Sorry folks, the excise tax on wine is rising - in New York it is going up 11 cents per gallon while in New Jersey it has gone up 25% on wine and liquor. The good news is the charge is levied by the gallon so your favorite bottle should not go up by more than a few cents, if at all. Of course NYC sales tax also went up so we have a double whammy. Wine Spectator reports some other states have been hit too with this sin tax.
August 2009 Archives
We haven't been to Fort Defiance (365 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook) yet but we hear good things. This Saturday they may just tempt us down to that odd little neighborhood with their wacky celebration of the 233rd anniversary of the Battle of Brooklyn. Starting at 5:30pm, they are roasting a pig and $15 gets you a plate of food plus a piece of apple pie. Drinks promise to be "colonial-era," which considering there was no ice yet should prove interesting.
In the bizarro story of the week, The New York Times is getting into the wine business! That's right, you can join the wine club and get a selection of wines for $90 or $180. The wines are actually going to be provided by the Global Wine Company, which promises to focus on small and boutique wineries. Oh, and they promise editorial separation so they won't appear to be pushing wines from the newspaper. We'll see how that goes.
Avenue A newbie Destination Bar (211 Avenue A) has a great happy hour that's worth checking out if you are in the area. All drinks are 1/2 price from 4pm until 8pm every day. Yes, that includes Jello shots.
It's almost steamy enough to remind us of Africa, so here's an apropos Tuesday sale from Astor Wines & Spirits (399 Lafayette Street)- all wines from South Africa are 15% off. Check out the list of 26 wines here.
