Wine on Down the Road — Wine JAG Journeys

Recently, I discovered the Viceroy Central Park Hotel, close to the park for catching some rays, or there’s plenty of sunshine on top of the hotels’ cool rooftop deck – where you can enjoy refreshing drinks and wine. With most of my activities revolving around wine these days, the location is ideal for walking and access to the subway – to visit the 9/11 Memorial Museum.

The Viceroy Central Park New York is Viceroy Hotel Group’s first branded property in Manhattan, located on 120 West 57th St., the celebrated crossroads of business and travel. Carnegie Hall, MoMA (the Museum of Modern Art), Broadway, Fifth Avenue shopping, and the finest restaurants are steps away.

The hotel has a downtown vibe and uptown glamour. Combining familiar names in development, architecture, design, nightlife and dining. As soon as you enter the dramatic double-height lobby, you will experience the best in hospitality. The public areas are a combination of custom-designed and vintage details, using Italian marble, a popular element of NYC’s buildings in the early 20th century.

The rooms are large by city standards, reminiscent of ship cabins with exotic woods, tambour paneling and supple leather. Each room has floor-to-ceiling windows, many of which offer sprawling views of Central Park that are invigorating, wanting you to start the day on a high note while sipping coffee made from your own Nespresso machine.

Off the lobby you can enter Kingside, the hotel’s restaurant and bar, featuring innovative New American cooking by Chef Marc Murphy. The menu compiles of small plates, charcuterie, salads, pasta dishes, delicious fresh fish entrees and more. The bar program is superb with a diverse wine list. I ordered the Kingside burger and a glass of 2009 Corvina, produced by Allegrini from the Veneto region of Italy, that was velvety with rich flavors of dark berries, plum and licorice, The wine was in preparation for attending a fine Italian wine tasting.

The tasting “Great Wines of Italy” is a prestigious wine tasting event founded by James Suckling, an international wine critic specializing in Italian and Bordeaux wines. At the event, there were more than 100 top Italian wine producers. You will find great wine, food, and music at all James Suckling events – www.jamessuckling.com. His first “great” wine event was held at a palace in the center of Florence, Italy. Suckling continues creating wine tastings in beautiful venues in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and other major cities all over the world. During the last four years, the company organized over a dozen consumer events with more than 15,000 attendees.

New York City truly is the center of the universe, especially in the wine industry. If you’re looking to discover a special and unique wine, pack your bags and head south. Remember not to drink and drive, C&J Traliways offers daily rides from Portsmouth to New York and back, www.ridecjc.com.

Happy Trails!