The night before our wedding, we had just 40 guests, our closest friends and family, gather for a cocktail party at Borgo, a trattoria by Andrew Tarlow, on the East side of Manhattan. The idea was “open mic night” - if you wanted to make a toast, rehearsed or improvised, long or short, funny or serious, this was your opportunity.
It was a freezing May night with icy rain, but the fireplace was raging, the focaccia was crispy, the mortadella was bottomless, and the wines were flowing.
I wore Kate Spade heels, now sold out everywhere, that had a Champagne cork for a heel. It was just the right amount of ~quirky accessory~ and I am obsessed. I’m looking for more opportunities to wear them so please invite me to your summer parties.
We had 3 wines and 1 beer available for our guests. I wish I knew what the beer was, but I was too busy reeling in love to notice.
Champagne Lelarge-Pugeot 'Tradition' Brut Nature Champagne NV
I love Champagne. I love small producers making interesting Champagnes in limited quantities. Lelarge-Pugeot is an 8th generation winery in the Montagne de Reims, one of the sub-regions of Champagne. They’re certified organic and work mostly with their own plantings of the Meunier grape, adding little to no dosage (extra sugar post-fermentation, not for sweetness but for balance and richness).
This particular bottling is mostly Pinot Noir and Meunier, with a touch of Chardonnay, with zero dosage added, keeping it a proper ‘brut nature’. With no dosage, the wine remains lean and zesty, tart and alive.
I can’t find these wines anywhere in NYC, which is annoying to both you guys and also me! I want to drink them! They are imported by SuperGlou, so you can find more info on their site, and perhaps we can badger them to get on more shelves in NYC.
Laura Aschero, Riviera Ligure di Ponente 2023
Liguria is a wildly underrated Italian wine region, especially for coastal and fresh styles of white wines. This wine is exactly that: fresh and lifted, with beautiful salinity that could transport you to the Italian coast. The region is full of small and independent family farmers, making inexpensive wine on rugged landscapes.
Laura Aschero founded the winery in 1980, and produces less than 6,000 cases of wine a year. The vermentino is hand harvested, made in all stainless steel, and tastes of tart tropical fruit and wildflowers. This was my first time tasting this wine! It proved incredibly versatile and I was very impressed.
This wine isn’t available in NYC anywhere retail, but you can find Laura Aschero Pigato at Flatiron Wines. I trust it’s another delicious and food-friendly Italian white wine, though I haven’t tasted it.
COS, Frappato, Terre Siciliane 2023
From the Southeastern corner of Sicily, this is a wine I’ve enjoyed many times. Light and juicy (perfect for Pinot Noir or Beaujolais drinkers) with earthiness and rocky minerality, it’s simply a perfect wine, especially for the price.
It’s 100% Frappato, a native Sicilian grape variety, made by an iconic low-intervention winery in Vittoria. Drink it with a little bit of a chill on it for a perfect summer grilling drinking outside sort of vibe.
Available at Astor Wines now for an incredible price!!
Thank you to Lee Campbell at Borgo for this selection of wines made with deep and intentional care for the land, maximizing ethics and deliciousness. I am so grateful.
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