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The Ultimate South Shore Tasting Tour
Photos by Chris Bernstein and Ed Nute
Growing up in a rather large European family, I’ve had the opportunity to taste some great wines. Many evenings at home have consisted of “grape” talks with my French father, who lights up every time he cracks open a rare bottle, pours us each a glass, and begins explaining its region and the expected notes to be tasted. He often asks me to guess the type of wine. Sadly, I’ve never been very good at this game, and I still wear a look of puzzlement when faced with a lengthy wine list while out to dinner. I’ve come to realize, however, that the key to truly enjoying wine is to embrace the entire experience—the savoring of flavors, the atmosphere, and the company of friends and family. Having scoured the South Shore for great wine bars and cellars, I raise a glass to the following five destinations that deliver the whole package.
Named after the Puccini Opera of a tragic love story, the restaurant Tosca in Hingham has a rustic Italian atmosphere with large Renaissance paintings positioned on the aged brick walls with draped stage curtains swept to the sides. The open kitchen acts as the center stage, with an audience of diners indulging in great wine by the glass and in full and half bottles.
Assistant Manager and Wine Director Errol Joseph, certified in the Court of Master Sommeliers, has tasted and selected the 250 wines offered on Tosca’s wine list, including a special “sommeliers selection.” The list highlights wines from regions in France and South America, but the refinement and focus lies in American and Italian wines, suiting the restaurant’s cuisine.
“I taste a lot of wines in my travels,” says Joseph, who has visited Italy and California, and has explored vineyards in Oregon (known for Pinot Noirs). “It really comes down to wines that I think are quality wines, that offer appropriate value—the hidden treasures.”
The back wall of the wine room boasts a ceiling-to-floor display of wine bottles, separated in private bins that are rented out by customers on a yearly basis. As a member of the Tosca Wine Club, you can obtain a mini “cellar” locker and order off your own personal wine list. Tosca also hosts six-course monthly wine dinners, featuring a progressive menu and style.
“When I think about food, I think about wine,” says Alba restaurant owner Leo Keka, who has been making wine as early as 12 years old in his native country of Albania. “It’s fun to enjoy a great bottle of wine with great company.” What better way to do so than in Alba’s intimate wine cellar.
Downstairs from the chic Mediterranean restaurant lies a vintage cellar where wall-to-wall shelves hold hundreds of bottles at rest, with a corner reserve room carrying all the real good stuff. Once a bank vault, the dimmed cellar exudes a feeling of secrecy, like a royal tomb holding hundreds of precious jewels. Except it’s not a secret at all. Open for private parties, wine dinners featuring guest winemakers, cheese and wine tastings, and cooking classes, customers have the chance to mingle and dine in the presence of rare reserve bottles, while cracking open a few to savor through the night. A nice Spanish Albarino, American Pinot Noir, or Napa Valley Cabernet are just a tease of what Keka keeps on hand.
Of the 400 different wines listed at Alba, Keka works closely with California wines, and during the warmer months, he makes sure to bring in a strong selection of crisp, clean rosés to accompany lighter foods. “There is so much to learn from different wines all around the world and there are so many wines right here in our own backyard,” says Keka. Guests have the opportunity to try some amazing wines from Sakonnet Vineyards in Little Compton, Rhode Island, or even Alba’s own label of light bodied Moscato and robust Malbec, where the entire process from crushing and de-stemming the grapes, to filtering, bottling and corking takes place right at Boston Winery.
Most people haven’t had the chance to step inside a true Italian grotto—unless they have been to Orta Restaurant in Pembroke. In Italy, a grotto is the room where wine is made, typically in a basement setting with a cool temperature to nurture the wines. Owner Jimmy Burke and his wife designed the downstairs of Orta Restaurant to resemble an authentic Italian wine making room, with wine barrels set along the rustic painted stone cellar walls.
The grotto is open for private functions as well as monthly wine dinners that explore different Italian regions. Working with a guest winemaker or winery representative, Burke discusses the wines and creates a four-course dinner menu to accompany the selections. Wine dinners begin with a glass of Proseco, a sparking wine from Italy, offered with an Italian style amuse bouche, such as fresh tomato and mozzarella, followed by an appetizer, pasta dish, entrée, and dessert.
“We don’t do it formal—we do it more convivial,” says Burke. “If you’re interested in learning more about the wine, the wine representative will come to your table and leave others to enjoy themselves.” But you don’t have to come for a wine dinner to experience the restaurant’s impressive wine list. Bar Manager Sylvain Linozzi, who was born and raised in Burgundy, France, has impeccable knowledge of the different European regions and brings in wine specials each week.
A divine dessert paired with its luscious wine companion—some would think it sinful to combine such sweet components. The newly opened Wine Cellar and Dessert Bar in Plymouth proves this is not the case. Sinking into one of the European sofas in the romantic wine cellar, guest can watch behind the bar as the bartender and pastry chef work side-by-side pouring fine wine and preparing complex desserts. The cellar speaks “vintage,” with its arched stone entryway, dimmed lighting, stucco walls, and a trio of wine barrels stacked in the corner. Built and designed by owners Loring and Lynn Tripp, the wine cellar is inspired by their travels to France, where they explored the cellars in beautiful French Chateaus.
Lynn Tripp, who has an advanced certificate through The Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) out of London, teaches food science and sustainability in the culinary kitchen at Johnson & Wales University. Tripp enjoys pairing vintage and new age wines, with indulgent pastries, like a Napoleon cheesecake, with hints of fig, paired with Pedro Ximenex, an extra rich sherry with deep flavors of figs, raisins, molasses, nuts, and chocolate.
Offered in a 3-course dessert trio, the interactive wine tasting experience begins with an amuse bouche (dessert appetizer), followed by an entrée dessert, and finished with a petit four. Each taste is paired with a compatible wine that matches the food’s sweatness level.
The Tripp’s take pride in offering more exclusive wines by the glass or half bottle, which normally are only available in full bottles.
“This idea we loved because it gave guests the opportunity to try wines they otherwise might not get the chance to try,” says Lynn. The wine bar also hosts Wednesday night wine classes where guests learn about taste sensitivities, flavor aroma, and sugar-acid ratios, as they explore varietals in different regions of the world.
“Tasting” is exactly what you will do when you plan a night out at Tastings Wine Bar and Bistro in Foxboro. Located at Patriot Plaza, people pour into the classy dinning room to try some of the chefs featured seasonal dishes with wines specially selected to bring each flavor to the next notch. General Manager Mike Cicciarella uses his past years of experience working under sommeliers and wine directors to experiment with each customer’s palete.
Featuring exotic menu items like squab, venison sausage, and braised beef tongue tacos allows Cicciarella to pair non-traditional wines with unique foods. Their flight menu is the perfect way to try a trio of wines (equal to one glass), to help find out what you might like. Fun flights include the French Kiss trio featuring three French white wines, while the Where’s Whitey trio spotlights three hard to find whites in regions where Whitey Bulger has been spotted. The playful themes also exist in the restaurant’s Tuesday night tastings (held every other week), where you can take a tour of Tuscany, or enjoy a world tasting of Syrah, including one from France, Washington, and Australia.
A semi-private intimate wine room holds one family-style table, a perfect setting to enjoy a five-course wine dinner, created on the spot by the chef, with paired wines chosen by Cicciarella. After diners are asked about their food likes, dislikes, and allergies, the chef will come up with a menu that best suits their palate. The best part is, you don’t have to be a patriot player to get a seat in the wine room, though you may run into one or two!
