Abaco Wines & Wine Bar is a Design District staple. Led by business partners Ben Disesa and Andy Barowsky, this relaxed spot located on the second floor of Palm Court, is actually part wine retail shop, part wine tasting room. With a team member as your guide (they’re all certified sommeliers!), comb through the store shelves for sought-after vintages, limited production wines and even wines from the partners’ own vineyard in Sonoma County, Barowsky Disesa Vineyards. And by “comb,” we mean scroll; this high-tech shop was designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, the same architects who did NYC’s Fifth Avenue Apple store, and has programmed iPads on hand with information about every bottle in Abaco’s inventory.
And speaking of wine, summer comes with plenty of excuses to raise a glass. Knowing this, we asked MDD’s resident wine expert, Abaco partner Ben Disesa, what we should be drinking this summer and how. Here’s what he had to say:
Albertus Magnus 2014 Rosé
Barowsky Disesa Vineyards
Why he loves it: “It’s a small-batch pinot noir that has the racy acidity to drink by the pool, but the mid palate to support a filet. I like it because you can’t find it everywhere. I shouldn’t say this—but we do have some customers who love blending it with ice, a touch of simple syrup, mint and lime juice to make it into a super refreshing summer frosé.”
Price: It retails at Abaco Wines & Wine Bar for $50, and there are all sorts of summer specials that make it worth checking out.
Cuvée de Réserve Blancs de Blancs Champagne
Pierre Péters
Why he loves it: “We are seeing a lot of what is called ‘grower Champagne’ trending right now. Rodolphe Pétersgrows the fruit andmakes his wine. In this case, the wine is 100% Chardonnay and spends two years aging in the bottle before being disgorged. This process is called “Sur Latte.” We have really fun Champagne classes at our store where you can learn interesting things about the wine you’re purchasing and see how incredible it is to pair with food. One of our most popular classes revolves around a Champagne and fried chicken pairing! On a warm summer night, it’s the perfect accompaniment to a classic southern fried chicken dinner—but it’s also Champagne, so it can hold its own while you are drinking and listening to music on a boat, too.”
Price: It retails at Abaco Wines & Wine Bar for $75.
Ridge Geyserville 2014
Ridge Vineyards
Why he loves it:“The whole concept of not drinking bigger red wine when it’s hot outside bothers me. The weather shouldn’t dictate what you drink—it should be the occasion and the food. To me, summer is about grilling with friends and this is a great wine to pair that experience with. The grapes are predominantly Zinfandel, but they are blended with some pretty awesome other grapes that give you a dark ruby color with complex dark fruit flavors and lots of dimension. It’s the perfect wine for red meat right off the grill. Added bonus: it’s made by a pretty awesome producer a few miles from our own vineyard, in Healdsburg, California!”
Price:It retails at Abaco Wines & Wine Bar for under $50, and if you mention this post, you’ll get an additional 10% off.
