WSJ: Can we give you some wine advice? Smart tips straight from the pros (feat. Aviram Turgeman of Chef Driven Hospitality)
Photo illustrations: Lehel Kovács
‘Drink based on the producer rather than the vintage or appellation.’ —Aviram Turgeman, beverage director, Chef Driven Hospitality Group, New York
While some wine drinkers might be faithful to a particular region or pay close attention to vintages, Turgeman, who oversees the wine lists of 16 New York restaurants, suggests you choose based on the producer instead.
“Even the most humble appellation of a great producer is a great bet,” he said. For example, Turgeman suggests trying the 2019 Anseillan, a more-affordable wine launched in 2018 by Château Lafite Rothschild, home of the great first-growth Bordeaux. A bottle costs $195 at Nice Matin, one-tenth the typical price of its famed peer.
Turgeman noted a few other wines that offer a taste of greatness at an affordable price. The Domaine Jamet Côtes du Rhône, at $115 on the Nice Matin list, makes a far-more-affordable swap for the sought-after and pricey Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie, which ranges between $395 and $795, depending on vintage. Or try a basic Bourgogne from a great producer to get a taste of the same talent that produces a grand cru. The Coquard Fleurot Bourgogne Rouge ($105 on the Nice Matin list) is “a magnificent glimpse of pristine Cotes de Nuits fruit.”