New York Vintners
Over a year ago I purchased a deal on Groupon for wine classes at New York Vintners. It took quite some time to actually schedule the classes, mainly because I kept trying to coordinate with friends but somehow that never happened, so I ended up going just with my fiance. Truthfully some groupon deals are not the best, so I usually prepare for the worst but hope for the best, every time I purchase one of them. New York Vintners was definitely a wonderful surprise!
The charming venue, located in Tribeca offers basic introduction wine classes, as well as food and wine pairing classes including Steakhouse Pairings, Pairings for Spices and Sauces, Bad Ass Sandwiches and Perfect Pizza Pairings. We attended the Pizza Pairing class because frankly pizza is one of the best foods in the world.
The first course was a flat-bread pizza with mushrooms and pork belly, paired with 3 different white wines and a glass of prosecco. It was heavenly. The crisp white wine cut the fattiness of the pork belly and perfectly complimented the white cheese used on the pizza,
Though it was supposed to strictly be a pizza class, the chefs decided to spruce things up. It was one of the coldest days of the year in NYC and they wanted to warm us up a bit with something hearty and filling. So the second course was braised short ribs served with creamy polenta, and paired with 3 different red wines. Hearty, warm and delicious.
The glasses were refilled several times and our instructor was knowledgeable, friendly and had a wicked sense of humor. These classes are definitely a hit or miss, some of them take the "teaching" part a bit too seriously and forget that people are not only there to learn but also to have a good experience and escape their daily lives. This class was one after my own heart, combining both. I enjoyed it so much I have already bought two more - at full price. If you're in the NYC area and want to attend a good wine class, stop by New York Vintners and if you don't have time for a class, the class instructors also work at the front of the store and will be able to help you choose a great wine so you can impress all your friends or even better impress yourself.