50 Commerce

Into the city last Tuesday for a tasting and dinner afterwards with one of our favorite importers, making our way through a nice selection of wines that included some terrific values from the southwest of France (see the email offer here) all the way up to some fantastic Burgundies from Maume and Bertheau. After the tasting we were treated to a great dinner at 50 Commerce where I met up with Sommeliere Matt Barcewicz. Great to see him again as we had travelled in France and Spain together for a couple of weeks back in March, a great trip that took us through the Loire, Chablis, Burgundy, Rhone, Provence, Langeudoc and into Spain for one night and a great dinner at Cellar Can Rocca, another absolutely terrific dinner!

The wine list at Commerce, as I suspected from travelling with Matt, is fantastic. Plenty of mainstream stuff to keep the vanilla/chocolate crowd pleased, but the emphasis is on a well chosen selection of lesser known regions, grapes and wines - I started off with sweetbreads and fois gras in a summer vegetable ministrone, Joe had Tuna delicious marinated Hamachi ceviche with Yuzu, tomato chile and cilantro. We started off with Costal Chablis 2008 - crisp, stony and mineral - very racy. Followed with Geschwister Erhardt Rusdesheimer Berg Rottland Spatlese 1990 - absolutely rocking - reminding us why we all love Riesling and making vows to cellar and drink way more often! Matt sent out a tasting bite of a Pork Schnitzel - warm and savory with a side of crispy fingerling potatos and lightly pickled cucumbers in a creme fraiche sort of sauce - a perfect foil to the schnitzel - and perfect with the wine! I had black sea bass with Spring peas, basil and Meyer Lemon - delicious but over wined with the final choice of 2004 Grange des Pere - one of my all time favorite wineries. Spiced red fruits, hints of garrigue and Langeudoc herbs, classy, elegant and fine. Every dish was great for all four of us, and the wine list well stocked, eclectic and well priced - thanks Matt and can't wait to go back!