Free Wine Tasting This Thursday at DiWine

Last night Meg, Martha and I went to check out DiWine, which was pretty fun. The atmosphere is chic yet not pretentious and I'd definitely go back for a refreshing glass of vino. I'd say that their drinks are the thing to come for, but don't hesitate to try a yummy brick-oven pizza such as the one we had last night (pictured above). The Gigi, DiWine's most popular pizza offering consisted of smoky flavors from the cured beef, capers, mushrooms and fresh buffalo mozzarella. It was simply "divine" and we loved the brick-oven essence that emanated from the crust.

In terms of the wine, this Thursday presents a perfect opportunity to try it. Below are the details about DiWine's tasting--feel free to check it out and let us know your thoughts.

Free Wine Tasting at DiWine
Thursday, July 16th at 8:00 p.m.
Taste four wines and various pairings of cheeses

DiWine- 41-15 31st Avenue, Astoria NY 11103
718.777.1355
R/V/G Train to Steinway Street
www.diwineonline.com

Winegasm News

While walking home from the street fair on Broadway, my friend and I strolled past Winegasm and were drawn in by the friendly owners and beautiful space. During that conversation, I learned a few things:

• They are now open on Mondays! One of the reasons they decided to do this is provide a nice place for service industry professionals to have a place to go out to on a Monday night. Restaurants are often closed on Mondays, so this is a very nice thing for them to do. Of course, anyone can go to the restaurant on Mondays, never fear!
  

• They've added a few more things to the menu, including a delicious sounding skirt steak. They've also expanded their brunch menu (Saturday and Sundays from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.)
  

• They are also keen on being a welcoming place for parties and gatherings, so don't be shy if you're looking for a space for a large group. The big communal table would be terrific for a large group.

• They also have developed a number of specials, including happy hour every Tuesday through Saturday, 5- 7 p.m. - 2-for-1 cocktails and $15/pitcher sangria (yum); Thursday night wine tastings (7-9 p.m.), and Upbeat Fridays featuring drinks and music from all over the world.

I plan to spend some time there soon, and look forward to it! I'm glad a place like this has opened in the Broadway area.

Winegasm
31-86 37th Street
Astoria, NY 11103
718.932.3331.

Winegasm - What's in a Silly Name?

Joey and I had the fun experience of trying out the new Broadway wine bar, Winegasm. And although it won't make your toes curl, like it's silly name implies, it will keep you coming back for more.

The coolest part about Winegasm is its contemporary decor with hints of comfort. It's a mix of modern and traditional--a beautiful dark wood wine rack lines an entire wall (modern) while a serious-looking communal table takes over the center of the room (traditional). The lighting is dim and the vibe is sexy--you can't help but feel completely removed from your surroundings. Are you really still between Broadway and 31st Avenue? You almost have to pinch yourself to make sure because Winegasm fully seduces your senses, taking you far from Astoria and into the Mediterranean, the Balkans, South America, Eastern Europe and even Oceania.

Most of the wine comes from France but you can find a decent selection of Italian, Spanish and even Croatian vinos--no coincidence there, given that this place is owned by Croats. Joey chose the Malbec "Terra Rosa" Mendoza '04 ($9) from Argentina and I went for the sweet and local Wolffer Rose '07 ($10) from the North Fork of Long Island. I loved mine because it was just as sweet as I like it--for me the sweeter the better. I like my wine almost syrupy and I'd definitely get this again for that reason. Joey liked her wine but didn't love it. In her own words: "I found the wine, OK, but it didn't live up to the name. Not enough by the glass selection and not stored at the perfect temp nor decanted, and not amazing. No palate cleansers out."

We got some snacks to nosh on too, which overall were very good. Sticking to non-meat dishes was a smart choice, especially because it enhanced the taste of the wine (at least mine). The best thing we ordered was the Goat Cheese and Cherry Tomato Crostini ($4). It was presented on crunchy flat bread, which looked more like a cracker than bread but that was OK with us. The combination of the cheese and the tomato created a sweet spread that we both devoured. We ended up getting two helpings--the second not by choice but because it replaced a not so good gazpacho, which we voiced our opinion about.

In addition to the goat cheese crostini, we also ordered a selection of cheeses, which were presented on a lovely platter with grapes and a bright pink edible flower. Really fun presentation and really yummy. The cheeses included a sharp Great Hill Blue ($5) from Massachusetts, a nutty Comte from France ($6) and a fruity Talegio from Italy ($6). We liked them all but thought that the portion could've been bigger.

The only dish, which I did not like was their so-called gazpacho. It wasn't gazpacho at all but some sort of green puree, which tasted like grass. Simply put, it was inedible and I wasn't afraid to say so. The waitstaff took it well and were so gracious that as mentioned above, we got another goat cheese and tomato crostini and the gazpacho was taken off the bill. Thanks Winegasm!

In terms of the service as Joey says "it was erratic and excessive." We had about 4 different servers over a three hour period. Some of them were knowledgeable and had great recommendations and others were not so stellar. It took a very long time for us to get our check and then it took extra long to get the final bill with Joey's credit card. Given that Winegasm is still so new, these things can be forgiven and we hope that they improve in the future.

We ended up having a great time at this sweet little wine shop and will definitely be hitting it up again. Something that caught my eye were their Friday night wine tastings. Give them a call to make a reservation or to inquire about pricing.

Winegasm - 31-86 37th Street, Astoria, NY 11103. 718.932.3331.