Wine City? No. Whine City? Yes.

Jersey City?s renaissance as a wine city?? That explains all the vineyards on the outskirts of town. Or maybe she means we?re finally sophisticated enough to spend more money on fancier intoxicants.

Uncorking the City
Wine City, N.J.

The Wall Street Journal
October 4, 2012, 9:20 p.m. ET

By LETTIE TEAGUE

When a town or a neighborhood experiences a "renaissance," it usually happens in a series of waves: first come the artists, then the developers and finally the restaurants and shops. Eventually, someone will open a wine store. In fact, the presence of a shop with a good selection of bottles may be the best indication of an area's full blossoming.

The renaissance of Jersey City has been well documented; its growth as a wine city is less widely known. After a few visits, I'm happy to report that a Jersey City wine renaissance appears to be well under way.

Of course, a wine renaissance can occur only where there is already an appreciation of good food, and there are two particularly successful pairings in Jersey City right now: Madame Claude Caf? and Madame Claude Wine and, a few doors down on Jersey Avenue, Thirty Acres restaurant and Jersey Wine & Spirits.

Madame Claude's proprietors are Mattias Gustafsson and Alice Troietto, a husband and wife team. The couple has owned their small bistro for years, and recently decided to open a wine shop as well. The landlord of the wine shop wanted Mr. Gustafsson to open a restaurant in the location, but Mr. Gustafsson wanted to open a wine shop instead. He liked the bistro's Fourth Street location, though it's a 10-minute or so walk from his wine store.

Mr. Gustafsson grew up in Paris "in the Seventh," and his cultural heritage is readily apparent?from the selection of the wines (mostly French) to the writing on the store shelves (prices are written in chalk, a common practice in France). There are wines from other places as well, though Provence, Ms. Troietto's home, gets especially big play. One highlighted producer, Domaine de Terrebrune, is from Ms. Troietto's home town. Red, white and ros? versions are all offered. I purchased the red 2007 Chateau Terrebrune ($37). A "lovely wine with soft tannins," said Mr. Gustafsson. (He was right.)

The connection between Thirty Acres and Jersey Wine & Spirits is not as direct, though it's clearly collegial; the Thirty Acres website counsels would-be diners to check out "the lovely liquor store on our block called Jersey Wine & Spirits" for a bottle to bring along to the restaurant, which is now BYOB.

I followed that advice on the night of my visit to Thirty Acres, and found that the manager of Jersey Wine & Spirits, Chip Hughes, knew "exactly" what sort of wine I should pair with the Thirty Acres food. "Something with a lot of acidity?red or white. The food there is all about acidity," he declared. Although I'd also brought a wine of my own (a German Pinot Noir), I was happy to take Mr. Hughes's advice.

As Mr. Hughes and I browsed among the Loire Valley offerings (the store has a particularly strong selection of French and Italian wines), a well-dressed man approached Mr. Hughes. "Don't worry, he's a regular," said Mr. Hughes, who chose the 2010 Clos du Tue-Bouef Cheverny ($24) for me to take to Thirty Acres. The well-dressed man had liked it as well, said Mr. Hughes. The well-dressed man confirmed that this was so. The store has a strong following among local residents as well as Thirty Acres diners, said Mr. Hughes. As he put it: "We're kind of the bar, wine cellar and a waiting room for everyone."

Although Thirty Acres sounds like some sort of farm, it was actually named for a Jersey City arena built in 1921 for a boxing match. While the arena was designed to accommodate 80,000 people, Thirty Acres seats about 40?but the tables are almost always filled, as the press has been universally good for the restaurant that's been around for less than a year.

The chef and owner of Thirty Acres, Kevin Pemoulie, is an alumnus of both Craft and Momofuku Noodle Bar in New York, and his cooking history shows in a menu with an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients and unexpected combinations?like my cappelletti pasta with eggplant ricotta, tomato sauce, stravecchio and shishito peppers, a smart combination of savory and sweet. The same was true of the perfectly cooked pork chop paired with apples, seckel pear, escarole and onions that paired nicely with the Loire Valley red chosen by Mr. Hughes. (My German Pinot Noir from Villa Wolf was just as good.)

Wine drinkers who like to bring their own bottles might want to visit Thirty Acres sooner rather than later, as the proprietors are looking to get a liquor license sometime soon?maybe before the end of the year. I guess that's the next step in its own renaissance.

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