No reason not to wine at Bistro 1018 Pinot Noir tasting

It’s not the cheapest way to get drunk, but it may be the classiest: Bistro 1018’s wine tastings are among the best kept secrets in Morningside Heights.

For less than the retail value of most of the bottles offered, the restaurant offers two hours of unlimited wine tasting and food pairing. Monday night’s theme was “The Versatility of Pinot Noir.”

The tasting, run by Bistro 1018 owner Craig Skiptunis and his wine-importing wife Stephanie, featured 12 different kinds of Pinot Noir, from light and sparkling to aged and heavy. Along with the wine came a spread of foods hand-picked by the owner, from aged Bûcheron goat cheese to chicken meatballs and pulled pork.

“Pinot noir is one of the world’s most famous grapes,” Skiptunis said. “It is used everywhere­—from Burgundy to California, Oregon, and Chile. And it comes in many different styles—rich and earthy, delicate and fruity. There may be no other grape that is quite so diverse.”

With each wine came a different story. Stephanie, who is currently working on a masters degree in wine, could describe the specific hill on which each of the vineyards were located, how they were produced, and by whom. She described the process of micro-oxidation used in the Canterbury from New Zealand, and the reason why the Mercurey would be cheaper in a store than the Pierre Morey (it is grown in a region of higher yields).

With all the wine talk, it was hard to steal away to the food table, but as plate after plate was brought out, each different but strangely complementary to the Pinot, even the most attentive drinker did not leave hungry. Just as I was about stuffed, the chicken sausage balls filled with cheese and dunked in tomato basil sauce came to the buffet.

It was just about this time that Craig began discussing the frequency of the tastings at Bistro 1018. “We have them about every two to three months,” he said. Mostly they focus on wine regions, but they have also hosted a couple of beer tastings, which they hope to do more of in the future.

As far as tastings in Morningside Heights go, the bar has been set.