Yesterday, instead of aggravating my sciatic nerve by sitting before my computer for hours on end, answering emails, researching story ideas, and on occasion looking at handbags, I got my hands dirty. More specifically, I got them sticky and purple, sorting through thousands of cabernet sauvignon grapes from California. I worked the season's last crush at City Winery, Manhattan's first winery located in Tribeca. It was my first time working a crush, (I've only worked one other harvest - about five minutes of cutting in Rias Baixas), but I'd seen it done before. I never realized how dizzying it can be to watch grape after grape go by, picking out the stems, leaves and raisins. After awhile it was like the table was still and I was the one whizzing by miles upon miles of grapes.
City Winery is the real deal, complete with French Rhone and Burgundy-trained winemaker, David Lecomte, and the smell of fermenting fruit permeating the air. The grapes come from California and Oregon (with plans to harvest in New York, should the fruit be up to scratch). The winery works by membership, with corporate and individual rates available. You can even get five of your friends together to buy a barrel, and have as much or little input into the vinification and aging process as you like. David is all ears.
The adjoining wine bar is set to open in November. The food will be small plates, paired with the wine as opposed to the other way around. And, seeing as it's Knitting Factory's Michael Dorf's baby, the place will also feature live music.
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