Pulino's Bar & Pizzeria
List Summary
If you half-follow even one NYC food blog, then you’ve witnessed Pulino’s formative years in their entirety, from the signing of the lease (likely framed in Eater.com’s virtual annals) to the day the first sablefish salad was served. And the buzz? Deafening. It’s as if everyone just gave birth to his or her very own pizza-slinging baby.As the 8th stamp in the passport shared by Restaurateur Keith McNally and Wine Director Chris Goodhart, Pulino’s lands this lucky duo right at the end of yet another rainbow. The same Goodhart method is employed here, but this time with pizzeria casualty, keeping the number of selections under 50. The composition resembles something of a Morandi and Schiller’s love child—three parts Italian and one part domestic, with plenty of wines under $40, and the same branded short list of wines available by the carafe.
So while this is hardly meant to be another vinous shrine (see: Balthazar), it’s a perfect fit for the pizzeria concept. Simple and straightforward, but still harboring a few geek finds (e.g. La Giardino’s ‘Gaia’ and Ezio Voyat’s Moscato) that remind us just whose list this really is.
List Review Wine Key:
Sparkling
White
Rose
Red
Sweet
Fortified
| By The Glass { Most interesting available by the glass } |
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| Riesling Renano 2007, Bruno Verdi | $10 |
| Rosso di Montalcino ‘La Tanuta’ 2007, La Collina dei Lecce | $13 |
| Value Option { Best under £35/$50/bottom 20% of list PLUS any particularly rare bargains at ANY price point } |
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| Selim Brut NV, De Conciliis | $40 |
| The first ever sparkling wine made in Campania is currently making its rounds on local lists. This great value, a blend of 30% Aglianico (the varietal responsible for the broody reds that the region is famous for) and 70% Fiano grown in volcanic soil, is all heart. |
| Greco ‘Ciro’ 2008, Librandi | $25 |
| Though Greco is generally found in its spiritual home of Avellino in Campania, it has found its second home here in Calabria. Librandi’s hijack is a successful one, giving the varietal a perfumed and versatile voice all its own. |
| Fiano ‘Gaia’ 2006, Cantina Giardino | $55 |
| Directly imported by Goodhart after his recent visit to the winery, this cloudy, savory marvel of hippie winemaking is a McNally exclusive. An uncommon reward for the open-minded that plays a perfect patty cake with the Porchetta pizza. |
| Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2006, Le Ragose | $49 |
| Vinified via the Ripasso method—the fresh juice is passed through the lees of the Amarone—La Ragose’s classically-styled Valpol drinks like a baby Amarone. Medium-bodied with an easy core of ripe fruit, framed by minerals, spice, and a high-toned, rustic acidity. |
| Vernaccia Nera ‘Serrapetrona’ 2007, Collequanto | $35 |
| Tuscany’s ubiquitous white grape dons a convincing disguise here in its escape to Marche. This new arrival has made a dent in our wine consciousness with its genetic makeup of flowers, ink, and dark fruit. A whole lotta wine for $35. |
| 1st Date { Impressive but not too showy: circa £50 – but a wine that shows one’s connoisseurship rather than just size of wallet/expense account } |
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| Roero Arneis 2008, Bruno Giacosa | $68 |
| Just the mention of Giacosa gets wine geeks giddy. He is one of the great winemakers (if not the greatest) in all of Italy, and just about everything he touches turns to gold. This Arneis offers yet another example of the man’s magic: incredible purity coupled with a curious concentration on the palate. Perfect balance here, folks. |
| Aglianico del Vulture ‘Macarti’ 2005, Macarico | $60 |
| Sourced from vines grown on an old Mount Vulture lava flow (from which the estate is named), this is all impenetrable Basilicata-style fruit, minerality, and intense floral aromatics (typical of Aglianico grown in this area). Hot new producer worth keeping an eye on. |
| Off the Beaten Track |
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| Moscato Secco ‘La Gazzella’ 2005, Ezio Voyat | $89 |
| One of the greatest dry bottlings of Moscato on God’s green Earth, thanks to Italy’s favorite hermit virtuoso. While tucked away in the country’s northernmost nook, Voyat pumps out small batches of this nimble, yet aromatically uncontained artisanal nectar. |
| Old School Classic { Classic (usually French or Italian – depending on dominant cuisine), from the middle of the list – a good wine, with age to stick on expenses and impress crusty wine bores/board members } |
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| Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 1982, Emidio Pepe | $250 |
| Treat Yourself { Remember when you used to get a bonus? not necessarily most expensive – but a real treat, rare, particularly good vintage etc } |
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| Trebbiano d’Abruzzo 2005, Eduardo Valentini | $180 |
| Wine nerd alert! Trebbiano is not known for much beyond mediocrity, but Valentini happens to be a sorcerer capable of raining down a divine deliciousness upon this benign varietal. Dominated by earth, minerals, and that kind of dewy life-breathing purity that only the greatest wines own. |
| Langhe ‘Darmagi’ 2001, Gaja | $180 |
| An excellent value (presently retailing for about the same price) that’s well worth the coin if you’re in the mood to go big. Culty, flashy Piemontese Cab boasting all the trademark polish that has come to make Gaja’s wines legendary. At 9 years out, this is definitely showing its bones, but it could still use a jog in the decanter. |
| Crowd pleaser { Well known, trusted producer, region or varietal. No surprises, no disappointments } |
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| Vermentino ‘Las Brisas Vineyard’ 2008, Mahoney | $29 |
| Negroamaro ‘Neprica’ 2008, Tormaresca | $25 |
| House Wine Index
{ Number of House wines available by the glass & the mean price } |
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| 11 wines available by the glass at a average price of $9.50; 7 wines available by the carafe at $18. |
| Krug Index
{ Price of a bottle Bollinger } |
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| N/A |
