The estate has continually expanded along the years, as much in surface as in growing and maturing techniques. With always bearing in mind that this progress and these innovative techniques never make us forget to share with amateurs all the pleasures that wine can give.

On the domain, grape-picking is essentially manual and the methods of cultivation respect the soil, the vine and the grapes as much as possible. Through their Muscadet wines, they try to transmit the purest expression of local soil and authenticity.

The domain extends on sunny hillsides between the Sevre and the Maine rivers, which precisely gave their names to the appellation, “Muscadet Sevre et Maine”. The wines owe their specific taste to the different geological grounds: granite or clayey soils, and also gravel or sandly silt soils. The vine plants are between 10 and 50 years old with an average age of 28 years.

Vinification is done by pressing, racking of must and fermentation during 15 days at a minimum temperature of 21 degrees celcius. Maturing is done in stainless-steel and glassed cement tanks and lasts 8 months.

Thanks to the character of our soils and the natural acidity of our wines, old vintages have become our specialty. In favor of late bottling, we give greater place to the expression of the soil type (low yield old plants, manual picking and sorting, use of natural yeasts only, prolonged fermentation) and to slowly matured wines.

For their commercial needs, they have thus created a company, entitled to promote and distribute the products of their estate. 60% of them are sold directly (among 35% to export) and to trade.

Muscadet is made from the Melon Bourgogne grape and comes from the most western part of the Loire Valley. Most Muscadet is made “Sur Lie” or “on the lees” meaning the wine was left in contact with the yeast lees for several months before bottling. This adds extra flavor and a refreshing spritz. Muscadet is a fabulous wine to pair with seafood.

Please join our Grand Portfolio Tasting as we are proud to welcome some talented and prestigious winemakers.  We will taste over 200 wines from France and California. Our award-winning producers include Ms. Brigitte Rullier of Chateau Dalem, Mr. Christophe Davault of Domaine de la Chaise, Mr. Jean Luc Olivier of Domaine de la Grenaudiere, Mr. Michel Delanoue of Domaine de la Noiraie, Mr. Aurelien Piffaut of Veuve Ambal, Ms. Isabelle Millet of Domaine Millet, Mr. Didier Grandeau of Grandissime Bordeaux, and Mr. Moniek Von of Vignerons de France. 

We are pleased to announce that joining us will be Jake Furst of Foursquare, the leading location-based social networking service. Come and learn about the importance of social media and the wine and spirits industry during a special presentation at 6:15pm.

RSVP on our Facebook page

This week I was excited to find Asimov writing about beer and how the old t-shit and jean stereotype is changing. He got dressed up in his nicest attire to go out on the town. Like wine in America, beer has also progressed within our culture and it’s thrilling to watch it happen. His beer session took place over dinner at Eleven Madison Park. The restaurant offers more than 130 beers every night. Back in the 1970’s, there was not much to choose from in the beer selection in America. Now, the United States in the most vibrant beer culture in the world! Shocking!…well not THAT shocking, but still! Now American craft brewers inspire bastions like England, Germany, and Belgium to re-examine their own traditions and to re-invent new ones. Asimov writes, “much of what we think we know about beer qualifies as conventional wisdom, some of which is called into question. For example, it may not be true that two different strains of yeast account for the differences between ales and lagers.” Asimov had the pleasure of drinking some beautiful beers that really complimented the food. Some people fear that as beer progresses the same sort of pretentiousness associated with “wine-snobs” will take flight. But, Asimov writes, “Beer consumers are a far more confident lot than wine consumers.” Beer consumers have a solid grounding and don’t feel that they need to be so incredibly educated on the subject before drinking it. With wine, there is a sense of needing to “appreciate” it before enjoying it. After all, it is just beer…

Dining Calendar

With the Jewish Holiday’s approaching, it seems only appropriate to start the new year fresh and ripe (like an apple ). As usual, I chose my favorites this week:

A ‘Boatload’ of Wines

Rieslings as summer wines were promoted in many restaurants this season. A finale dinner will be held on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Hearth Restaurant, 403 East 12th Street (First Avenue), with four courses and a “boatload” of wines, as the organizers have put it. Peter Sichel, the venerable riesling expert — think Blue Nun — will be on hand; $95, including tax and tip: (646) 602-1300.

Holiday Cooking

Jewish holiday cooking demonstrations will be held, free, on Sunday at 2 and 3:30 p.m. on the mezzanine at Zabar’s, 2245 Broadway (80th Street). Yes, I’m a dork, and yes, I’ll probably be attending this!

Musical Chefs

C-CAP, the organization that helps provide culinary education for high school students, will benefit from a party, with celebrities like Tom Colicchio and Joe Bastianich providing the music, on Monday at 7 p.m. at Hill Country Barbecue Market, 30 West 26th Street. Entry is a suggested donation of $20. Appetizers will be free, and drinks and a full menu will be available for purchase, with 20 percent of sales also donated to the cause. This sounds like such a nice event. If I could go I would! For table reservations: laura@hillcountryny.com.

Openings

JUNG SIK The Korean flavors are unmistakable here but there are also touches of France and Spain in the cutting-edge cooking of Jung Sik Yim, who first took molecular, sous-vide and deconstructed Korean dishes to Seoul. New York will taste his bibim-style caprese salad, tiny octopus with kimchi and chicken in mushroom stock: 2 Harrison Street (Hudson Street), (212) 219-0900.

LA MAR CEBICHERIA PERUANA Gastón Acurio, pictured, a Peruvian chef who has become an international restaurateur, has landed in New York with a restaurant that will focus on ceviche and seafood dishes featuring traditional Peruvian ingredients like quinoa, aji amarillo chiles, yucca and chicha, a corn beer. The two-story space that was a colorful setting for Tabla has been given a more serene look by Stephanie Goto, in blue tones, with a “rainwater” chandelier of tiny glass bubbles, and a wall of corn kernels: 11 Madison Avenue (25th Street), (212) 612-3388.

LA PROMENADE DES ANGLAIS Alain Allegretti pays homage to his native Nice with a garlicky, tomatoey, herbal and tangy menu. But he also travels to the Italian Riviera for vitello tonnato, to Spain for chorizo and to Manchego to season ratatouille ravioli, and to North Africa, for red mullet in brick pastry. This food sounds so amazing. Someone should definitely check this out and hard core prospect!: 461 West 23rd Street, (212) 255-7400.

MOMOFUKU MILK BAR The third Milk Bar from David Chang and Christina Tosi, in a landmarked storefront on the Upper West Side, is the largest, with benches and stools for about 15 people to taste soft-serve ice cream, milk shakes, cookies, the addictive crack pie, croissants and savory pork and vegetable buns. (Opens Saturday). Get ready people, this was a weekend hang out spot for me and my friends back in my NYU days…sigh: 561 Columbus Avenue (87th Street), no phone.

ROMERA The setting for a $245, 11-course tasting menu by Miguel Sanchez Romera, a neurologist and chef from Barcelona whose “neuro-gastronomy” will be a first for New York, is pristine white, with some herbs in planters. Though there is wine, the chef specializes in devising infused waters to complement each dish: Dream Downtown Hotel, 355 West 16th Street, (212) 929-5800.

SAXON & PAROLE Double Crown, the Asian-style AvroKO and Brad Farmerie partnership, has become a thoroughly American restaurant, taking the names of two racehorses. One dining room has … white tablecloths! Dishes like razor clam and egg salad, chile-spiked carrot soup, and a pork chop with potato salad contrast with the somewhat gamier food Mr. Farmerie does at Public. Sounds fancy and they could use some of our wine (if they’re not too pretentious): 316 Bowery (Bleecker Street), (212) 254-0350.

BROOKLYN TACO Jesse Kramer and his partner, Erica Molina, have a kitchen with counters for a limited menu of tacos filled with smoky chipotle chicken, guacamole textured with fresh corn, and brisket in rich chilorio, a sauce from Northern Mexico. Mexican ingredients are sold, as is Blue Bottle Coffee: Essex Street Market, 120 Essex Street (Delancey Street), (646) 820-8226.

MAHARLIKA FILIPINO MODERNO Nicole Ponseca had no interest in a melting pot for her restaurant. She wants it to be extremely focused on Filipino food. Miguel Trinidad, the chef, emphasizes the rustic dishes, like oxtails in peanut sauce, pork belly with fermented black beans, and sausage with eggs and tangy vegetables. Sounds like an adventure: 111 First Avenue (Seventh Street), (646) 392-7880.

WALDEN At a time when frenetic, scenester restaurants seem to be the norm, the notion of channeling Thoreau is a refreshing departure, especially for Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Jamie Gray, a designer turned restaurateur, has created a pleasantly stylish setting, with some Shaker references, for a simple, seasonal menu by Ben Winans, who was at Diner and Pure Food & Wine: 502 Lorimer Street (Powers Street), Williamsburg, Brooklyn, (347) 227-7133.

Erin Zimberg

In this week’s Wines of the Times, Asimov writes of “umlaut,” a very intimating word (2 dots) that is intended to communicate a particular pronunciation of the vowel it tops. Consumers generally choose a Pinot Grigio when they encounter THE UMLAUT (dum, dum, dum). Asimov then goes on to compliment the blaufrankisch grape (also with an umlaut on top of the a). It is grown mostly in Austria, where it makes a spicy red that can be graceful and intense at the same time. It can be tangy and refreshing too . In Germany it’s called Lemberger (without an umlaut). Even five years ago blaufrankisch wines were not easy to find in the United States. Consumers were stuck with wines that had a lot of oakiness to them. Times are a changin’ and Asimov goes on to say that just a few years ago he did a tasting of the blaufrankisch wines that have been made with great care, from grapes of cooler sites and with more restraint in the cellar. Asimov, along with his panel of tasters, were thrilled with their most recent blaufrankisch tasting. They found that they enjoyed a lot! Their favorites being beautifully balanced, with smoky, spicy fruit flavors, winning textures, and a rippling acidity that made them seem juicy, savory, and refreshing. They enjoyed the lighter bodied wines that they tried as well as the heavier, denser, and richer wines. Why such a difference in body you ask? The soil changes dramatically in these different parts of Austria/Germany yielding to different styles.

Dining Calendar

There are quite a lot of pricey benefits this week and also interactive activities with children. This doesn’t really fit our needs, so I chose the few that looked doable for our Gabby group!

Tastes of Mexico A celebration of Mexican cuisine with food stations by the chef and restaurateur Julian Medina, along with beer, margaritas and mariachi music, is set for Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. at the Garden at Studio Square, 35-33 36th Street (35th Avenue), Long Island City, Queens. Tickets are $60 in advance from studiosquarenyc.com, $65 at the door; and children 12 and under are $25.

At Queens Restaurants Queens Restaurant Week, with scores of restaurants participating and offering specially priced menus, will run from Monday to Sept. 22, and Sept. 26 to 29. For information on participants. This could be a great opportunity to meet some more people in Queens. Go for it!: queensny.org.

Openings

BARREL ROOM A new feature at City Winery is a 30-seat dining room for well-garnished Mediterranean dishes to go with 11 wines on tap plus the rest of the extensive list. I’ve always been a huge fan of City Winery, especially the big stage! One night I even went to see a friend’s Burlesque show with a large group of people. I find this to be one of their biggest strengths- their large seating capacity!: City Winery, 155 Varick Street (Van Dam Street); (212) 608-0555.

BIG GAY ICE CREAM SHOP Ice creams made in house, plus Melt’s sandwiches, La Newyorkina’s paletas and Oslo Coffee, are featured; and the truck still rolls: 125 East Seventh Street (First Avenue); (212) 533-9333.

BUTTER LANE The East Village cupcake bakery has opened a branch with more than two dozen varieties. Hands down this is better than Magnolias. I used to get the icing shots. I believe they’re 2 dollars for an amazing icing shot if you’re not so into the “cake” part of the cupcake. If I recall correctly, my favorite flavor is maple: 240 Seventh Avenue (Fourth Street), Park Slope, Brooklyn; (718) 369-0466.

CAFE CHINA Yiming Wang and her husband, Xian Zhang, have had no restaurant experience, but they have an ambitious vision of what they want to offer. “We haven’t seen a really great Chinese restaurant here,” Ms. Wang said. Mr. Zhang is from Shanghai but opted for a Sichuan chef, Xiao Feng Liao. His menu has ma po tofu, tea-smoked duck, Chungking braised beef and kung pao fish, as well as beef tendon, cold duck tongue, braised duck blood, frog legs, tripe and conch. The décor is simple, but many small touches evoke Shanghai of the 1930s: 13 East 37th Street; (212) 213-2810.

DOS TOROS This is the third location for this hot little taco chain: 1111 Lexington Avenue (77th Street).

EARL OF SANDWICH This is the first New York outpost of an English chain with 13 hot sandwiches to go, all $5.99:1290 Avenue of the Americas (52nd Street); (212) 247-9246.

IL TESORO RISTORANTE With some twists on Italian classics, like duck leg braciole, A. J. Black, who owns a restaurant of the same name on Sanibel Island in Florida, moves into what was the location of Primavera for more than 30 years. (Friday): 1578 First Avenue (82nd Street); (212) 861-9620.

LA ESQUINA TAQUERIA Another part of this complex has 10 tacos, including veal tongue and vegetarian options, and a garden. LOL, this place is going to take over the city!: 225 Wythe Avenue (North Third Street), Williamsburg, Brooklyn; (718) 393-5500.

LEXINGTON BRASS Brasserie-style defines much of hotel dining in Midtown, and this latest fits the pattern. ATTENTION REPS: Who’s on this?!: Hyatt 48Lex, 517 Lexington Avenue (48th Street); (212) 392-5976.

MACHIAVELLI The Italian Renaissance is firmly in place at this elaborately decorated trattoria. Murals inspired by “The Battle of San Romano” by Paolo Uccello, a Florentine painter, cover the walls, giving Sandro Chia’s Palio murals in the bar at Piano Due a run for their money. The décor notwithstanding, the restaurant will have a fairly classic northern Italian menu. “This is a neighborhood place after all, so we have to have normal food,” said Nathalie de La Fontaine, the owner, who used to own La Focaccia in Greenwich Village. (Friday): 519 Columbus Avenue (85th Street); (212) 724-2658.

MEXICUE A second storefront and another truck have been added:106 Forsyth Street (Broome Street); (646) 559-4100.

PAN AMERICAN A fire that gutted two floors above resulted in a massive rebuilding job for this restaurant. But now it’s off to a fresh start, with tropically accented décor and a new chef, Harry Stoehr, from DB Bistro Moderne, devising pan-Latin food with a nod to north of the border. Deconstructed gazpacho; beef tenderloin with chimichurri; duck with roasted vegetables and amaranth; and spice rubbed fish are featured:202 Mott Street (Prince Street);(212) 925-9225.

THE SAINT AUSTERE Jacqueline Pirolo and her brothers have communal tables for beer, wine and boldly seasoned, tapas-style food. Tapas style could be a great place to bring some of our wine!: 613 Grand Street (Lorimer Street), Williamsburg, Brooklyn; (718) 388-0012.

SALUMÈ This very Italian panini shop in SoHo has spun off a kiosk, with a menu of unpressed sandwiches that’s more limited but cheaper: Broadway Plaza, Times Square at 45th Street; no phone.

STK OUT This casual outpost of STK in the meatpacking district serves sandwiches, salads, milkshakes, beer and wine: Grace Plaza, 1114 Avenue of the Americas (43rd Street); (646) 624-2433.

SUNBURNT CALF BROOKLYN The Aussies open another branch, this one with more Asian fare. (Friday): 611 Vanderbilt Avenue (Bergen Street), Prospect Heights, Brooklyn; no phone yet.

TABATA RAMEN Noodles, rice dishes and a steaming open kitchen with a good-size counter and tables is a welcome addition to the dining scene in the West 30s: 540 Ninth Avenue (39th Street); (212) 290-7691.

THE TIPPLER Under the Chelsea Market, 3,000 square feet of brick-walled space with sturdy columns have been turned into a bar with a 40-foot marble counter. Paul Tanguy and Tad Carducci, bar consultants called the Tippling Brothers, are two of four partners. (Friday): 75 Ninth Avenue (15th Street); (212) 206-0000.

VAI Vincent Chirico has relocated his little Upper West Side Italian place to a more gracious space. Guillaume already has this!: 429 Amsterdam Avenue (81st Street); (212) 362-4500.

THE VAULT AT PFAFF’S For all its underground speakeasy feel, this tailored, brick-walled subterranean bar is more venerable than Prohibition, having opened about 150 years ago in the former beer cellars of Charles Pfaff. Food comes from the Corner Shop Cafe directly above it, via dumbwaiter. This sounds sooo cool! I love speakeasy style places. I hope someone opens this account ASAP: 643 Broadway (Bleecker Street); (212) 253-5421.

Erin Zimberg