Chétillons? If you can swing it (not cheap, but a great deal) here’s a wine to properly toast the arrival of 2021.