By Suzanne Parker
What DiWine, a newish bar on 31st Street in Astoria, has going for it is a great concept. They relieve the customer of the burden of factoring price into their decision−making process by making all wines, and most food options (by category) the same price. No need to read the wine list from right to left. You can choose any wine on their list of approximately 100 bottles for $32, or any of 20 by the glass for $8. If you assume four glasses to the bottle, you’re still at the same price point.
Cheese platters are three for $10 and five for $15, no matter which cheeses. Meat entrees are $22, fish $17. The only place they break with this format is in the tapas, where there is a range of prices, but $8 plates are still in the majority.
Once you find the place, as DiWine’s exterior is inconspicuous bordering on invisible, the atmosphere is all about seduction. You can loll about on little cushioned sofas surrounded by gauzy curtains, or, if not accompanied by the object of your affections, be surrounded by exposed brick and rough−hewn wood in more conventional seating, with a view of the blazing brick oven for diversion.
Our view got us in the mood for bruschetta, served on foccacia from the aforementioned oven topped with Garofalo mozzarella, grape tomatoes, fresh basil and vinaigrette. The ingredients were first rate, but sadly, the foccacia was soggy and the whole thing lacked salt, which is not provided on the table.
The foie gras torchon proved a far better choice. A dainty slab of duck liver (not pate) is perched upon crostini, crowned by a port−glazed fig. As delicious as it is elegant.
Of the two meat entrees, prime rib or filet, we went with the filet. The meat was nicely charred and served in a barolo reduction. It was served with some roasted vegetables, mostly peppers, and potatoes au gratin that were wet and mushy where they should have been crisp. The monkfish was a better bet, served over a mound of coconutty rice the consistency of risotto.
Not be able to taste a sizable proportion of the wine list, and not having the kind of expertise to assess without tasting, I turned to our noted wine expert friend, Harriet Lembeck, founder of the Harriet Lembeck Wine and Spirits Program, for guidance.
While she didn’t find the list inspired or adventurous, she noted a few “best buys.” She thought highly of most of the French wines, notably the Morgon, the Cotes du Rhones and the Cotes Ventoux in the reds, and all of the whites. She was critical of the selection of California wines, noting that “With all the wineries in California, they could do much better.”
The Italians mostly passed muster, except for the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Principato, which are really inexpensive at retail. As for the organic wines, Lembeck noted that the Coates Zinfandel is pretty old — especially without anything that could preserve it
The Bottom Line
DiWine is an intimate setting for a romantic encounter, or a place to relax with friends. They offer mixed drinks as well as wine, and whether you’re snacking, or looking for something more substantial, their menu has enough variety so that you’re sure to find something that will please.
DiWine
41−15 31st Ave.
Astoria, NY 11103
718−777−1355
Price Range: Tapas $8−12; Entees: $17â„fish $22â„beef Wine $32â„bottle, $8â„glass
Cuisine: Global Fusion
Setting: Small, dimly lit
Service: Solicitous
Hours: Open daily from 5 p.m.
Reservations: Optional
Alcohol: Full bar
Parking: Street
Dress: Casual
Children: Not recommended
Music: Recorded
Takeout: Yes
Credit Cards: Yes
Noise Level: Acceptable
