I had the privilege to attend last week a secretive wine tasting night hosted by La Commanderie des Costes du Rhone at Racines NY in Tribeca.
The entire restaurant had been privatized for the occasion and a special set up had been created to allow all the guests to sneak into the open kitchen and see Chef Paul Liebrandt in action.
The ladies were all dressed up and the gents were in business attire, somethings I always appreciate when I go out at night in New York.
And then the magic happened…
What is La Commanderie des Costes du Rhone?
Founded in 1973, La Commanderie des Costes du Rhone is a brotherhood promoting the 15 wine appellations produced in the Rhone Valley.
These 15 appellations are Beaumes de Venise, Chateauneuf du Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Vinsobres, Tavel, Lirac, Cote Rotie, Condrieu, Saint Joseph, Hermitage, Crozes Hermitage, Cornas, Saint Peray, and Chateau-Grillet.
La Commanderie des Costes du Rhone has around 4,000 members across the world, with international chapters in various countries such as the USA, South Korea, or Canada.
A Lady Sommelier!
Racines NY is located at 94 Chambers Street (between Broadway and Church).
Owner Arnaud Tronche is a native of the Rhone and a wine lover who has curated one of the best collections of Rhone wines in the Big Apple.
Chef Paul Liebrandt creates some of the finest French inspired cuisine. He delighted us with a menu perfectly paired with the wines of the Rhone Valley.
Pascaline Lepeltier, the Master Sommelier, recently joined the team. She moved to Manhattan in 2009 and she has been named one of the five best U.S. sommeliers of 2011 by Wine & Spirits.
A famous wine critic to entertain the evening
If that was insufficient excitement, The Commanderie had invited Josh Reynolds, the widely acclaimed wine critic and Assistant Editor of Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar (IWC).
Josh was just returning from the Rhone region, where he visited some of the best wineries. It was so stimulating and absolutely fascinating to learn firsthand of his views on recent developments and changes in the Rhone Valley.
Josh recommends to follow Saint Peray, an underrated appellation with a lot of potential. It’s one of the very few white appellations in the Rhone. It’s also one of the few left in the Northern Rhone with room to expand.
Although Saint Peray was long known for cheap white wines, things are changing fast since 10 years. The very best Saint Peray wines are now at par with the best Rhone wines.
That’s why many producers, including big names like Chapoutier, have been investing over the last decade in vineyards in Saint Peray. It’s a good indication that this appellation is growing and will continue to improve over the next years.
Another recent change in the Rhone Valley is the acquisition of Chateau-Grillet by French billionaire François Pinault. Chateau-Grillet is adjacent to Condrieu and is one of the smallest French appellations. Actually only a few Burgundy Grand Cru appellations are smaller. Chateau-Grillet is actually so small that one single winery owns it.
This little “je ne sais quoi” we like
The Commanderie des Costes du Rhone gathers fans of the Rhône wines in a friendly and unpretentious environment. As a matter of fact, you won’t find people using technical words to describe wines or giving grades with a condescending tone!
Guests can bring their own bottles and share them with their fellow brothers and friends. We tasted for example an amazing Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage 1989, selected by Chelsea, a wine connoisseur. 89 is an outstanding vintage for Northern Rhone.
The Chave family is one of the oldest names in the world of wine. They began making wine in 1481 in what we now know as the Saint Joseph appellation. Jean Louis Chave represents the 16th generation of the family. He still makes some of the most amazing Hermitage and Saint Joseph.
Ladies wine lovers are more than welcome to join! I am not just speaking of the “wives” of the members of The Commanderie who are all wine lovers. Some ladies bring their husbands to the events, choose the wine and share their passion about it!