Category Archives: Paarl

Vintage Irving

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Having opened in the past two weeks, I decided to try out the new wine bar on 15th street at Irving Place, near Union Square. I met a friend for a post-work drink outside–it was a little difficult to find, as the name is not well-marked. My friend, who was waiting for me, and I poked our heads inside before committing, and we liked what we saw. To the right of the door is the L-shaped bar, its stock evident against the dark wood of the wall behind it. To the left, several long, elevated tables filled the first room. We wandered past these into the second room, which had another high table in the center; we, however, chose to sit along the walls, with our feet on the ground, next to the paneled wood wall. 

Our waitress brought us menus within a few minutes, pointing to the wines by the glass on the first page, followed by the full wine list, as well as beers and cocktails (which all seemed to have an absinthe base). Small plates, cheeses, and charcuterie followed. She gave us a few minutes to decide. Since the weather in New York is turning, we both decided to skip the white and head straight to red to overcome the slight chill in our bones. When our waitress returned, I asked her about three that appealed–a Garnacha from Spain, a Paso Robles California Zin, and a South African Cab. She immediately pushed the Cab, saying that it was actually a blend of Cabernet, Syrah, and Tempranillo grapes, a little fruit forward but with great body. It was from an area called Paarl, a name which I recognized from my weekend wine-tasting of Sauvignon Blancs from around the world. My wine guy had told me that wines from Paarl, because of the extreme changes in temperature from hot summers to cold winters. I had liked the Sauvignon Blanc, so I thought I’d give this one a try. We both ordered it. 

The wine arrived about five minutes later. It was absolutely one of the best wines I’ve tasted in a long time. Every sip filled my mouth completely and felt full without ever biting. We savored it so long that we forgot to look at the rest of the menu–the waitress came over twice to see if we wanted anything else, but both times we hadn’t gotten around to it. We finally called her over to order the drunken goat cheese, a Spanish blue made of goat’s milk, and the duck prosciutto. 

The plate arrived about ten minutes later. The presentation on the small rectangular plate was lovely: four long pieces of the first cheese were flayed out over an herbed-mayonnaise sauce; the blue cheese, cut into small triangles, was accompanied by a whole-grain mustard mixed with pieces of onion; and the four, glistening pieces of duck prosciutto were layered, one on top of the other, next to a bowl of stewed berries. Both the duck prosciutto and the blue cheese were extraordinarily flavorful. Although the slices were small, the cured duck felt rich on my tongue, and the goat’s milk brought out the strong flavors of the blue cheese. The date for one glass of wine turned into several hours spent talking over the beautifully balanced flavors of our small meal. I can’t wait to go back. 

Vintage Irving (120 E. 15th St. at Irving Place, 212-228-4200)
**the wine was a Glen Carlou Cabernet “Grand Classique” (2004) from Paarl, South Africa.