Blanc Et Rouge

07/20/2019

Rosé beauts from the legendary Kermit Lynch Wine Merchants - taste with us from 4-6pm today!

07/13/2019

These wines. Today. It’s a thing. From 4-6pm.

06/29/2019

Escape the heat and taste with us, today from 4-6pm!

Today's wines all have stories to tell. Quite literally, they each have pin-up style labels with stories to match printed on the backs of the bottles. Take a sip and you'll hear the tale of wines that revel in their ripe fruit...but without taking themselves TOO seriously.

The winemakers, Some Young Punks out of the McLaren Vale region in Australia, bring a breath of fresh air to Australia's Shiraz "fruit bombs" of older days. Focusing on terroir and restraint in their wine-making, they bring together Old World technique and New World creativity.

05/25/2019

It is HERE, that season when our glasses are prone to fill with a wonderful pink hue. Fresh, fruity and unmistakably charming, it’s no wonder the world is in love with Rosé.

The spectrum of pink pours have become synonymous with sunshine and happiness but like great Achilles, the craze has a weak spot: the tragic misconception that Rosé is meant to be consumed before its first year in the bottle is through! While we can all respect that there are a number of pleasing pinks destined to drink, not think, the greats of the Rosé world all benefit from the graces of a little age.

Mid palate fruit blossoms, tannins balance and these wines begin to show their sense of place. The best continue to evolve for 20+ years. If you ever have the chance to drink Rosé with that kind of age please, please take it. Today we feature a selection of Rosé greats just starting to show their potential.

04/27/2019

⁣Me you and Glou Glou! Being amongst the vines and in the cellars is serious business for the French, but when it comes to the table, there's a joie de vivre that is all their own. This joy and pleasure is embodied in the expression Glou Glou, French for "glug glug". ⠀

Lately, the phrase has lent itself to a style of wine made for just that; drinking, not thinking. Pure enjoyment without the complication of mile long tasting notes or assessments of vineyard virtues. Join us this afternoon as we delve into these great, pleasurable and friendly wines. We will be pouring from 4-6pm tonight! ⠀

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La Boutanche is the umbrella label for Selection Massale‘s wallet-friendly and easy drinking natural wines. They work with different winemakers and varietals to produce this lineup of memorable bottles.

The grasshopper marks their collaboration with the talented Andi Knauss and these wines does not fail to captivate. Dry with lovely and vibrant acidity, the Riesling is a classic Vin de Soif. The Trollinger (also known as Schiava in Italy) is an extremely light bodied red that you'll be reaching for all summer long as it easily translates from day drinking to nice evening picnics, you name it! Juicy with bright red fruits and berries, a slight chill, and you'll be in Boutanche business. Serve where all delicious meals and great friends to share with will be found.
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04/22/2019

We're so sad to see whisk leave Williamsburg! Give this note from our founder a read for a bit more behind the story.

MY LOVE LETTER TO YOU...
ON APRIL 30, WE WILL CLOSE OUR WHISK HERE ON BEDFORD AVENUE. We will miss you so and we do not want to go!

Please read on for the full story...
On April 30 we will close our Whisk here on Bedford Avenue. As the owner and creator of Whisk, it pains me to say goodbye. And so I wrote you this love letter to express my adoration for you and to tell you of my decision. It is a story of greed, commercial banking and the distortion of “fair” market rents.

When we opened Whisk on November 26, 2008, our rent was $8,625/month; it ended at $18,452/month. The thing is, we could sustain that high rent. We are a great, busy store and online retailers have not cut into our sales enough to hurt us. But to renew our lease for just 5 years, our landlords asked for no less than $26,500/month, or a 44% increase. To accept that rent would mean increasing prices and depressing wages. And that’s not the contribution I want to make.

So how did it come to be that it’s $26,500 or leave? I believe the story goes like this:
Developers identify Williamsburg as the cool place to be. Developers seek loans to amass more land ownership. Banks underwriting these mortgages demand to know payments can be met via higher rent rolls. “We like chain stores for tenants,” they say. Williamsburg businesses shift from independent, unique services to large American and multinational businesses seeking to grow their brand. Can’t actually pay the high rent demand? “No matter,” say these businesses. “It’s an advertising investment!” Private equity supported brands want in; food chains want in; heck, all the banks want in! Big landlords are happy and finally so too are the small landlords who can now say "me too!” on high rent demands.
And therein we see why Whisk has to leave you.
I love you for having passed through our doors so many times over all these years. You chose to shop locally; you chose to support Whisk. I am grateful for all my staff now and those of the past. We built Whisk together and I am a better person for all that I’ve learned. I am going to miss Whisk on Bedford so deeply.

And here’s where I make my plea to you to help build a better future. One, honor your neighborhood and decide how to spend wisely. There’s no need to prop up businesses that don’t serve a good purpose; but there’s every reason in the world to support the ones that do. Two, ask yourself: what do you want from your community? Small business decimation does not happen without structural consent, without community consent. Cities like Paris and San Francisco are working to create change. We can too. Help keep this discussion alive by emailing me at [email protected]. Let’s talk about a vacancy tax; let’s talk about zoning; let’s talk about a no formula chain policy; let’s talk about online vs brick and mortar sales taxes. There are no easy fixes but we won’t get to a better place without investing in the tough discussion.

Please keep the love for Whisk strong by shopping NOW at our Bedford Avenue store where nearly all items are 30-50% off AND by shopping at our other two locations:

933 Broadway, between 21st and 22nd Streets, Flatiron district (212.477.8680)
197 Atlantic Avenue, close to Court St, downtown Brooklyn (718.852.2665)

With all my love and gratitude,
Natasha

04/13/2019

⁣Spring into Spain, today in-store from 4-6pm! ⠀

With its lush hillscape and temperate climate, the Northwestern corner of Spain has earned itself the name, Green Spain. ⠀

Paired to to compliment, this part of the countryside has culture, cuisine, and most importantly wine of its own. Vibrant fruits, bright acids and a hallmark kiss of salt make mouthwatering partners for Spring time fare. We couldn't be more excited to have two new additions to our Spanish shelves – stop through today and see why! ⠀

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03/30/2019

Rare wines from the Priorat - taste with us today from 4-6pm!

There is no Priorat winery that garners the reverence of its peers quite like Cims de Porrera (“Summits of Porrera” in Catalan).

Cims was established in the 1990s by Josep Lluís Pérez, founder of trailblazing Priorat winery Mas Martinet. His pursuit of old-vine Carignan led him to set up shop in the struggling cooperative winery of Porrera where steep mountain vineyards on Priorat’s famous llicorella slate soils descend upon the striking valley village from all sides.

A Pérez family affair from day one, the winery is now under the management of Josep Lluís’ dynamic son and nephew, Adrià and Marc Pérez. Adrià and Marc’s relentless journey toward understanding the savage and secretive Carignan grape, the rugged soils, and the stubborn souls of Porrera, has resulted in some of the most complex and fascinating Priorat wines ever made.

Cims de Porrera eschews critical attention and maintains a small, devoted following in Europe. Limited production and mercurial distribution have conspired to make these wines virtually unfindable in the United States. We are excited to finally see these wines stateside, stop through today to see what we've been waiting for.

03/23/2019

Spain has more land dedicated to vineyard than any other country in the world.

A wealth of old vines have adapted overtime, developing characteristics unique to the land in which they're grown. Alas, much of that fruit is destined to jugs lining super market shelves, but to our great excitement there are countless inspiring wines of superior quality that continue to gain momentum.

Stop through and see just how much affordable Spanish wine over-delivers. We will be pouring today from 4-6!

03/22/2019

Our spirits selection may be ever-expanding but Neversink has been a long time staple here at Blanc et Rouge. We love their specialized fruit brandies and gins made exclusively from New York state fruits.

The production is small batch and the flavors are intense. Enjoy them neat (our favorite) to get the full spectrum of flavor and care on the palate. Of course, you can also add them to cocktails.

We'll be pouring our current Neversink offerings ‪today from 6-8‬pm at the shop - come thirsty!

03/16/2019

The sky scrapping vineyards of South America adorn some of the world's tallest peaks. Boasting thousands of acres planted at elevations over 1000m, the vineyards of Argentina and Chile offer up just the right amount of struggle for grapevines.

At elevations that high, roots reach deeper absorbing more minerality on the way to water. The diurnal temperature shifts and intense sunlight help develop healthy skins full of antioxidants and ageable tannins. Longer hang times in mountain fresh conditions build complexity.

Safe to say we are believers. Stop through today and try three stunning examples of what low intervention winemaking and steep slopes can do. Giancarlo of Ripe Wine Imports will be pouring from 4-6pm!

03/14/2019

Please welcome our newest bottled friends!

Since the 1990s, Cims de Porrera ("Summits of Porrera" in Catalan) has made it's mark as one of the most revered Priorat wineries.

Family owned and run since day one, second generation winemakers Adrià Pérez and Marc Pérez (who took over Cims de Porrera in 2004) continue the journey to understand the Carignan grape and realize its potential within this unique terrain.

"Cims Classíc is a profound expression of both the Carignan grape and Priorat’s famous mineral power, achieved through obsessive tasting, precise blending, and extended aging before release."

With the winemakers' determination to achieve new layers of depth and expressivity, the wines of Cims de Porrera are ever-evolving, age-worthy examples of Priorat well done.