Swirl Wine Bar & Market

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Ancora Wine Dinner with Anne Zakin, Marco De Grazia Selections


Fine Italian wines from small growers were virtually unknown in 1980 when importer Marco de Grazia first offered a handful of estates from Tuscany and Piedmont. Driven by fascination and passion with a vision of great possibilities, he progressed through the northern regions, then the central zones and finally into Italy’s rich and promising south. 

In 2004 Marco established a U.S. based company, little used until 2008 when Anne Zakin became the director. Thanks to Anne and our friends at Uncorked, the wines of the Marco de Grazie have a prominent presence in our shop and we are excited to have her host this dinner at Ancora.  Please join us in celebrating the wines of southern Italy tonight paired with chef Jeff Talbot's regionally inspired menu.




Date: Tuesday, September 24
Time: 6:30 apertivi, seating @ 7pm
Where: Ancora, 4508 Freret Street, New Orleans
Reservations: Call Swirl 504.304.0635, credit card required
$80 all inclusive



Apertivi   
A Selection of House Made Anti Pasta
2011 Vini Iovine Gragnano Rosso Frizzante Terre del Gragnano, Campania
NV Cantina del Taburno Vino Spumante 'Folius', Campania 

2nd
Gnocchi and Lobster with Butter
2011 Terre Nere Etna Bianco Le Vigne Niche, Sicilia

3rd 
A Tasting of Local Rabbit with White Beans and Wild Mushrooms
2011 Centonze Frappato, Sicilia

4th 
Roasted Wild Boar with Local Braised Greens, and Louisiana Polenta 
2008 Pardi Sagrantino di Montefalco, Umbria

Dolce 
Chef's Selection
2008 Pardi Passito, Umbria 

Marco De Grazia at Swirl in 2010









Saturday, September 7, 2013

Mariza Wine Dinner with Angela Maculan


For three generations the Maculan family has been selecting and vinifying the best grapes in Breganze, a small village at the foot of the Alps in the Veneto region.   Fausto Maculan's innovative and dynamic winery combines ancient traditions and modern techniques using the latest winemaking technology.  Long-held family traditions are respected: from using specially selected vineyards and the careful selection of the bunches of grapes, to aging in new, small oak barrels and conserving the grapes on racks for the production of their Torcolato wine. The fusion of tradition and innovation results in a selection of fresh and fruity whites, well-structured reds and delicious dessert wines. 

Angela Maculan will be our host this evening, celebrating her family's unique wines paired with Chef Ian Schnoebelen's regionally inspired menu.




Date: Monday, September 23
Time: cash bar 6:30pm/dinner 7pm
Where: Mariza, 2900 Chartres Street, New Orleans
Reservations: (504) 598-5700, credit card required
$80 all inclusive



1st
Poached Shrimp
 kale, cucumber, sprouts and shoots, basil vinaigrette
Maculan Pino & Toi 2012

2nd
Bresaola
arugula, Parmigiano-Reggiano
Maculan Brentino 2011 

3rd
Duck Ragout Parpardelle
Maculan Palazotto 2010 

4th
Lamb Neck
 polenta cake, broccolini friatta
Maculan Fratta 2009

 5th
Peach Semifreddo,
almonds, saba
Maculan Dindarello 2011

Friday, September 6, 2013

Meet the French Winemaker of the Year at Swirl

An Exclusive Event with Maurice Barthelmé
Domaine Albert Mann



Join us on Thursday, September 12 at 6:30pm for an intimate seated tasting with Maurice Barthelmé, recently chosen as the winemaker of the year in 2012 by French wine mag heavy weight La Revue du Vin de France.  The esteemed Alsatian house of Domaine Albert Mann is an organic/biodynamic producer with an exceptional lineup of highly recognized wines, rated in the top tier of Alsace producers by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.
 
Casey Foote of Saint James Cheese will also join us to present traditional cheeses from Alsace, northern France as well as other Germanic areas (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) to pair with the wines.

Don't miss this rare opportunity to meet and taste with one of the leading winemakers of France.  Seating is extremely limited for this event.  Prepayment of $25 is required for reservation; please call Swirl at 504-304-0635.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

5 Swirl Events You Don't Want to Miss!

This Week at Swirl Wine Bar and Market


Happenings
Happy Labor Day!
The shop is closed today, but I am still "laboring" as I sit and work on our extensive lineup of upcoming events.  We've got a whole slew of things coming up, including a special visit from Maurice Barthelme, French Winemaker of the Year, but to simplify things a bit I decided to focus on 5 key tastings in the next two weeks that you don't want to miss!

Also, many of you have been asking about details for our upcoming back to back wine dinners and I hope to have menus, pairings and reservation details coming this week.  But both are going to be amazing, so I'm not sure how you are going to pick which one to attend.  You may just have to come to both! :)

So check out my must do list, but don't forget about our Food Truck Tuesdays and Saturday Happy hours too!  To see a complete listing of events for September, please scroll down to "Upcoming Events"!

1. Wednesday Nite Flites to Espana, Wednesday 9/4, 6-8pm
Kimi and Walter are pouring an amazing, higly rated lineup from Spain this week, with the Black Slate Priorat as the star of the show.  The 2011 Pazo San Mauro Albarino (ST 90pts), 2010 Acustic Blanc (RP 90pts), the 2009 Vina Bujanda Crianza (90 pts.) 2010 Black Slate La Vileilla Alta (RP 94pts). No reservations required, $15 per flite!

2. Friday Free for All, Dynamic Duo of Italian Wine! Friday, 9/6, 6-8pm
Antonio Molesini of Republic National and Chris Noyes of Winebow Imports are pairing up for a killer tasting of Italian wines this Friday!  Republic is now the distributor for what is known as one of the most extensive Italian portfolios in the world and we'll be pouring 6 of their favorites.  Plus chef Walter promises a great Italian themed menu to pair with the wines.

3.New Orleans Wine Club Tasting & Pick Up, Monday 9/9, 5:30-7pm
Each month NOWC carefully chooses two exclusive wines for your exploration and enjoyment! These wines are hand-selected to fit the season, the right event or just for fun. Whatever they select each month is always exclusive to New Orleans Wine Club Members and not available anywhere else! These unique selections come with pairing ideas, wine descriptions and more. Check out their website for more info on membership & exclusive tastings: New Orleans Wine Club

4. Wednesday Nite Flites to Portugal w/Queork! Wednesday, 9/11, 6-8pm
Our friends Julie & Amanda from Queork will join us for a trunk show, featuring beautiful items made by hand from cork in Portugal!  They'll have dog collars, purses, ipad and phone cases and more for sale at the show.  And of course, we'll be pouring Portuguese wines during the event! More info soon, but check out their website in the meantime!

5. Domaine Albert Mann & St. James Cheese Pairing Event, 9/12, 6:30pm
Domaine Albert Mann, recently chosen as the 2012 French winemaker of the year by French wine mag heavy weight La Revue du Vin de France, will host this exclusive evening of wine and food pairing with Casey Foote of St. James Cheese.  More details soon, but this will be a small, intimate event with some of the most highly esteemed wines of the Alsace region.  Call if you'd like to be put on the list.  504.304.0635.

Upcoming Events
Food Truck Tuesdays @ Swirl! September 3, 6-8pm 
The Fat Falafel food truck pulls up at our front door every Tuesday and you can bring your food inside and let Magic Matt and El Casey pair it with our favorite wines by the glass! Theresa and Gavin do an amazing job with fresh, Mediterranean style food and in fact were named by Zagat as one of the top 10 "must try" food trucks in the country! 

Wednesday Nite Flites to Spain, September 4, 6-8pm
Kimi and Walter are pouring an amazing, higly rated lineup from Spain this week, with the Black Slate Priorat as the star of the show.  The 2011 Pazo San Mauro Albarino (ST 90pts), 2010 Acustic Blanc (RP 90pts), the 2009 Vina Bujanda Crianza (90 pts.) 2010 Black Slate La Vileilla Alta (RP 94pts). No reservations required, $15 per flite!

Friday Free for All, Dynamic Duo of Italian Wine! Friday, September 6, 6-8pm
Antonio Molesini of Republic National and Chris Noyes of Winebow Imports are pairing up for an amazing tasting of Italian wines this Friday!  Republic is now the distributor for what is known as one of the most extensive Italian portfolios in the world and we'll be pouring 6 of their favorites.  Plus chef Walter promises a great Italian themed menu to pair with the wines. Free, no reservations required!

Saturday Happy Hour, September 7, 4-6pm
Join our own dynamic duo of Erin & Kimi for our weekly happy hour where all of our 25+ wines by the glass are half off!

NOLA Wine Club Tasting & Selection Pick Up, September 9, 5:30-7pm
Each month NOWC carefully chooses two exclusive wines for your exploration and enjoyment! These wines are hand-selected to fit the season, the right event or just for fun. Whatever they select each month is always exclusive to New Orleans Wine Club Members and not available anywhere else! These unique selections come with pairing ideas, wine descriptions and more. Check out their website for more info on membership & exclusive tastings: New Orleans Wine Club

Wednesday Nite Flites to Portugal w/Queork! Wednesday, 9/11, 6-8pm
Our friends Julie & Amanda from Queork will join us for a trunk show, featuring beautiful items made by hand from cork in Portugal!  They'll have dog collars, purses, ipad and phone cases and more for sale at the show.  And of course, we'll be pouring Portuguese wines during the event! More info soon, but check out their website in the meantime!

Domaine Albert Mann & St. James Cheese Pairing Event, 9/12, 6:30pm
Domaine Albert Mann, recently chosen as the 2012 French winemaker of the year by French wine mag heavy weight La Revue du Vin de France, will host this exclusive evening of wine and food pairing with Casey Foote of St. James Cheese.  More details soon, but this will be a small, intimate event with some of the most highly esteemed wines of the Alsace region.  Call if you'd like to be put on the list.  504.304.0635.

Italia Nord & Sud - Back to Back Italian Wine Dinners, September 23 & 24!  Italia Nord @ Mariza, September 23 features wines of the Veneto winery Maculan with Angela Maculan presenting the wines paired with Chef Ian Schnoebelen's regional menu. Italia Sud @ Ancora, September 24 features wines from Southern Italy with Ann Zankin, President of Marc di Grazia Imports presenting the wines paired with Chef Jeff Talbot's regional menu! I'll keep you posted on the details!

In the works...
~Priorat, Eric Solomon Selections with Sommelier Liz Dowty, October 17, 6:30 Importer Eric Solomon is renowned for his Spanish wine selections, especially those from Priorat where his wife happens to be the winemaker for one of the top estates.  Tonight we will feature 5 stunning wines, red & white, from the region paired with regional cheeses presented by Casey Foote of St. James Cheese & Swirl fame :) $30, reservations are required, call 504.304.0635

~Antonio's Italy, Wine & Culinary Travel, July 5-12th, 2014
Travel with us and a crazy Italian guy through Tuscany while we live like locals, spending a week in a villa in Cortona and visiting Antonio’s favorite wineries, restaurants, hill towns and wine bars. Stay tuned for more details or contact me for more information at 504.304.0635.

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