Brooklyn Uncorked Recap - Tipsy Locavores Unite

by Alex Van Buren, Posted May 14th 2009 @ 5:00PM

"Loco for locavorism" might sound like some bizarro play on an old TV ad, but the phrase carries some heft these days, if the crowd at last night's Brooklyn Uncorked was any indication. The sip-and-nibble-fest in honor of local goods was jam-packed with tipsy oenophiles clutching wine glasses and munching on local pickles (garlicky!), rosé sorbet (brilliant!) and buzzed-about turkey meatloaf (by the time we got there, gone!). Dozens of local restaurants, wineries and producers were on the premises: as one sign bragged, no vinos were made more than a two-hour drive from Brooklyn.

Hyperlocalism isn't local to New York City, either. Edible Communities, whose Edible Brooklyn hosted the tasting, boasts more than 50 publications from Missoula, Wash., to Santa Fe, N.M. All feature the same bright, minimalistic food-focused design touting "local foods, season by season." If you believe that New York hearkens nationwide trends, well, like the Brooklyn Food Conference before it, this event was sold-out and about as crowded as could be.

Finding a few good wines in the sea of sips was a little tricky, but this could have been because, as one friend slurred happily, "my palate is shot!" Indeed, two dozen wineries were present, and though pours varied from vintner to vintner (tip: carry a small notebook in hand to instantly garner stiffer pours), we found some fairly tasty options.

Gastronomical discoveries included a sprightly biodynamic 2008 Macari rosé ($15) that instantly had us dreaming of summer and salmon, a sweet, oak-touched $20 Sauvignon Blanc from Raphael (the 2008 vintage will be released in June), and Sherwood House's $30 layered, food-friendly 2004 Cabernet Franc.

The only complaint of parting diners -- who delighted in the portable Bodum French press they were handed while walking out the door-- was that, typical of these affairs, grub was scarce for late arrivers. And after a night of a million sips, it felt like rather a necessity. So for tasting events in your neighborhood, arrive early -- and eat it up.

Filed Under: Magazines, Raves & Reviews, Trends, Food News, Dining at Our Desks, Drink Recipes
Tags: Brooklyn Uncorked, BrooklynUncorked, dining at our desks, edible brooklyn, edible communities, EdibleBrooklyn, EdibleCommunities, event, locavore, locavorism, wine