The Wine Detective Takes the Mystery out of Wine

 

Most wine bars offer pre-selected wine flights. Pinots, Chardonnays, Pinot Grigio, take your pick. You don’t get to chose what you want to taste, the wine bar does it for you. But what if you want a bit of Merlot with your Pinot or (gasp!) a taste of Riesling?  Well it just isn’t done. Or is it?

At the Wine Detective you can have it your way. You choose the variety of wines you’d like to taste be it red, white or both. The Wine Detective has a selection of 16 whites and 32 Reds in high-tech machines that dispense one-ounce pours. The wine is kept at the perfect temperature and is sealed to keep the last ounce tasting as fresh as the first. The cost ranges from $2.00 – $8.00 per pour.

The brainchild of two married couples, Alan and Violetta Markie and Lev Gerstik and Yulia Meltser, the Wine Detective took four years of planning and red tape before they were finally able to open their doors. Everyone pitches in with his or her expertise. It’s a family affair.

The fun begins when you purchase a wine card; it’s like a credit card which fits into a slot on the wine machines. Place your glass under the spout, press the button and voila your wine is served! Complete descriptions of each wine are available for you to peruse as well as knowledgeable staff to answer all your questions.

 

If you’d like a little nibble with your wine, the Wine Detective offers a variety of cheeses, Charcuteries, Pintxos (small open-faced sandwiches), a duck trio plate and other delicious bites.

Sitting in their cozy conversation lounge I got to try some of these treats. To start we indulged with a cheese plate which included a creamy Rosso Di Langa made of cow and sheep’s milk, a mildly pungent cheese with a creamy brie texture; Picandine en Perigord, French goat’s cheese, tart and crumbly in texture; and Pecorino Foglie Di Noci , a firm Italian sheep’s milk cheese lovingly wrapped in walnut leaves and rubbed daily with olive oil while aging. Served with the cheese plate were thick slices of rustic bread, crisp toasted crostini, nut bread, salted almonds, a dense Spanish fig and almond cake and a touch of Dulce de batata, a type of sweet potato jam. Paired with a glass of Cabernet, I was in heaven.

 

Buffalo Mozzarella and Serrano Ham,  which was aged for eighteen months, was our next dish. It was accompanied by oven-roasted tomatoes and basil chiffionade which gave it a Caprese-like taste but with much more intensity.

Five Pintxos, each with its own unique topping, was our final treat. Made on rustic bread, the Pintxos can easily serve two. The first I tasted was called Boquerones: white anchovies, brie, cucumber and piquillo pepper. I was a bit aprehensive about the ancovies but was assured they weren’t the bitter briney kind, these were milder and packaged in olive olive. The anchovies simply melted into the brie, lending an additional richness while the cucumber and piquillo added crunch to the sandwich.

Serrano Ham, Manchego Cheese, and Oven Roasted Tomatoes topped the next sandwich. Salty, smoky and tart all married together in this gem.

Buffalo Mozzarella, Oven Roasted Tomaotes and basil adorned the third Pintxo, which is a great one for caprese lovers.

 

It you like smoked salmon (me) you’ll love the next sandwich. It is simply topped with Crème Fraiche, Smoked Salmon, cucumbers and Salmon Roe; all the ingredients necessary for a delicious salmon experience.

The final Pintxo had a schmear of rich delicious Duck Mousse Pate, studded with cracked pepper and finished with a slice of cucumber and piquillo pepper. Pate-lovers you’ve got to try this sandwich.

A lot of thought and care is put into the choosing of the wine and the food. Small and large vineyards are represented and Alan or Lev can give you chapter and verse on their production, the type of grapes they use, really anything you might want to know.

Violetta and Yulia are the brains behind the food and they go to great lengths to get the best of the best. White Anchovies, Duck Salami, Luques Olives and imported cheeses add to the enjoyment of the wine.

The Wine Detective is located in the Commons at 146 S. Lake Avenue. The shop is in Suite #109 which is in the rear with the entrance on Shoppers Lane. They are open Sunday – Wednesday, 11:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. and Thursday to Saturday, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 midnight. For more information call (626) 792-9936 or log onto www.winedetective.com.