Date Night: Unums

As published in the 10/7 edition of the Nashua Telegraph (click link to view Telegraph version).

Like most married couples with children, my wife and I have date nights that allow us to have time for each other without the rigors of bringing along the family. This past week, we decided to take our date night to Unums.

We selected Unums because of their Wine Down Wednesday program. On Wednesdays, they open five different bottles of wine, which are normally only available by the bottle, and offer them by the glass. It is a nice way to try normally more expensive bottles without paying top dollar. They also offer a flight of these wines. Wine flights are becoming a more common, and welcomed, addition to restaurant wine experiences. A flight involves a few different wines that are served as a group in tasting portions (usually 2-3 ounce pours), to allow you to try a number of different types of wines without paying full glass prices.

We decided on a wine flight to accompany our array of appetizers. Unums has a continuously rotating menu, which allows co-owner and chef Constantine Brianas to show off his culinary repertoire. The dishes selected were the Unums Tart, Pork Medallions, and the Wild Mushroom and Spinach Gnocchi. Chef Brianas’ creations were a delicious accompaniment to our wines and his well-developed dishes, especially the Unums Tart, energized our taste buds.

The wines that were selected for the flight by co-owner and passionate wine lover, Stephen Williams, offered a delightful assortment of diverse varietals:

The Bodegas Agnusdei (Albariño), from the Rias Baixes region in northwest Spain, was a very light, crisp and smooth way to start off the tasting. For those not familiar with Albariño, it is somewhat similar to Pinot Grigio in taste. This wine had a very nice amount of pear and pineapple in the aroma and also on the palate. I give this refreshing wine an 88 point rating.

To continue our progress from light to heavy, we had the Villa Di Corlo Giaco (Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc/Merlot) from Italy, which offered a nice transition into the reds. The aroma of smoked cherry was mirrored on the palate, along with the typical dark berries imparted by the Cabernet/Merlot blending. The unique element in this wine was the subtle hint of eucalyptus (yes, the same leafy greens that koalas enjoy). Although the finish was somewhat short, this was a lovely wine. I rate this at 88 points as well, as it was a very good wine.

Staying in Italy, we partook in a Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva (Sangiovese) as the third tasting. It was a dry wine with blackberry on the palate and nose. Its tannins offered a little spike, which allowed it to stand up to the food we were eating. The Felsina was a very agreeable wine. I give this an 89 point rating.

The next wine was my favorite of the flight, a Michael & David Phillips Petite (Petite Sirah). Personally, I like my wines bold with a nice level of complexity. This Petite Sirah offered both characteristics. The aroma and taste shared notes of blackberry and currants. However, it was the familiar taste of cigar that made this wine memorable. Some slight peppery notes, which my wife accurately pointed out, rounded out this very good wine. It is deserving of a 90 point rating.

The final tasting in the flight was the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Artemis (Cabernet Sauvignon). This was a pleasant wine to drink and it offered a very good amount of well developed blackberry and currant. It had a nice medium to medium-heavy body. I would give this wine 87 points because it was one dimensional, yet essentially pleasant. I am a huge fan of Stag’s Leap’s slightly older vintages (2000 and earlier), but recently I feel they have fallen from great to good. Again, this is all personal preference and my wife certainly enjoyed this wine.

Overall, Unums provided a wonderful escape from reality for a few hours. Stephen and Walter, our waiter, were very gracious with their knowledge and caring conversation. I would highly recommend Unums for your date night and hope you share a similar experience.

Information about Unums
Location: 47 E. Pearl St, Nashua
Phone: 603.621.6500
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 5:00-Close
www.unums.com

About Wine Ratings
95-100 Classic: A Phenomenal Wine!
90-94 Outstanding: A wine of excellent character and style
85-89 Very Good: A wine with some special qualities
83-84 Good: A solid well-made wine
< 83 Why bother?

Date Night: Unums

Be educated when looking at a wine list!

Few things irk me more than restaurants that mislead their patrons regarding their wine offering. Whether they do it intentionally or not is not the issue. In my opinion, wine should not be a compromise and you should get what you pay for. Unfortunately this is sometimes not the case.

Many restaurants rely on big names to appeal to wine drinkers and with good reason. A majority of these big names have amassed good reputations throughout the years and continue to produce very good wines. However, for some of them, their reputation no longer is representative of what they produce.

Restaurateurs are sometimes guilty of romanticizing, being too business minded, being ignorant, or being lazy in terms of finding out the true quality of the wine they offer. This leg work and honest evaluation should be required prior to the two to three time mark-up of a bottle. We should have the assurance that the mark-up is justified.

The objective of this article is not to blast local restaurants or restaurateurs. Although they should look at their lists closely and ask themselves, “am I offering my patrons the best possible experience by offering this wine?” Rather, this article is meant to inform the public of wines that should be avoided (in my opinion), because their lack of quality does not justify the high prices they demand. The oddity in all of this is that the wines that prove to be the main culprits are on numerous lists around the Nashua area!

Here are some wines to avoid, due to overly inflated prices in return for generally mediocre quality.

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars – All recent wines. Unfortunately this former giant still has a strong reputation in the general public. This is why you find their wines on many lists and this is why they still demand higher prices. Wine aficionados are aware that they have fallen-off heavily in the past decade. Their wines prior to this decade are still aging very well.

Duckhorn – Merlot. On rare occasion they have a good vintage. However, their variable quality does nothing to justify very high prices. Add to this that there are so many other options out there, why take the risk? Read about one of my Duckhorn experiences here.

Opus One – This wine demands far too much for the quality. Recently their vintages have improved, but if you are looking to shell out a week’s pay, you can do better. This is a better wine to purchase at a wine shop or liquor store and enjoy at home (that way you are only parting with a couple day’s pay). Do not pay the mark-up!

Joseph Drouhin – Burgundy Whites (trust me it makes sense). They make the list for typically being far too overpriced on wine lists. The quality is typically good, but for the price other whites are more appealing.

Michael & David Phillips – Almost all wines. They are very big in the area for some reason. Outside of their recent Petite Syrah (which was very enjoyable), I have been very underwhelmed by the wines they offer.

Here are some wines that I recommend which are readily available at local restaurants.

Justin – Isosceles. My favorite “higher-end” value wine out there. Personally, I would look for the 2005 or 2006. If you are going to get a prime-cut steak, pair this with your dinner! The best price locally: Giorgio’s in Milford & Bedford Village Inn (also available at C.R. Sparks, Michael Timothy’s & Unums).

Caymus – Napa Valley Cabernet. You almost never have to worry about quality with this wine. If you are questioning which wine to get and this is within your range, it will be a safe bet. Available at: Bedford Village Inn, Michael Timothy’s & Saffron Bistro.

Robert Stemmler – Pinot Noir. For the price, I feel they offer some of the better Pinot Noirs available in local restaurants. Available at: Bedford Village Inn, C.R. Sparks, Michael Timothy’s & Unums.

Conundrum – White Blend. This is a fruity and crisp, food friendly wine that is typically offered at a comfortable price. Best price locally: Bedford Village Inn (also available at C.R. Sparks).

Zinfandels – Red not white! Typically, Zinfandel offers some of the best values on a wine list. They are food friendly and pair well with any red meat, as well as grilled meatier fish, poultry, pork and vegetables. Personally, I would never pay more than $65 for a bottle of Zinfandel (even at a restaurant), because you can get great deals for less. Best deals locally: Seghesio Family at Bedford Village Inn & Rosenblum at C.R. Sparks.

I hope this helps you the next time you are looking at a wine list and thinking “is this bottle worth it?” Due to the economic situation, I chose to withhold the names of the restaurants that carry these poor wines. My ego does not permit me to believe that I would have an impact on a restaurant’s bottom line, but just in case.

My intent is to help you be informed and help you avoid wasting money. To strengthen this point, I urge you to do a little research if you plan on having a bottle while dining out. Look at their menu and wine list online. If there are a couple bottles you are interested in, run them through Cellar Tracker or Cork’d to learn what others thought. You would not buy a $60 pair of jeans or a $250 suit without trying them on first would you? Then why pay $60 to $250 (or higher) for a bottle of wine without knowing if they are any good?!

Do not forget that wine is all relative to your personal taste. However, a little information and guidance can go a long way in helping you avoid a poor wine experience. When it is all said and done, we want to have the best experience possible when dining-out at a nice restaurant.

Be educated when looking at a wine list!