I ventured to the Bowery the other day (specifically to DBGB Kitchen & Bar) as an esteemed member of the press. The occasion was the unveiling to NYC-based press of a new wine from Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi wines. The new Woodbridge entry (actually introduced on 28 April) is Woodbridge Brut Sparkling wine.
“Oh the Bowery, the Bowery, I don’t go there any more,” went a 1892 song. It reflected the one-time, long-time tawdry, carnie atmosphere of one of New York City’s oldest streets. Once, a last stop for derelicts and drunks, the Bowery now is a hipster haven. Hipsters? Derelicts? You be the judge.
One thing is certain. Lots of people go there anymore today. As New York Magazine put it in 2005, “The flophouses survive, but now they’re surrounded by celebrity lounges and multi-million-dollar lofts.” It’s a trendy 24/7 hive these days. The Bowery even has its own Whole Foods Market. (For a probably accurate history of the Bowery, check out its Wikipedia entry.)
DBGB was a perfect setting for the Mondavi Brut launch. I guess we can call the restaurant a gastropub; but it is the downtown outlet for master celebrity chef Daniel Bouloud; and it is informal, comfortable and buzzy. The Woodbridge people selected it, according to a spokesperson, as the place “to pair decadent versions of every day foods with the wine to showcase how easily this sparkling can be integrated as part of a day-to-day lifestyle.”
The presentations worked. The wine has a delightful taste (accompanying press release declares “green apple. bright pear and citrus notes with a toasty finish on the palette” and who am I to argue?) And it did go well with many foods and, oh yes, speaking of delightful;, the Woodbridge Brut is delightfully inexpensive (just under $10 for a 750 ml. bottle).
Ahh, the responsibilities of journalism.
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