Vero's Weekend Wine School

I like taking classes. I’m one of those geeks who enjoyed school: being attentive, nodding thoughtfully when the teacher made particularly interesting points, vigorously scribbling notes.

I also enjoy wine. I have “enjoyed” many different varieties here in New York’s many restaurants, at tastings in the Napa Valley and Sonoma County, and even at a vineyard or two in Italy. I paid close attention while watching that great independent movie Sideways that came out a few years ago. Set in wine country, it basically featured wine as one of its main characters, its theme, and the source of endless metaphors. But somehow, despite all this studious appreciation, I have managed to learn very little about the stuff.

This is why I was thrilled to recently attend, with a friend, Weekend Wine School at Vero on Second Avenue between 77th and 78th here on the Upper East Side. About 20 of us gathered on a Saturday afternoon in Vero’s cozy, warmly-lit space to imbibe under the tutelage of “Professor” Chace Levi, a charismatic, spikey-haired hipster more like the young assistant professor you had a crush on in Composition 101 than the stuffy, monotone one you could hardly hear over the swish of his corduroy. But I digress…

Levi is actually a wine distributor for over 110 local restaurants with Southern Wine & Spirits of New York, Inc. And he is obviously very enthusiastic about his career. Even before class started, he encouraged us to drink up. Our first selection, a Chardonnay from Heron Hill, was poured by Manager Chelsey Dunkel, whose manner and appearance is Brooklyn-casual. She, along with Levi helped to create a vibe that was refreshingly relaxed, perfect for a wine amateur such as myself, yet also comfortable for any budding (or more experienced) sommeliers who might be in attendance.

I’d actually been to Vero twice before. First, to experience the splendors of their Free Panini Mondays: all you have to do is order a drink and you get one of those flattened delights. The second time, I was on a first date: let’s just say my companion’s scene-by-scene-by-scene-by-scene description of the opera he saw the previous night gave me ample opportunity to check out the tasteful black and white photos hanging on the wall behind his head. (No, we didn’t see each other again, but that’s not Vero’s fault.)

Vero has been hosting Weekend Wine School on Saturdays from 4-6 pm for almost three years, now. General Manager Cara Buffalino Silman says that they started it “mainly to educate customers about all the different types of wine out there. It has allowed us to carry a whole new broad range of wines from many different regions, up and coming wines, and esoteric varietals, et cetera.”

Anyway, the title of our class was, “Natural, Organic, and Biodynamic Wines,” and our syllabus contained six selections in this category, but Vero’s classes cover a bunch of different topics. For example, upcoming classes at Vero’s brand new Midtown location on 53rd Street include, “Powerhouse Reds: Full bodied gems from across the globe” and “Wines of the French Rhone: A world of variety in one tiny valley.” In addition to Levi and a variety of other teachers, classes are often led by in-house Wine Director/Sommelier Storme Wood.

First, we learned from Levi a bit about sustainable farming and learned that “organic wines” are generally made from grapes grown without chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides etc. Levi explained that all countries have different definitions of "organic" and that, in fact, many wineries are organic as a point of pride, but don’t bother with the bureaucracy of certification. When Levi goes to these kinds of wineries, he says he meets with guys who are wearing overalls, rather than suits.

As we were served a picturesque plate of cheese, apricots, and olives, he also explained a bit about sulfites, which are meant to keep wine (and many other things like lettuce and carrots) fresh. Apparently, the addition of these to wine is an oft-debated topic in the industry; some think it’s an impurity and the cause of hangovers. Levi seemed to put the debate nicely to rest when he said, succinctly, “Sulfites and tannins don’t give you headaches. Alcohol gives you headaches.” Then he raised his glass in the air, smirked, and took another sip. We all dutifully followed his lead.

Next, they poured us a “biodynamic” Parducci Pinot Noir (we were told to dump what we had left of the chardonnay in a container provided for that purpose). The term “biodynamic” refers to some crazy-intricate way of preparing the soil. This is a holistic, complex farming process that somehow involves a deer bladder and makes the land so fertile that it increases growth by something like 60 percent. It all sounded so crunchy and ecologically responsible. My girlfriend and I wanted to like this selection more than we did, but it paired well with cheese so we kept sipping.

The next selection was a Grove Mill Pinot Gris from New Zealand. This was an example of a “carbon-zero” wine, meaning it was produced without leaving much of that so-called carbon “footprint” we’ve all been hearing about lately. This pour prompted Levi to introduce a surprise special guest, Marin Radovanovich, a fellow distributor and a Kiwi with the charming accent to prove it.

This white wine was fantastic. We thought it was the best one of the night. It was so effervescent it seemed to dance on your tongue. Radovanovich attributed the “bounciness” to the fact that this wine has a screw top, which helps to ensure freshness. I have been noticing more and more screw tops out there and thought this was just because cork is in increasingly short demand. It turns out that corks occasionally allow oxygen to sneak into the bottles causing wines to degrade and, in reportedly one in 12 bottles, to full-out spoil. So, despite the fact that there’s less pomp and circumstance involved in opening these bottles, screw tops are probably going to be used even more in the future.

Around the time we were served wine number four, things admittedly started to get…ehem…a bit “fuzzy.” My friend and I had the good sense to pour out more than we sipped. Nonetheless, my notes began to get less and less legible. Fortunately, we were soon served a plate of bruschettas and we welcomed this opportunity to buffer all that wine with some comestibles. These were both beautiful and tasty. One boasted a delicious olive tapanade paired with ricotta. Another, with pesto and white bean spread, had a hint of pancetta which prompted my friend to state with authority that, “pork makes the world go ‘round” and I heartily agreed.

By the time we were served selections five and six (a zinfandel and a syrah, respectively…I think) I just put my pen down. A distinction was made between “old world” and “new world” wines, but I just couldn’t be bothered to note the specifics. One of the wines was said to have the flavor of boysenberries. As if we were in 8th grade again, my friend picked up my pen and scribbled the question, “Does this mean it has boys in it?” I nodded my head, yes.

Then, of course, we giggled. I noticed that everyone else had become a bit chattier as well, so that Vero’s nook of a room was filled with good cheer. Both our professor and our guest speaker were no longer up front but mixing and mingling at the tables. Needless to say, this was just the beginning of a great Saturday night for my friend and I. We stopped at two other local places afterwards, got thoroughly caught up on each other’s lives then heckled a friend who was guest bartending nearby.

Anyway, I recommend that you also sign up for Vero’s excellent wine school. Though our attention was somewhat “compromised” by the end, we learned quite a bit: it was great to compare and contrast so many different types of vino from so many different vineyards...and without even leaving the neighborhood.