Want to be transported to an Italian caverna without having to book a flight? Head to In Vino winebar on 4th street at Ave B. With your back to the door, you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to an underground wine cellar in a Renaissance building, with low-arching walls hugging the intimate wood booths. Everything about the ambiance feels rustic and home-made, from the small space to the low lights. This description extends the wine list–their wines, all Italian, have that fresh-from-the-vineyard taste instead of the straight-off-the boat tang that I often experience with imported wines, most notoriously younger Chiantis.

I found out about this place for one simple reason–it’s owned by my wine guys at Alphabet City Wine Co. Therefore, I hadn’t any doubts about the quality of the selection, but they managed to impress me anyway. G and I dropped in on our way home from a movie. We had eaten a light dinner, so we took our seat at the bar. The owner immediately brought us the wine list, or rather, wine book. The first few pages list their mission statement, their desire to introduce quality Italian wines to the New York community, as well as the wines offered by the glass and the quartino (about 3 glasses worth–a better deal if you’re ordering in two!)

The rest of the menu reads like a book… and in fact, it feels like a book in your hands, with its weightiness and soft leather cover. Each page describes one of Italy’s regions and its wine-making history, and then at the bottom, lists the wines available by the bottle that are representative of the region’s best. Here’s a blurb:

Sicily produces more wine that any other region in Italy, which comes as no surprise as it’s also the largest region in the land. However, the island has always been known to emphasize quantity over quality. To this day, less than ten percent of the wine made each year makes it into bottles, with the rest used as blending grapes to boost the alcohol content of low quality wines both in Italy and elsewhere. That said, Sicily does make some fantastic wines and has built a solid reputation for itself as one of the upcoming wine regions in Italy, particularly when it comes to reds. The native Nero d’Avola seems to be the focus these days, though much attention is being given to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah—which some Sicilians claim as a native grape as well, named after the town of Siracusa. Given the intense heat on the island, whites tend not to fare as well. However, some producers have gotten great results out of grapes such as Grecanico and the native Inzolia. Look to Tasca d’Almerita for a beautifully floral, somewhat sweet, example in their “Regaleali”.

G and I decided to have a quartino of Grillo, a Sicilian white which I had tasted for the first time in Agrigento a year ago (if you find your way to this southern Sicilian town, look for the restaurant Per Bacco and try the shrimp and pistachio risotto with your Grillo… heaven). Ever since, I’ve been hooked. It’s a refreshing white, not too sweet or aromatic, but without the mineral quality I associated with drier whites like a Sauvignon Blanc. Perfect for relaxing after a hot day of walking around New York.

Even more perfect if you pair it with cheese, specifically the sottocenere they offer. G and I had ordered a small tasting to have with our wine. The Robiola a Tre Latte (a soft goat/cow/sheep’s milk cheese) and the Sottocenere (a truffled cow’s milk cheese with an ash rind... the name literally means “under the ash”) were served with thin slices of apple and a small pot of honey. I love Robiola because it’s an interesting cheese that pleases any palate, but the Sottocenere with a spot of honey brought out a tangy-ness to the Grillo that was absolutely delicious… We left an hour later having savored everything, down to the last drops of honey and wine.

Now, my next mission is to have the wine guys at the shop order me a bottle… and tell me who gives them their cheese.

In Vino, 215 E. 4th St at Ave B
Quartino of Grillo $20
Two cheese tasting $13 (let’s add that they are very generous portions)