Most people in St. James know Rich Black, the resident sulky sultan of wine. But do you know what he's drinking this week?
For the first in a series of posts highlighting fun wines for sale in the Smithtown area, we asked Black, who works at Grape Culture in St. James, for his wine choice of the week, and after a few minutes of deep discussion about the community, martial arts and the universe in general, Black finally settled on a wine to recommend.
Ca'Roma 2007 Barbara, normally for sale for $30 at the shop, has been discounted to $10 a bottle, and Black said it's definitely worth the cash.
"Price is amazing," he said. "Literally, just yesterday we dropped the price."
Black said the owner at least once a month likes to deeply discount a boutique wine you can't find at other stores.
For those not familiar, Barbara D'Alba hails from the Piedmont region of Italy, and the wines are made from the juicy, medium-bodied Barbera grape. The wines can be very elegant, with long, black cherry fruit, lean mouthfeel and dry, earthy finishes.
According to Black, the Barbera is an offering of sorts to the "good people of St. James, a place where the magic happens."
Black added that he'd like to make t-shirts with that slogan, and asks that nobody steal his idea.
If you happen to pick up this wine, please share your impressions in the comments.
