Guide to the Northern Rhone

At Flatiron, in the shops and in our newsletter, we talk a lot about the Northern Rhone. We love it, and based on our sales, we’re pretty sure you do too. It’s also a personal interest of mine: this is a region that provides quite a lot of the wine that I drink and cellar. I’m definitely not special in this regard. I don’t think of myself as a trend-follower, but the Northern Rhone is definitely a trend. As a region it ranks up there with Burgundy and Piedmont as one of the wine regions that gets us wine folk most excited these days. If you haven’t paid attention to the region yet, it’s time to start.

Posted on May 03, 2019

Jeff Patten

2018 First Taste from Willi Schaefer

We just got word that Willi Schaefer's 2018 Graacher Himmelreich Kabinett is available. This isn't the kind of wine we usually get to offer by email--it is, as Terry says, allocated down to the bottle. But Terry Theise picked up some extra stock this year and, well, here we are!

Posted on April 18, 2019

Joshua Cohen

A Guide to the 10 Crus of Beaujolais

This Guide to the 10 Crus of Beaujolais is just a quick introduction and round-up. Throughout this post, we've linked to our more detailed blog posts on each Cru. But for now we hope this helps you on your exploration through the wonderful world of the 10 Crus of Beaujolais.

Posted on April 11, 2019

Jeff Patten

Grapes in Champagne

Champagne is often regarded as the most iconic sparkling wine region in the world, so much in fact, that it is often used interchangeably to mean all sparkling wine. This however, is not completely accurate, as true Champagne only comes from grapes grown in the protected appellation in Champagne, France. Many fans of Champagne know well the main grapes of the region like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and, to a lesser extent, Pinot Meunier. What may be surprising to some is that, in addition to these, there are actually 4 additional grapes that are permitted to produce Champagne.

Posted on April 01, 2019

Andrew Chen

Wine Q&A: Syrah, top to bottom

Syrah is one of the greatest grape varieties that produces wine.

Here are all your questions about the grape answered.

Posted on March 26, 2019

Jeff Patten

Asimov's latest The Pour post is a gem

Eric Asimov’s latest post, "Everyday Wines: The Most Important Bottles You Will Drink," at his New York Times Blog, The Pour, is a gem.

And I’m not saying that just because he said to “find a good wine shop” with a link to his article saying that “[i]nstitutions like Chambers Street Wines, Flatiron Wines & Spirits and Crush Wine & Spirits in New York are great for expert and novice alike, and they serve a nationwide clientele.” No, this has nothing to do with validation in the National Press…

It’s because Eric has, once again, nailed how we actually drink wine. His eight tips are spot on and we’d recommend you read them. Here is a helpful link to read it now.

Posted on March 25, 2019

Joshua Cohen

Wine 101: How to Taste like a Pro

**You may know how to drink wine like a pro, but can you taste like one?**

Posted on February 25, 2019

Andrew Chen

Back Stage Pass: Our #1 Trick for Finding Great Wines

We're pulling back the curtain and giving you a peek into what it's like to run a retail wine shop in NYC. Our first post in this series is about how we go about finding our--and hopefully your--favorite wines.

Posted on February 23, 2019

Andrew Chen

2017 Burgundy Vintage: A Follow-Up

2017 is a really good vintage, perhaps just short of being one of the legends like 2005 or 2010.

The 2017s I tasted were delicious. They were balanced and fully ripe. They were transparent, accurately reflecting their respective terroirs. I really, really liked them.

Posted on February 13, 2019

flatironwines Admin

Burgundy Quality Levels: A Guided Tasting, at Home

Back in November, as a part of Flatiron Wines’ educational series, I hosted a class entitled ‘Burgundy: On The Level’. In it we discussed the levels of complexity and detail to Burgundy and its Crus.

Posted on February 01, 2019

Maggie Scudder

To Burgundy and Back Again: 2018 Hospices de Beaune

Last year, on the third Sunday of November, the 158th annual wine auction was held at the Hospices de Beaune. People from all over the world meet in the historic walled city of Beaune, the "wine capital of Burgundy." It is a treasure trove of medieval and renaissance architecture. There are still ramparts and a moat and battlements, fortresses and castles of the Dukes of Burgundy and the royal fortress of the Chateau de Beaune built in the 15th century for King Louis XI.

Posted on January 30, 2019

Joshua Cohen

Top Ten Burgundy Producers (That you can actually buy…)

I was recently looking for some guidance on what Burgundy producers to collect and I came across a Top Ten list online. It had some names I had heard of, like Leroy, DRC, Rousseau, Leflaive, Liger-Belair and the like. Great, I thought, I’ll just start filling my cellar with those wines!

Just kidding. Maybe one in a thousand of you out there have enough time and money to put together an all-star Burg collection like that. But the lesson for me is that we need a real top ten list.

Posted on January 25, 2019

Jeff Patten

The Latest

You may know how to drink wine like a pro, but can you taste like one?

2017 is a really good vintage, perhaps just short of being one of the legends like 2005 or 2010.

**You may know how to drink wine like a pro, but can you taste like one?**