wine & pizza tasting / nyc vintners

Wine is my drink of choice and something I really enjoy learning about. In college, I took a Viticulture and Enology class that ended with a few tastings of the wines varietals we had learned about that night. My best friend and I showed up every Tuesday night for our 6-9 class with a block of brie. We were in heaven.

Since I’ve been in New York City, I've been dying to take an actual wine course, but working in Advertising can make leaving the office for a 6PM class impossible. This weekend my friend treated me to a wine and pizza tasting class for my birthday at a boutique wine shop in the Financial District, NYC Vintners. I don't usually think of pizza and wine going together, and was definitely pleasantly surprised. Wine and food pairing is a talent envy and the teachers did a great job selecting the right wines to bring out the flavors of the pizza.

Ever thought about putting Boursin cheese on your pizza? Do it. Tonight. Now. This pizza was my favorite with hen of the woods and oyster mushrooms, truffle oil, mozzarella and Boursin cheese. Out of the two whites we drank, I was surprised my favorite with the pizza was the Tire Bouchon Bourgogne with a buttery nose, since I usually prefer stainless steel aged whites like the other white, Gorleri Vermentino we tasted.

The two reds we tasted were what the teacher referred to as "big ass reds" with a lot of tannin, fruit and jam. This is my favorite kind of red that feels like a bit of a kick to your taste buds. Ever wonder why reds are usually paired with meats? The tannin in them does a great job cutting through the fat in foods.

My favorites were the Tire Bouchon Bourgogne (white) and the Abanico Toro Eternium Viti (red).

If you're interested in taking a class at NYC Vintners, you should check out Groupon. They often have great deals on the class. You just have to make sure you plan in advance.