I left California for New York 10 years ago. I finished up cellar work in Sonoma the month before and said farewell to a charming cold cabin on the Russian River. I loaded my furniture and all other belongings onto a truck and took a flight across the country with only a duffle and a sleeping bag - having timed my arrival the evening before the delivery of the container.  The building manager, a gregarious Brooklyn-born bear of a man named Ronnie was at my door at 8am sharp. We'd only chatted on the phone a couple times but he was there with a smile and a coffee (and asked if I'd rather have a beer). He had "borrowed" several city pylons and cones from a nearby site and placed them out front earlier to reserve space for the semi truck. Welcome to Brooklyn.

But Ronnie was the second native New Yorker I met. On the plane over I sat next to a woman named Maureen who lived in a neighborhood nearby called Carroll Gardens. I'm very claustrophobic and consequently all nerves flying anywhere. Maureen had her 4 year old daughter with her, who turned out to be a great comfort, curiously enough. Our plane had just emerged through the clouds and into the stratosphere and all the world was a giant cotton ball. The little girl looked out the window at the white blanket below and said: "Ah dang, we're gonna get stuck in all this snow"

Maureen was eager to share all of her favorite local spots. Los Paisanos for your meats. Bar Tabac for live music and drinks, she suggested. Oh, Lucali for pizza. Hands down. She also raved about her favorite wine shop. She only called it 'the wine shop on Smith St' but on her recommendation I bought two bottles from there the next night. I don't recall him working that night, but as fate would have it - it was Smith&Vine, the shop Max managed. And where he'd hire me, three months later. 

I was thinking about Maureen connecting me to her city, spreading joy- and was thinking about many of you this morning too. We see a lot of new faces at the shop this time of year. And so many of them say "my neighbor told me about this place" or "my friend said I have to come check you out!". It is a wonderful thrill to hear, every time. And the greatest gift we could ask for. Thank you. THANK YOU. It really is the most generous and thoughtful thing and means the world to a little shop like ours. It's just what we wanted. 

TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights. French Reds and Austrian Whites. Flights $12 from 5-9 and wines by the glass as always.

SATURDAY: PINOT NOIR Flights. New arrivals and staff favorites. Holiday wines and crowd-pleasers. Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 9pm.

SUNDAY: NEBBIOLO. Earthy and expressive reds from Piedmont! Four wines, all dry and delightful. Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 8pm.

Happy Holidays (and see you soon),

Daniel