Brandi Gets a Chianti Lesson From 1915 Wine Cellar

What can make the difference between a good day and a great day? A tasty glass of wine. What do you do when you don't know what you are doing in any particular situation? You go to the mattresses. I mean, you reach out to the people that do.

If you want a great glass of wine, want to know more about wine or just try different types of wine but you don't really know where to start, head to 1915 Wine Cellar, 40 Cannon Street in Poughkeepsie.

Behind the bar and around the cellar you will find owners Russell Beck; his wife, Elke; and their son, Kai. Their warm hospitality welcomes you from the first step behind their speakeasy-style curtains.

Russell had a Chianti set out for us to try when we stopped by. This particular wine was the Verrazzano Chianti Classico. Yes, the Verrazzano on the bottle, he explained to me, was the namesake of New York’s Verrazzano Bridge.

Most people, if they have heard about Chianti, know it from the movie Silence of the Lambs or that it goes really well with pizza, red sauce or Italian food.

Chianti, Russell explained to me is a red wine from a specific place (Chianti) in Italy. By calling it Chianti Classico, it also specifies that it has to be a certain grape and aged for a minimum amount of time. The other thing you look for to know that it is a legit Chianti Classico is the Black Rooster on the seal.

Chianti Classico must be at least 70 percent Sangiovese grapes and be aged in oak for at least one year before it can be bottled. This aging, along with the grapes and the winemaker's hand, are how this particular Chianti Classico was formed into a wine that is pleasant enough to go with one of 1915 Wine Cellars meatball sandwiches, paired with a mix of meat and cheeses (The Grand Cru) or their Duck Confit Flatbread.

If you would like to stop into 1915 Wine Cellar and check out the Verrazzano Chianti Classico during the month of February, mention that you heard about it on WRRV for a discount on your glass of wine.

While you are there ask about their wine dinners, flights of wine (tastes of three different wines with a common theme) their beer list or even their hard ciders. Their hours are Tuesday through Thursday from 4PM to 10PM and Friday and Saturday from 4PM to midnight. Yes, they do have happy hour specials (4-6 PM) and they offer a 10 percent discount to active duty and reserve military as well as first responders.

For more information or to see a what they are up to today, First Friday or how they are celebrating Valentines Day, here are links to their Facebook, Instagram and Website. Cheers and make sure to introduce yourself to Russell, Elke and Kai.