The ol’ wine-and-dine is getting a revamp.
La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels, the delightfully unpretentious Nolita bar with a 600-bottle list, is bringing the wine-bar experience to you with their new Supernatural Wine Box.
It’s got dinner plans. It’s got tunes. It’s got vino. All dropped at the door and ready to roll.
For the uninitiated, La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels is a wine bar that tries very hard to make you forget you’re in a wine bar. The servers wear Hawaiian shirts and tracksuits. They serve chef-ified popcorn and pistachios. They host very funky and rowdy parties from time to time.
For their latest project, they’ve teamed up with their friend Dustin Wilson, former EMP sommelier and now owner of Verve Wines, to create what just might be the best wine club in the biz. The Supernatural Wine Box ($115) includes: four bottles of wine selected by Wine Director Caleb Ganzer (from Crémant d’Alsace Rosé to Domaine de l’Horizon), four recipes from Chef Eric Bolyard (hello, Lamb Burger) and some wine-paired Spotify playlists to get you through the night, er, bottles.
And should you feel inspired to hit the spring streets and save the box for a later date, we asked the duo behind La Compagnie to offer up the best budget bottles for hitting up your favorite BYOB.
Grongnet Blanc de Blancs Champagne NV: “This non-vintage wine crafted by a small grower-producer in the Champagne region of France is one of the best value sparklers, period. They spend their time, money and resources on making a high-quality product and less on marketing. So, despite their less-than-name brand status, you can be assured that the juice inside the bottle is everything you want out of Champagne — dry, chalky, toasty bubbles — and then some! Under $40.”
Best BYOB to cork it: Gentleman Farmer
Clos Marie, Manon, Pic St. Loup, Languedoc, France 2014: “I think folks are starting to see this region for value in reds, but Languedoc whites can still often be overlooked. Often based on blends, you can often get a beautiful balance of power, fruit, and acidity that is unrivaled — especially at this price point. For about $20, this biodynamically grown wine (over) delivers in all the aforementioned categories. There is an expression and quality of fruit that are often only found in wines starting at double this price point.”
Best BYOB to cork it: Tartine
Bosman Family Vineyards, Fides, Wellington, South Africa 2016: “Orange wine is definitely having a moment right now, and rightfully so. When these volatile wines are ‘on’ they usually overdeliver, and this is definitely one of those scenarios. Coming from a high-quality and consistent producer in the Western Cape, this skin-contact grenache blanc presents charming aromas of ripe peach, beeswax and oolong tea.”
Best BYOB to cork it: Wo Hop
Domaine de l’Horizon, Mar i Muntanya, Côtes Catalanes, Roussillon, France 2017: “A Mediterranean red wine made in Southern France, in what is technically northern Catalunya, by a German who trained in Austria. There are so many layers to this wine grown, vinified and bottled by Thomas Teibert. It is a blend of Syrah, Carignan and Grenache from biodynamic vines overlooking the sea and sheltered by the mountains. There is a seductive depth, and almost a dark rusticity to this wine, despite its accessibility.”
Best BYOB to cork it: Little Owl
Revik, Cabernet Sauvignon, Saphi Vineyard, Coombsville, Napa, California 2016: “It’s hard to find to find many values in Napa these days — the land is expensive, the winemaking is expensive and running a brand is expensive. Ultimately, it means the resultant wine is going to cost you a big chunk of change. However, this new project is seeking to change that and doing it the right way by choosing single-site vineyards that are farmed organically and injecting a ton of passion into the project, the wines are super fresh but still deliver in the full-bodied category. A wine to watch, as well as drink today!”
Best BYOB to cork it: Song e Napule
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