Last week, the Dandy crew met Art Podniesinski, the winemaker behind the aptly named “the ART of red wine” Syrah.  We became fast friends with both the man and his wine, and this week the bottles landed on our shelf!  

Art grew up around wine in his parent’s Long Island wine shop.  He took an internship with Peter Figge who allowed him to make a barrel of Chardonnay and a barrel of Pinot Noir, both pure and unadulterated.  A winemaker was born!  The Syrah came later, and we can’t wait to see what the future has in store for his label!

The 100% sustainable Syrah from Monterey County is fresh and vibrant, with dark plummy fruit, and an incredibly smooth finish.  Syrah can be a challenging grape, with a flavor profile that differs wildly depending on where it is grown.  Art’s focus on the terroir of Carmel, where his hand-harvested grapes are grown, has seriously paid off.  We found this Syrah to be full-bodied but soft, exactly what we’re looking for with steaks (from Plovgh!), burgers, or stew. And it’s seriously a steal at $17!