4 Bars to Dig Up Ancient World Wines in NYC

By Alana Tielmann

There’s New World and Old World wines… Then there’s Ancient World wine—the originators of winemaking.

ZIZI Interior Shot

Ancient World dates to where Vitis vinifera originated in far-Eastern Europe. The countries described as “Ancient World” would include modern-day Turkey, Lebanon, Georgia, Israel, and more.

 

“What makes these wines unique isn’t necessarily geography, but rather their methods of production,” states Amir Nathan, co-owner of Sami & Susu on the Lower East Side. “So many producers are going back to the basics [of] making simple wine without much manipulation.”

 

“There are certain regions that are considered to be ‘Ancient World’ wine (like Georgia, for instance) where winemaking has been in families for generations and generations—reliant on ancestral methods and tools like clay barrels,” Nathan explains.

 

Curious about Ancient World wine? Find these four Eastern Mediterranean hangouts in New York City—pouring and praising the burgeoning wine region that is invigorating prehistoric varieties and borrowing winemaking techniques from both past and present.

 


 

Sami & Susu

Exterior Shot SamiSusu

Sami & Susu is an all-day Mediterranean bistro-meets-natural wine bar supporting purveyors, winemakers and artisans near and far. The pint-sized space (popular for the BEC Boureka) specializes in flavorful family-inspired recipes and rituals—from an early espresso and a Tunisian baguette to an evening glass of skin-contact wine and crispy sun-chokes (and/or pig’s head).

 

Like Sancerre, Slovakian víno Slobodne Traja Boxeri, Sauv-Blanc 2019 is clean and mineral-toned; lengthy on the palate due to the short (five to ten day) period of stainless-steel maceration on the skins—adding enough texture (without extracting tannin) and faint orange hues. The decades-old, family-owned estate focuses on artisan precision and comprehension of all natural processes involved, especially fermentation with yeast present in the vineyards and filtration with vegan-friendly bentonite. “We can see these [Ancient World] methods being reintroduced in many ways with the natural wine movement,” Nathan mentions.

 

Nathan recommends coupling the víno with Fluke Crudo as the low-(to zero) intervention liquid is “very aromatic with rich citrus notes” to complement the winter citrus atop the raw serving.

 

 

Tzarevna

Tzarevna Tablescape

Tzarevna is a tiny, trendy eatery offering Russian pierogi platters and Georgian wine or ღვინო (but pronounced ghvino) flights for distinguishing at least four of 400+ indigenous grapes.

 

Most varieties derive from Kakheti – the country’s leading wine region – spanning from Rkatsiteli, a widely-recognized white variety, downright dry and citrus-driven to Saperavi, a medium-bodied, dark-red imparting black currant and black cherry notes. The Vine Ponto, Rkatsiteli 2018 orange wine marks “most intriguing” in both character and color taking on an amber hue after resting (with skin-contact) in an underground clay vessel, called qvevri. This method of winemaking is exclusive (next to other wine-producing countries) and effective due to suitable weather conditions contributing to ideal ground temperatures for storing and fermenting grapes.

 

 

Zou Zou’s

ZouZou Interior

Zou Zou’s is a spiffy Levant-inspired restaurant from Chef Madeline Sperling (The NoMad) that fires shareable dips and dishes like the Ember-Roasted Eggplant cooked over the open-air wood fire; topped with harissa honey and roasted red peppers. The green-tiled bar (with overhead undergrowth) pours unique varieties plus territorial twists on classic ‘tails such the Golden Negroni – stirring turmeric-infused Tanquary Gin.

 

Levant refers to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia, including historic areas of Jordan, Israel, Syria, Palestine, and Lebanon in which the listed Château Musar Jeune 2018 red wine hails from. The vivid vintage (first produced in 2007 by the Hochar family) is an un-oaked blend of Cinsault, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon from youthful Bekaa Valley vines—other grape vines have been cultivated for at least 6,000 years!

 

The family’s history within the wine region predates the 12th Century and proceeds today through Château Musar – documenting the survival of the Lebanese Civil War from 1975 to 1990 and achievement of Lebanon’s first organic vineyard certification in 2006.

 

“As a by-the-glass wine, I view the Musar Jeune as an offer to the guest to explore a region they may not have tried before, as well as, tell the guest the story of Château Musar,” says Director of Wine and Beverage Meng Chiang.

 

Musar Jeune is fermented in cement-lined vats, bottled one year after harvest, and released one year behind that – neither fined nor filtered. Scented and silky-textured, with berry jam flavors and spicy finish, it has been likened to a fine Roussillon red. As for pairing, Chiang suggests anything that comes off the wood-fired hearth, specifically the Fire-Roasted Leg of Lamb. “The preparation is more important than the item!”

 

 

ZIZI

ZIZI Bar Shot

ZIZI is an easygoing Eastern-Med café with a mod-approach to the mixed cuisines of Turkey, Spain, Israel, Tunisia, Morocco, and Greece. Over-the-top plates include the thick, rich Shakshuka and traditional Shawarma – combining chicken and lamb; charred onion and chickpeas, and “amba-tahini” plus pita. Alongside Arak-rooted drinks, the bar (dressed in detailed antique silver and gold teapots) showcases natural wines with a concentration on varieties from Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel.

 

From Lower Galilee, Tabor Adama, Chardonnay 2019 is a full and fruity vintage from the winery’s ecological plots high up in the Golan Heights. Half of the liquid has undergone a brief aging of three months in French oak – enhancing complexity and resulting in shiny wine with refinement. The multi-family winery takes various actions to restore the natural balance and biodiversity of the vineyard’s environment.

 

Winemakers, archaeologists… this is digging up Ancient World wine.

 

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