Wine Gal guest-blogging this week, as Mrs. Cups was regrettably unable to attend our bi-annual, favorite liquid lunch at Smith & Wollensky’s National Wine Week, held at Boston’s Atlantic Wharf location, Sept. 17-21.  S&W holds this bacchanalia twice a year and offers 10 glasses of wine for $10 with the purchase of a lunch entrée. Now, these are half pours (because it is lunchtime after all) but happy diners get to sample 4 whites and 6 reds from a curated selection that changes daily throughout the week.  I dined and drank on Friday, 9/21, kicking off a lovely fall weekend with another frequent imbiber, Bella Brilla, and Mrs. Cups was sorely missed.

B.B. and I were seated in the lovely new(ish) space that overlooks the Fort Point Channel and recently reopened Tea Party Museum. As this location obviously caters to business lunches, the suits eyed our table suspiciously as our two-top quickly filled with enough stemware for a much larger party.  Mrs. Cups and I have discovered from previous visits that the last day of Wine Week seems to be more spirited, pun intended.  The wine reps pour with a heavier hand and the wait staff are pleasant, accommodating and less formal, and have no problem letting you linger as long as you’d like.  I strongly advise clearing your afternoon schedule to fully enjoy this bargain indulgence.

As soon as our water was poured and lunch order placed (cheeseburger for B.B. and giant cobb salad with chicken for me) two wine reps came over with the first bottles of our tasting and the fun began.

The Whites

Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut NV, $39.99 – floral, lovely, deeelish

Smith & Wollensky Private Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, $24.99 – this one from Kunde Family Estate Winery in Sonoma, it’s a crisp grassy white with heft and a long finish, typical of New World Sauvignon Blanc styles.  After the elegant Perrier Jouet, it was a little smack upside the head and overwhelming, but would pair fine with spicy Asian foods and grilled anything.

Chateau D’Esclans Whispering Angel Rosé, Provence, $19.99 – blend of mostly Syrah and Mourvedre, its pale peach color belies the oomph behind this lovely structured French rosé.  Much more than just a picnic wine.  Made a convert of B.B., previously a rosé-hater, who had claimed rosé never tasted like anything.  Until now.

Cambria’s Katherine’s Vineyard Chardonnay, Santa Maria, Paso Robles, $18.99 – straw-colored, rich but less butter and oak than old-style Cali Chardonnay’s, it still has a lot of that mouth feel thickness of cloying butterscotch to me (can you tell I’m less a fan of Cali-style Chardonnay’s?)

So out of the bunch, we’d enthusiastically recommend the champagne and rosé. We found it odd that they alternated some pretty loud whites in between two elegant French dames in the tasting order.  All prices listed represent the online retail prices, not the restaurant’s.

Onto the Reds

Things started getting festive at this point because the restaurant’s wine director took over the pours, chatting up the remaining tables of the ladies-who-lunch (suits went back to the office) and honestly, what’s happier than a table with ten glasses of wine waiting to be sampled and no other obligations?  The convivial servers kept the food moving, water glasses filled and empty’s whisked away. We were ready for round 2.

Spy Valley Pinot Noir, Marlborough New Zealand, $29.99 – very restrained, tart cherries, red-tinged, not too much finish, tasted kind of young and a little too hot –probably would’ve benefitted from some air.

Marques de Riscal Reserva Rioja, $19.99 – earthy, prune, dark berries, fine finish – perfectly fine.

Swanson Merlot, Oakville Napa, $24.99 – This winery is a personal favorite, so I’m a little biased. Full, lots of berries and oak, round and balanced, lingering finish.  This would be yummy with some runny gorgonzola dolce or a piave vechhio or the cheeseburger Bella Brilla had.

Arrowood Cabernet, Sonoma, $35 – 100% Cabernet, dark, teeth-staining purple, smoky fruit, rich and round, perfect with the burger or a steak or a stinky cheese or chocolate cake or by itself – tastes like good times.

Caballero de la Cepa Malbec, Mendoza Valley, $19 – lots of tannins, meh.

Smith & Wollensky Private Reserve Meritage, Napa (from of the Girard Winery, sister property to Kunde, maker of the S&W Sauvignon Blanc reviewed above. They obviously get paid in dry aged beef.) $42.00 – a Bordeaux style blend of 60% Cabernet with Merlot, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot, fruit forward, balanced tannins, another big red to stand up to a steak and cigar.

Our favorites of this grouping were the Cali reds: the Swanson Merlot and Arrowood Cabernet because we both really like in-your-face reds.  If you prefer a bit more subtlety with your meat, then the Rioja would be worth seeking out.

Two and half hours later, Bella Brilla and I swayed out into the sunlit fall afternoon having enjoyed yet another fantastic Wine Week luncheon, and adding a few more good wine finds to our shopping list. I should also mention that this particular Wine Week supported the National Breast Cancer Foundation.  I’ll let the irony of saving breasts by drinking alcohol slide – whatever we can do to support the cause.

By the by – Smith & Wollensky is holding NYC’s Wine Week, Oct. 1-5^th, so if anyone needs another excuse to visit Manhattan, that would be a good week to go. Otherwise be on the lookout for the Spring date announcement for the next Boston Wine Week.  Mrs. Cups had better clear her calendar for it right now.

– Wine Gal