NWR Weekly: Japanese whisky, white wine picks, and the beginning of a wine bar

WHISKIES FROM THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN

This week, Whiskey Editor Susannah Skiver Barton delivers a tasting brief of Japanese whiskies that will delight aficionados and newcomers alike.

The brief features blended whiskies “at which Japanese producers especially excel,” a rare bottling from a “silent distillery,” and several koji whiskies, Japan’s newest style. 

At the wildly good/wildly expensive end of the spectrum, have a look at the Asama Japanese Single Malt (‘99 & ‘00 vintages), which clocks in at 97 points and nearly $4,800. For the value-minded, Nikka Whiskey From the Barrel delivers at 92 points and a slightly less hair-raising $65.

NEED A THREE-LITER OF LATOUR AND 20 BAGS OF TRUFFLE CHIPS? CALL WALLY’S.

Phillip Dunn, Wine Buyer and Spirits Director at Wally’s Beverly Hills, gives us the inside word on what customers are snapping up at his ritzy wine shop-bar hybrid.

• “We sell some crazy stuff sometimes. I won’t drop names, but we have clients who are very big names in entertainment, in sports, business moguls. They call or they text, like, ‘I need a three-liter of Latour tonight,’ or ‘I need a case of first-growth Bordeaux.’ It might be a $30,000 sale.”

• “Sancerre is out of control. It’s the new Pinot Grigio. I really don’t even know if people know Sancerre is Sauvignon Blanc, but they sure love saying ‘Sancerre.’”

• “What people should drink more of are Sicilian white wines. Etna Biancos are delicious and the value is just incredible.”

CLOSE OUT THE SEASON

As white wine season winds down, don’t forget to check out these picks from our recent reviews:

• Mediterranean-inspired Massican delivers with an “exquisitely lithe” 95-point Chardonnay. 

• Amulet Estate offers a 93-point, $85 white blend of Sémillon and Sauvignon Vert with a “beautiful thread of wild honey.” 

• Zenato’s “Sergio Zenato” Lugana, which comes in at 92 points and $45, has aromas that “burst out of the glass and are equally boisterous on the palate.”

“THIS BAR HAPPENED TOO QUICKLY.”

Fernando Hernandez of Manhattan’s Brick Wine Bar talked to NWR about what it takes to open a wine bar in New York these days. 

Hernandez  speaks with unusual candor about Brick’s too-quick opening, the challenge of bringing European vibes to the Lower East Side, and a rapidly-vanishing attribute that makes any wine bar more fun—reasonable prices:

“People think, ‘How good can a $40 bottle in a restaurant be? It’s probably going to be shitty.’ And they’re right! They know there’s usually a limit to how good cheap wine can be. But then they taste what we serve them, and they’re amazed. The secret is to serve less well-known wines. People assume we’re taking a hit on our margins because these wines are too good for their price.”

WHAT WE’RE DRINKING AND LIKING RIGHT NOW

🍊 Anna sipped her “drink of the summer,” a vermouth and soda with El Bandarra Blanco.

🛥️  Sherrie’s deep into Corsican wines and enjoying Terra Nostra's rosé made from 100% Sciaccarellu.

🥵  Susannah crushed a Ghia Sumac & Chili Le Spritz on a 101-degree day.

🍇  Eddie attended a tasting of Phelan Farm wines and was particularly taken with the 2022 Mondeuse.

🌑  Becca toasted the moon with a Modelo.

VALUES, BARGAINS AND FINDS*

• A co-plantation of Tocai Friulano and Sauvignon Blanc from Channing Daughters for $18.

• A fruity and delicate Alsatian Riesling, also for $18. 

• Stolpman Vineyards’ “Love You Bunches” rosé for—again!—$18

*NWR is not compensated for the links in this section

AROUND THE WINE (AND WHISKEY) WORLD

🫗 French authorities plan to spend nearly €200m to destroy an excess supply of wine. 

🥃  The OurWhisky Foundation found that 74% women who work in whiskey face gender discrimination.

🚜   California’s wine harvest is running late this year. That’s probably not a bad thing. “Extended hang time adds more complexity,” says winemaker Greg Morthole.

Thanks for reading! See you next week.

Santé!

The NWR Editors

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