An Organic and Biodynamic Wine Cellar Created by Scott Pactor of West Chelsea’s Appellation Wine & Spirits

Bright, Modern, and white, it’s exterior wall of glass, Appellation Wine & Spirits – in eco chic, delightfully designed West Chelsea, is the first Biodynamic Wine Boutique in New York City.

Opened in September 2005, Appellation has established itself as a destination, as well as an outstanding contribution to the neighborhood – with a curatorial approach, boutique spirits, and exquisite customer service.

Amid the flurry of beautiful, but utterly lovely customers, Scott Pactor, owner and curator, designed a definitive nearly completely biodynamic signature collection.

Defining Biodynamic as “organic further” or grown within “an enclosed ecosystem”, Mr. Pactor explained that this creates both self sufficiency and “energy that’s used is much less then if drawing on resources from outside”.

While environmentalists whirl in a significantly smaller ecological footprint, the health conscious, confident of the wines purity – there are no synthetic imports such as fertilizers or pesticides – can absorb their antioxidants without chemical baggage.

The dedicated or aspiring connoisseur, however, will be most satisfied:

“The wines produced have a sense of place and are the best example of the grape. This gives you the best starting point to make a wonderful wine”.

Generous with his knowledge, Mr. Pactor has an unintimidating and contagious method of educating and encouraging ones appreciation of wine.

Chosen for a harmonious balance of aromatics, acidity, and alcohol – with a broad basis of aromatics, bodies, and style, these twelve artisanal bottles of wine, and a thirteenth of champagne, will form the basis of your personal cellar.

Arranged light to full, with countries grouped together, and a generously varied price point:

Itsas Mendi
Bizkaiko Txakolina
$17.99
Organic
Vintage: 2006

Delightfully light, slightly bubbly, this is a refreshing Basque specialty.

Guy Bossard
Muscadet Sevre et Maine
Cuvee Classique
$14.99
Biodynamic
Vintage: 2006

With a subtle citrus character and pronounced saline, mineral, and almond notes, this is pleasantly round, with a long finish – and racy acidity on the palate. Pair with oysters.

Nikolaihof, Vom Stein Federspiel
Wachau
$31.99
Biodynamic
Vintage: 2005

Smoky mineral notes and acidity, produced by the oldest biodynamic property in the Wachau, the perfectly unique traits of this Riesling make it worth ageing five to ten years.

Vila Marija
Brda
$13.99
Biodynamic
Vintage: 2006

A medium bodied Pinot Grigio, with Honeydew, herbaceous, and mineral notes, from younger vines in Slovenia, with hints of butter and cinnamon.

Francois Chidaine, Clos Habert
Montlouis sur Loire
$29.99
Biodynamic
Vintage: 2005

Expressive aromatics of green apple, mineral, and talc notes – joined by acidity and a hint of sweetness, this Montlouis is created from over sixty year old vines. Concentrated and delicate, pairing well with each course, from salad, to white meat, and finally cheese – ingredients from the farmers market make for a diverse and exciting experience.

Nuova Cappelletta
Barbera del Monferrato
$15.99
Biodynamic
Vintage: 2005

A delightfully unoaked Barbera with plum and earth notes, refreshing acidity, medium body, and approachable tannins – drink with an adventurous dish such as bagna cauda.

Domaine St. Nicolas
Fiefs Vendeens
$18.99
Biodynamic
Vintage: 2005

Graphite and black cherry on the nose, this divine Pinot Noir is medium bodied and refreshing – from an obscure Loire Valley appellation.

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave
Hermitage
$199.99
Organic
Vintage: 2004

From a family winery founded in 1481, this slow maturing wine is made to age over the next one or two decades – in high demand, with few bottles coming into the United States.

Descendientes de J. Palacios, Petalos
Bierzo
$21.99
Biodynamic
Vintage: 2006

Dense with violet, pepper, spice and earth notes, this homage to Alvaro Palacio’s father is from the Mencia grape, which flourishes in Bierzo.

Chono
Maipo Valley
$12.99
Biodynamic
Vintage: 2006

Medium hard tannins, dark fruit and spice. Originally found in Bordeaux, the Carmenere grape, rendered virtually extinct from the Phylloxera pest, now thrives in Chile.

Patianna, Fairbarn Ranch
Mendocino
$33.99
Biodynamic
Vintage: 2004

Luscious aromas of black fruit, plum, coffee, and cocoa powder, with soft tannins – this Demeter certified warming wine from the Syrah grape pairs beautifully with rich cuisine.

Benziger, Tribute
Sonoma Mountain
$71.99
Biodynamic
Vintage: 2004

This bold but balanced cabernet blend of black fruit, herbs, coffee, and chocolate requires time to breathe. Made with family pride, serve with a chocolate tasting or an elegant dinner.

Fleury, Brut
Champagne
$36.99
Biodynamic
Vintage: NV

A one hundred percent Pinot Noir champagne! Based in the Cotes des Bar, Fleury is the region’s first biodynamic producer. Non-vintage with red fruit, full body, toasty notes, finesse and nerve. A worthy gift.

Appellation Wine & Spirits
156 Tenth Avenue
New York, NY 10011
212 741 9474
www.appellationnyc.com
Ten percent discount on a mixed case

If you would like to learn more about the difference between conventional, organic, and biodynamic wine, Scott Pactor recommends “Biodynamic Wines,” by Monty Waldin.

Biodynamic Wines
by Monty Waldin
Mitchell Beazley imprint at Octopus Publishing Group
Currently reprinting
www.octopusbooks.co.uk

* Descriptions adapted from the informative cards available for each bottle at Appellation.

A pre-nightlife event, fulfilling that childhood game of make believe, each girl in turn hosts – serving a selection of Champagne and Cocktails, crudités, and homemade cookies. Nibbling on an almond crescent, sipping a gimlet, each girl transforms into a golden shiny princess with perfectly smooth hair.

To create your own dress up cocktail party, devise a grown up menu reminiscent of your own girlish daydreams. Choose two or three classic potions, diverse in taste, color, and glassware, but made with one common spirit, such as a Corpse Reviver, Aviation, and Nineteen-Twenty Pick-Me-Up.

• Corpse Reviver Number Two – One fourth lemon Juice, Lillet, Cointreau and dry gin with a dash of absinth, shake and strain into a champagne coup. The Savoy Cocktail Book states, “Four of these taken in swift succession will unrevive the corpse again.”

• Aviation – One third Lemon Juice, two thirds dry gin, with two dashes maraschino liquor, shake and strain into a cocktail glass.

• Nineteen-Twenty Pick-Me-Up – Two thirds absinthe, one third gin, with one dash each of angostura bitters, orange bitters, and simple syrup, shake and strain into a tall thin highball, filling the balance with soda water. Serve with a stainless steel straw.

With Irving Berlin in the background – preferably Ella Fitzgerald’s Songbook, your preparations will be perfectly glamorous before you embark into the shimmering night. If you desire the services of an enchanter, the girls recommend a certain youthful gentleman specializing in turning hair to gold.

Image from a print available from The Teezerz Gallery

Designed when Luigi Massoni was only twenty-seven and Carlo Mazzeri thirty, it appeared in the 11th Milan triennial in 1957.  Luigi Massoni studied at the Collettivo di Architettura in Milan, and Carlo Mazzeri received his degree from the Istituto Universitario di Architettura in Venice, creating the cocktail shaker only a year later.

Surprisingly light, with a satin finish on 18/10 stainless steel, the 870 is a cobbler shaker.  It has three parts, the shaker itself, strainer, and cap – and it’s theoretically dishwasher safe, however, drops of water inattentively dried tend to make stainless steel resemble a Dalmatian.   The sturdy layered look and thumbprint indentation on the cap make this a particularly satisfying design.

You may purchase it online from www.momastore.org and if you have a membership at The Museum of Modern Art, you’ll receive ten percent off.  If you have neglected to become a member thus far, you may do so online.  Besides the satisfaction of supporting one of America’s most inspiring museums, the benefits include unlimited admission, film screenings, exhibition previews, and discounts on their impressive education programs, and at the MoMA store - where it is possible to furnish your entire living space with a decent assurance of taste.

870 Cocktail Shaker
Luigi Massoni,
Carlo Mazzeri, 1957
$99.00 at www.momastore.org

Several doors east of MoMA on East Fifty-Third Street in New York, a serene white curving tunnel leads you to a metallic reception podium within a large open room bordered by the breathtaking bar and translucent white glass partitions, beyond which are The Modern Restaurant and The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden. 

Sit on the black leather banquette at a high round white marble cocktail table opposite the row of red leather Lotus chairs by Stephan Borgen Hertzog and Flemming Busk, facing the white marble bar, glowing white behind a series of black Mark Albrecht Woven Bar Stools.  The back of the bar consists of floor to ceiling glass curios filled with spa-like decanters and bottles of boutique wines and liquors.  To your right is a wall sized photograph of leaves, both relaxing and unique, entitled “Clearing” by Thomas Demand. 

Two Original Contrasting Cocktails: 

Consisting of St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, Hendrick’s Gin and Champagne, the iconic cocktail of the moment is the St. Germain 75. 

I first encountered Hendrick’s Gin at Appellation Wine and Spirits in West Chelsea, New York, and shortly thereafter, much to my surprise, at the bookstore within The Tate Britain, London.  Infused with Bulgarian rose petals and cucumber, distilled, or rather “bathed in vapor” in Scotland, Hendrick’s comes in a perfect black glass bottle that’s a cross between medicinal and poisonous. 

St. Germain is made from elderflowers hand picked over the course of only a few days a year and delivered by bicycle to the specifically invented secretly designed distillery.  The flavor is complicated, but confidently described as sweet, in a sophisticated and subtle manner. 

Champagne is simply always a good choice. 

Served in a highball glass by Erik Bagger, curving at the top, filled with small bits of ice, accompanied by a black straw – the presentation is disappointing.  The more celebratory champagne flute is preferred.  With its witchy stem – thin, thick, and thin again – meeting at the traditional Tiffany shaped stem mirroring bowl, Erik Bagger’s champagne glass is the perfect replacement. 

Derived from the French 75, a pre-prohibition cocktail, the St. Germain 75 could be served in this way without compromising its inspirational accuracy.  Alternating versions of the French 75 recipe call for either crushed ice in a highball or neat in a champagne flute. 

In the cocktails present form the ice melts before a third of the glass is consumed, drowning the flavor and temperature.  The initial taste, however, brings forth an ecstatic, somewhat childlike smile, and the effect is one not dissimilar from good absinthe. 

For a less flirty contrast, the Cucumber Caipiroska, made of Hanger One Buddha’s Hand Vodka and Fresh English Cucumber Juice, requires a more mature palette. 

Infused with the whole Buddha’s Hand Citron, a citrus fruit, Hanger One has an unusual and complex flavor, which adds a slight layer to the smart and detoxifying taste of the cucumber juice.  Presented with integrity in Erik Bagger’s lowball glass, this is the more successful cocktail.  The lowball glass has a thick heavy base and the signature proportion of that series: Erik Bagger designed for The Copenhagen Opera Restaurants.  In this case the effect is one of solidity.  The choice of glass matches the personality of the cocktail. 

The staff at The Bar Room are lovely.  The hostesses are marked by their kindness, and the waiters are enthusiastically accommodating. 

The Bar Room has a chic colorful flowery atmosphere and I recommend either the traditional black or a risky original ensemble – be brave, the visionaries who inspired the decor certainly were. 

As an experience living within a vibrant combination of Bauhaus and twenty-first century Danish design, The Bar Room is exquisite.  It demonstrates that these functional art pieces work – to improve life through beauty, intelligence, and performance.  As an art instillation within the museum it should inspire you to make visits to MoMA a regular aspect of your life. 

To read more on the designers and artist: 

Lotus chairs by Stephan Borgen Hertzog and Flemming Busk

• http://www.globefurniture.net/pdf/47900-Chair.pdf 
• http://www.skypadfurniture.com/busk.html 

Mark Albrecht Woven Bar Stools

• http://momastore.org/museum/moma/ProductDisplay_Woven%20Bar%20Stool_10451_10001_17374_-1_11461_11467_null_shop_ 
• http://www.markalbrechtstudio.com/ 

“Clearing” by Thomas Demand

• http://thomasdemand.de/ 

Erik Bagger designed for The Copenhagen Opera Restaurants

• http://www.erikbagger.dk/

Recipes sent from The Bar Room at The Modern at MoMA: 

St. Germain 75 

Fill highball ¾ full of ice 
2 oz.    Hendricks Gin 
2 oz.    St. Germain Elderflower Liquor 
½ oz.   Lemon Juice 
½ oz.   Simple Syrup 
2 oz.    Sparkling Wine 

Add each ingredient in the order listed.  Simply stir (no need for shaking) before adding the sparkling wine!  (If possible, crushed ice makes a better drink) 

Note: This is a take on a classic drink, the French 75.  Originally it was served with crushed ice.  We add a very new limited liquor that uses fresh elderflower blossoms.  It is the first of its kind to use fresh blossoms.  It took the company four years to perfect it.  

Cucumber Caipiroska by Fionn Knyper

1 oz.    English Cucumber Juice
2          English Cucumber Wheels
2          Lemons
½ oz.   Simple Syrup
Splash Lemon Juice
1½ oz.  Hanger One Buddha’s Hand
Splash  Soda Water

Muddle Cucumber Wheels, Lemons, and Simple Syrup
Add Ice
Add remaining ingredients except Soda Water
Shake and serve in a Highball Glass
Top with Soda Water

The Modern
The Museum of Modern Art
9 West 53rd Street
(between Fifth and Sixth Avenues)
New York, NY 10019
http://www.themodernnyc.com/

Without use of a town car or yellow cab, or a divine LES loft, one must make use of at least two subways and a quarter inch of stiletto to arrive.

Reservations are required, and the phone number is both unlisted and often unexpectedly changed. Added to that is the question of whether entry through the locked door will be granted – the camera mounted above suggests judgment and denial. Seemingly a pretentious amount of difficulty to get into what is essentially a bar, but if your tastes require an authentic but civilized vision of an early 1930’s speakeasy, this is an accurate and necessary detail.

The décor is simple. The long, narrow black space shimmers with beautiful pressed tin tiles on one wall that echo the potentially historic pressed tin ceiling. Black leather booths with small round wooden tables containing lovely built-in oil lamps line one wall up to the bar, which glows. A row of elegant black stools sit before the bar, any of which are perfect for an educational interaction with the well informed bartender.

If you chose a booth, the hostess, a beautiful but lovely lady, will ask what tastes you enjoy, and instinctively suggest an appropriate classic but interestingly obscure cocktail. She is chic, and epitomizes that ideal found in Emily Post’s Etiquette of 1922 - graciousness.

For an absinthe tasting:

• Death in the Afternoon, invented by Ernest Hemingway in 1935 - absinthe, Champagne, with added lemon juice served in a tall substantial trumpet Champagne flute lavishly filled to the top – as are all their cocktails. The elegance of the glass adds to the luxurious crisp taste.

• Monkey Gland, a pre-prohibition cocktail with a scandalous and revolting origin, made of absinthe, gin, orange juice, and grenadine served in a Champagne coupe. Decidedly sweet – it was designed for the palate of another era. Detail in authenticity prevails. The Champagne coupe is a regal but delicate glass with a risqué rumor surrounding its design. You can see it used to move the plot forward in The Philadelphia Story.

• Though the Sazerac was suggested, mixing rye whiskey with the above seemed unnerving. Instead I was served a cocktail of the bartenders own creation, a frothy mix containing absinthe and gin served again in a Champagne coupe and utterly refreshing.

Immaculately crafted, with a taste level both sophisticated and expensive – these are couture cocktails.

Throughout the evening tall glasses of water were refilled without hesitation.

Besides the graciousness and civility that characterizes the atmosphere, what struck me most was the music. A meticulous collection of Jazz, Blues, and period specific musical comedy completes the illusion. “Minor Swing” by Django Reinhardt was particularly diverting. Unequivocally, the work of the place is to create the ideal lair for real conversation, the kind people move to New York for – a dialectic on art, literature, and philosophy, with a sprinkling of repartee. Leaving, one feels satisfied, a rare sensation, and describing the complete experience as delightful.

Milk and Honey

(Number unlisted)

134 Eldridge St.

New York, NY 10002

Open from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m.

Cash Only – Cocktails are fifteen plus tax and an appropriately substantial tip