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Oct242011

FINE WINE // Part 2: A Q&A with Brooklyn Winery's Elizabeth Esqueda

Oct 24, 2011

Brooklyn Winery's wine bar

In September we kicked off Fine Wine, our ongoing series devoted to local wine and its many manifestations. Back then we talked with Stefan Mailvaganam, co-owner of Brooklyn's Custom American Wine Bar. For Part 2 we caught up with Elizabeth Esqueda, wine bar manager and wine class instructor at Brooklyn Winery. Located right of the Bedford Ave. stop at 213 North 8th Street, Brooklyn Winery boasts a wine bar, tastings, classes, winemaking packages and a range of other events, from trivia to live music to film screenings.

The winery just celebrated the first anniversary of its wine bar this past weekend, so what better time to ask them a few questions about their operation and this whole business of locally-produced wine. Hit the jump to check out our Q&A.

3rd Ward: So tell us how Brooklyn Winery got started?

Elizabeth Esqueda: A few years ago, Brian Leventhal and John Stires were co-workers at a Manhattan tech startup. Along with several other co-workers, they started making their own wine at a winemaking center in New Jersy...and they had a blast. The only thing they didn't love about the experience was the need to travel to Jersey for each winemaking session (not to mention getting all those cases of wine back to the city). So John and Brian wondered: "Why isn't anyone doing this in Brooklyn?" Knowing that New Yorkers love all things local and DIY, they thought that a place where customers could come in and get their hands dirty making their own wine was exactly what Brooklyn was missing. The two co-founders spent countless hours researching permits, finding and renovating a space, raising capital, hiring a kick-ass winemaker, and a zillion other things in order to create the amazing winery that you see today.

3W: What do you feel differentiates NYC wine culture from somewhere else?

EE: There are so many wine bars [in New York], some which carry very impressive wine lists—so there are a lot of opportunities to try different wines. Also, NYC has some of the best wine retail shops in the country, where you can try so many different wines from fantastic producers that would never be found in any ordinary shop outside of NYC. Additionally, [NYC has] top sommeliers as well as certified Master Sommeliers who can give you a very rare and a whole other experience with wine.

3W: What would you tell someone who was trying to decide between a bottle of local wine or foreign wine?

EE: It's always nice to drink a wine that you know was made just a few hours away from where you live, and it's even better when you can actually go to the winery, see the process, and then enjoy the final product. Old World wines (from France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, etc…) have been made for over 2,000 years and can be confusing for the wine novice because they are labeled regionally, meaning that most wine bottles don't list the grape variety. Old World wines are a bit leaner and more structured and show more minerals and earth; Old World wine producers also pride themselves on wines that stay true to the varietal. Many Old World wines are intended for aging—more so than New World wines. New World wines (e.g., from the U.S, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, etc…) generally make use of new technologies and include the grape varietal on the label, so that purchasing a bottle can be less intimidating for people who want to know exactly what they're drinking. New World wines also tend to be a bit more consumer-friendly in the sense that they have more big, bold, ripe fruit flavors coming through and have higher alcohol levels.

3W: You have winemaking packages where people can come in and make their own wine. Can you give us a bit more info?

EE: Making your own wine is an incredibly fun and our winemaking customers have the opportunity to really get down and dirty with their grapes: touching them, tasting them, and smelling them, almost as soon as the grapes arrive at our facility. The winemaking sessions are great group where you actually get to crush, press, taste, label, and bottle your wine—it's a truly unique experience. You even get to conceptualize and design your own wine label, which, aside from drinking the wine, just might be the best part. Our winemaker Conor McCormack really knows his stuff and will listen to your preferences so that he can help you make a wine that you are going to love. And obviously, you get to take home cases of your wine and brag to friends and family that you made the stuff.

3W: If we're not quite up to making our own yet, what's an affordable, can you recommend a must-try bottle that we can find in New York?

EE: There are tons and tons of affordable must-try bottles that can be found in NYC and at some of the best stores: Astor Wines, Bottlerocket, Acker Merrall and Condit, and Union Square Wines. R. López de Heredia is one of the best traditional Rioja producers the value you get for their wine is unreal. They have a 2000 Gran Reserva Rosé that goes for about $24; I would encourage everyone to try this incredibly complex wine—it will be like no other rosé you have had before.

3W: Awesome, we're sold. OK, final question. What would you include in your five-bottle dream cellar?