The Wine Trade: Upstream Wines
I discovered Upstream Wines in Livingston Manor, on my way to fish in the Catskills. (Anglers should note that Dette, the legendary fly shop, has relocated there.) It’s a delightful, airy storefront on Main Street that opened in the summer 2017. It’s owned by Meg McNeill, who previously worked at Dandelion Wine in Greenpoint. How did she end up selling biodynamic wine in the Catskills? “I didn’t know I was moving here full time,” she told me on a recent visit. “My husband and I were coming here on weekends and we thought it was going to be open a few days a week.” But desire was there from the start, she quickly moved to the area full time, and now the shop and is open every day.
“Everywhere I travel, whether it’s an island in Greece,” she said laughing, “I ask if they need a wine store. And I asked that here and they said yes.” The store specializes in what she describes as “sustainably grown, we focus on wine made by farmers and things that are fun to drink.” She works with around fifty small distributors based in New York. That provides her with the foundation for everything she needs. Next up is a new wine bar, Sunshine Colony, which she’s opening right down Main Street in September.
Here are some of Meg’s current favorites:
EVERYDAY RED: Broc Cellars, Love Red North Coast, Carignan Blend, 2017. $22.
“This is an urban winery in Berkeley. Chris Brockway sources fruit from sustainable, biodynamic vineyards in California and makes pretty great wines. Carignan is a bright fresh grape with red berry fruit. The Love Series are usually around $20—they’re easygoing wines. I like it chilled in summer. We served this wine at our wedding.”
EVERYDAY WHITE: Domaine Estelle Sauvion, Muscadet, Melon de Bourgogne, 2017. $18.
“Muscadet is super minerally, crisp and dry. A crowd pleaser. People often confuse it with muscat, which is sweeter. This is a region in the Loire Valley and it’s very fresh, great with seafood.”
OFFBEAT: L&C Poitout, Bourgogne, Chardonnay, 2017. $20.
“Chardonnay. A lot of people think they don’t like Chardonnay because they think it’s buttery. But it’s a really beautiful grape and when it’s done right, it’s high acid and fresh and very food friendly. That’s a hill I’m dying on: chardonnay done right. This is a husband and wife team, they mostly farm in Chablis. They make some fancier wines but I love how joyful and accessible this is.” *I had this wine and it’s absolutely wonderful. -DC.
CELEBRATORY: ORIGIN, Johan Vineyard, Pinot Noir, 2015. $60.
“I'm a big burgundy fan and I love pinot noir. These are producers in Oregon making wine in an old world style that’s terroir driven and very special in ways that people didn’t think Americans were doing for a long time. There’s more of that happening now, and Oregon’s a good place to reach outside of Burgundy.”
RIESLING: Karl Haidle. Württemburg, Riesling, 2016. Litten Buffel. Riesling, Seneca Lake, 2016. $20.
“Here are a couple of affordable Rieslings that are perfect for summer. The Haidle is bracing and bone dry. The Litten Buffel is from the Niagara Peninsula in New York State, a small natural winemaker with really bright acidity. Joyful.”
SPIRITS: “We’ve sold a lot of Mezcal since we opened. I thought being Upstate we would well more whisky, but Mezcal has been huge. Spirits are seasonal, gin is really popular in summer. But I’m into vermouth and bitter spirits, with ice or a little bit of soda.”
RESTAURANT WINE LIST: I love the Four Horsemen, it’s casual but you’re treated so well. It’s a great wine list but they don’t take themselves too seriously. Around the corner is Have & Meyer. It’s a charming Italian wine bar that’s just packed everywhere with bottles.”
THE WINE TRADE is a series of interviews with experts about what they’re drinking now.