Brooklyn Wine Exchange

Days of red wine and roses...

A new wine shop opened last Friday on Court Street on the south side of Atlantic. The Brooklyn Wine Exchange. Though if one actually asks to exchange...I don't know.

It is owned by Patrick Watson and Michele Pravda, the operators of Stinky (I love!), Smith and Vine (I hate! l'a.t.t.i.u.d.e.)*, and Jakewalk (good stuff if bad - cleaning product - smell)...

It is spare, cement-floored, and full of interesting things. I picked up a Nigori sake, a Prosecco, and a bottle of sparkling shiraz, The Chook, which we drank last night. The latter, that is. We have been talking about chickens.

They have a whole table for New York State wines, and say they will also concentrate on organics and New World. But there were only four South African wines.

The Chook went well with baby back ribs rubbed with rosemary, lime zest and pulp, and fine onion. It could be described as evening-time swimming pool wine. The swimming pool wine was Ed's famous line - Gyles Webb's mother-in-law, Edna McLean, who, along with a bowl of freshly-cut roses, presided for so many years over the tastings and till at Thelema, and sadly no more. In short, not a serious wine, but goes down real easy. Small bubbles (ok, mousse), fruity, a little port in the nose, and otherwise still a shiraz.

I like the shop. When we've drunk up what we've got, I'll return.

This evening I cut the Icebergs still clinging to life on the terrace. They will open in the apartment, and they smell of roses. Bitter winds are tearing at the rooftops. Winter is here, properly.


* A recent e-mail tells me that the attitude at Smith and Vine has undergone some reformation. I haven't visited in many months, so perhaps I'd better see...