Wine Wednesday: Jazz
On Wednesdays, we sip to jazz (at Perquín).
Adam and I co-hosted another Wine Wednesday night at Perquín, featuring some fantastic wines to pair especially with notable jazz icons, including Duke Ellington, Vince Guaraldi, Wynton Marsalis, Buena Vista Social Club, John Coltrane Quartet, and Mary Lou Williams.
Established by the National Museum of American History in 2001, Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) is celebrated every April, honoring jazz as an art form and its impact on culture and history. April 30 is also International Jazz Day, a global holiday founded by UNESCO.
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THE CONCEPT
Perquín is an intimate Honduran restaurant where vibrant flavors meet smooth rhythms, making it the perfect locale to pour curated tasting flights with wines paired to echo the spirit of the music and the warmth of the food. A wonderful evening for sipping, savoring, and swaying, indeed!
To showcase a wide range of styles, I opted for wines from four countries with different varietal compositions in an array of colors (white, orange, red) — thanks again for helping me navigate ZRS’s portfolio, Adam! We kicked off with a sparkling blanc de noirs pétillant naturel (i.e., sparkling wine made in the ancestral method) of St. Laurent from Austria then headed southwest to Italy for a direct-press Vermentino from Piedmont and a skin-contact Grechetto from Umbria. Inspired by this Italian jaunt, we returned stateside to California for a co-fermented blend of mostly Piedmontese grapes grown at Fox Hill Vineyard in Anderson Valley. We then looped back across the Atlantic to France for a juicy red blend of Cinsault and Grenache from Minervois in Languedoc-Roussillon.
Outside of the usual five wines, we also offered a “Dealer’s Choice” option, available exclusively as a flight upgrade, featuring wines from our previous Wine Wednesdays. We revisited Autour de L’Anne’s Wonder Womanne pét nat rosé as well as Common Wealth Crush Co.’s Family Meal co-fermented red blend from our Women in Wine theme last month.
To listen along, here’s the playlist we had crooning yesterday as we poured wines and flights inspired by these talented musicians. I selected 15 songs from each featured artist/ensemble, alternating the tracks one by one so that upon any guest’s arrival, they’d have a full opportunity to hear their distinct compositions.
Featured Jazz Musicians/Ensembles
DUKE ELLINGTON
Duke Ellington was a pianist, composer, and bandleader, widely considered one of the greatest figures in jazz history. With a career spanning more than 50 years, he wrote thousands of compositions, blending jazz, classical, blues, and gospel into a uniquely elegant and sophisticated sound. With his long-running orchestra, Ellington helped elevate jazz from dance music to a serious art form. He was a true innovator, celebrated for his rich orchestrations, bold harmonies, and the ability to spotlight the individual talents of his band members.
Ellington had a notable performance with the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra on this classic tune of “When the Saints Go Marching In” on CBS’s variety series Stage Show in January 1955. Weingut Heinrich makes a Blanc de Noirs pét nat called Oh When the Saints, whose bottle has a musician playing a saxophone on its label — perhaps as a play on the eponymous song with the wine’s sole variety of Saint Laurent.
VINCE GUARALDI
Vince Guaraldi was an American jazz pianist and composer best known for his warm, lyrical style and his iconic music for the Peanuts animated television specials. Blending cool jazz with Latin rhythms and a melodic touch, Guaraldi created memorable tunes like “Linus and Lucy” and “Christmas Time is Here”, which have become deeply woven into American pop culture. Beyond his Peanuts fame, he was a skilled improviser and a key figure in West Coast jazz, with his music remaining beloved for its joyful essence, emotional depth, and timeless charm.
While Italy’s northern region of Piedmont is renowned for its ageworthy red wines of Barolo and Barbaresco made from Nebbiolo, its white wines are typically made from Cortese and Arneis. Piedmontese for Vermentino, Favorita is also grown here but in very limited quantities — it is named as such for being a favorite wine to kings of old. As a local curiosity among very structured, appellation-abiding wines, Favorita brings playfulness and warmth to an otherwise serious region, much like Guaraldi does in the genre of jazz.
Third-generation winemakers Fausto and Cinzia Cellario believes in only working with local, indigenous Piedmontese grape varieties and fiercely defends local winemaking traditions in both vineyard and cellar. Among Poderi Cellario’s bottlings is Lafrea, a Langhe Bianco made from Favorita — directly pressed, fermented, and aged in stainless steel.
WYNTON MARSALIS
Wynton Marsalis is a Grammy and Pulitzer Prize-winning trumpeter, composer, and bandleader widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern jazz. Originally from New Orleans, he is celebrated for his technical brilliance, deep reverence for jazz tradition, and genre-defying work that spans both jazz and classical music. As the artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Marsalis has been a tireless advocate for jazz education and preservation. His music — ranging from fiery bebop to sweeping orchestral suites — blends virtuosity with storytelling, often exploring themes of history, identity, and the American experience.
At the helm of Conestabile della Staffa is winemaker Danilo Marucci, who has re-envisioned this historic estate comprising over 12 hectares of vines, many of which have been in disrepair for over a decade, but were planted in the early 1970s. Wines are made in the most natural way, adhering to methods that Danilo has learned over the course of 20-plus years of winemaking and farming experience from some of Italy’s great masters, including Lino Maga, Eduardo Valentini, Cappellano, Vittorio Mattiolo, and others. Native grapes (e.g., Grechetto, Trebbiano, Ciliegiolo, Sangiovese, Gamay, Canaiolo, and Sagrantino) are the backbone of the property, a truly inspirational project with a bright future.
Similarly to Marsalis and the jazz genre, Danilo has great respect for history and preservation of Umbrian viticulture and winemaking. His Grecorange cuvée is made using old vine Grechetto (approximately 40-70 years in age) with 20 days of skin maceration then aged in fiberglass tanks — a fascinating wine paying homage to the past (old vines) with the modern (skin contact in fiberglass), one not unlike the multifaceted compositions of Marsalis.
BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB
Buena Vista Social Club is a legendary Cuban music ensemble that brought global attention to traditional Cuban styles like son, bolero, and guajira. Formed in the 1990s by American guitarist and producer Ry Cooder alongside Cuban bandleader Juan de Marcos González, the group revived the energy of Havana’s pre-revolutionary music scene by reuniting veteran musicians — many of whom had been retired for decades. Their self-titled 1997 album became an international sensation. With its warm rhythms, heartfelt vocals, and everlasting appeal, Buena Vista Social Club became a symbol of Cuban cultural pride and the enduring power of music to bridge generations and borders.
Rooted in terroir, spirit, and storytelling, winemaker Evan Lewandowski of Ruth Lewandowski Wines champions a radically natural and soulful approach to winemaking. One of his distinctive cuvées, Feints is a carbonic co-fermented blend primarily consisted of Arneis, Dolcetto, Barbera, and Nebbiolo with small amounts of Montepulciano, Vermentino, Trebbiano, and Grignolino.
Just as Buena Vista Social Club brought together diverse, seasoned Cuban musicians (each with their own story, rhythm, and style), co-fermentation unites different grape varieties at the very start of the winemaking process. They ferment side-by-side with their flavors, aromas, and textures intermingling in real time, creating something harmonious yet richly layered. Like the music of this renowned ensemble, the result is nostalgic but fresh, structured yet soulful, and always greater than the sum of its parts. While Buena Vista Social Club has remained rooted in Cuba, many of its members toured and performed abroad, much like the grape varieties found in Feints, which are all Italian in heritage.
THE JOHN COLTRANE QUARTET
The John Coltrane Quartet was a groundbreaking jazz ensemble led by illustrious saxophonist John Coltrane. Active primarily in the early 1960s, the group included pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and drummer Elvin Jones. Together, they helped redefine modern jazz with their intense spiritual sound and improvisational mastery. Their work remains a cornerstone of jazz history.
Winemaker Jean-Baptiste Senat has become a pioneer of natural winemaking in Minervois. After decades of winemaking his style has matured — using only native grape varieties (with Grenache at front and center), organic farming, no fining or filtration, and no sulfur. French for “off camera” or “out of frame”, Hors Champs is a blend of Grenache (40%) and Cinsault (60%) spontaneously fermented with whole-bunch maceration for 12 days followed by aging in vats. The ethos behind hors champs could be found in the signature improvisational stylings of the John Coltrane Quartet.
MARY LOU WILLIAMS
Mary Lou Williams was a seminal jazz pianist, composer, and arranger whose influence spanned the swing, bebop, and modern jazz eras. As a musical prodigy, she arranged for big bands like those of Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman, and later mentored legends like Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie. Known for her harmonic brilliance and spiritual depth, Willliams blended gospel, blues, avant-garde into a uniquely expressive style. Her legacy as a fearless innovator and as one of jazz’s few prominent women composers continue to inspire generations.
Zodiac Suite is one of her most notable series, as it comprises 12 movements inspired by a sign of the zodiac and dedicated to a friend or fellow artist born under that sign. The suite blends jazz, classical, and spiritual elements which allow Williams to move fluidly between dissonance and lyricism as well as structure and improvisation. Originally written for solo piano, she later expanded it for chamber jazz ensemble and eventually for full orchestra, performing a historic version at Carnegie Hall in 1946 — one of the first times an African American woman had her original orchestral work performing in that venue.
As we revisited some wines from last month’s Women in Wine theme, I wanted to ensure we highlighted an important woman in the jazz world, and Williams undoubtedly fit the bill. This also made for an uncanny tie-in for tonight, as biodynamic agriculture remains an important element for many producers of wine. Biodynamic farmers track moon phases and their position in the zodiac signs to determine the best times to plant, prune, harvest, or rest.
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THEMED FLIGHTS
OPTION No. 1: The Express
Great choice for getting the “highlights” from the full wine offerings. Plus, some agency in your choices of white/orange and of red.
1 × sparkling white from Austria
1 × choice of still white or still orange from Italy
1 × choice of still red from California or France
OPTION No. 2: The Bebop Combo
This flight showcases the solid “bebop combo” of grapes captured by these European winemakers.
1 × sparkling white from Austria
1 × still white from Italy
1 × still orange from Italy
OPTION No. 3: The Big Band
For those wanting to discover the breadth of red grape varieties, this red-focused flight lets you explore this in the form of powerful “big band” blends.
1 × sparkling white from Austria
1 × still red from California
1 × still red from France
OPTION No. 4: The Full Monty
Completionists will appreciate this option to try ’em all!
1 × sparkling white from Austria
1 × still white from Italy
1 × still orange from Italy
1 × still red from California (Mendocino)
1 × still red from France
BONUS: “Dealer’s Choice” Flight Upgrade
For those who missed our Women in Wine theme, we offered the opportunity to revisit a couple wines from last month and featured them as a flight upgrade and exclusively offered by-the-glass.
1 × sparkling rosé from France
1 × still red from Virginia
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THE MENU
Need to remind myself to take more food photos next time. I enjoyed the ceviche, a classic staple at Perquín, with its ingredients rotating based on seasonal availability. Highly recommend!
Adam and I also shared the special dessert for the week, which was a passionfruit mousse — absolutely bomb.
THE WINEUP
/ April 16, 2025 @ Perquín, Jersey City /
Weingut Heinrich 2022 St. Laurent ‘Oh When the Saints’ [Blanc de Noirs] Pét Nat
Zev Rovine Selections (New York) | 🇦🇹 sparkling white
St. Laurent
Duke Ellington・ mango peel ・ Asian pear
Poderi Cellario 2023 Langhe Bianco ‘Lafrea’ Favorita
Zev Rovine Selections + SelectioNaturel (New York) | 🇮🇹 still white
Vermentino (Favorita)
Vince Guaraldi ・ lemon-lime soda ・ sunny daffodils
Vini Conestabile della Staffa 2021 Umbria Bianco ‘Grecorange’
Zev Rovine Selections + SelectionNaturel (New York) | 🇮🇹 still orange
Grechetto
Wynton Marsalis ・ Snapple peach iced tea ・ persimmon skins
Ruth Lewandowski 2023 ‘Feints’ [Red Blend] Fox Hill Vineyard
Zev Rovine Selections (New York) | 🇺🇸 still red
Arneis / Dolcetto / Barbera / Nebbiolo / Montepulciano / Vermentino / Trebbiano / Grignolino
Buena Vista Social Club ・ rose bouquet ・ herbal crunch & juicy aromas
Domaine Jean-Baptiste Senat 2022 Aude Rouge ‘Hors Champs’
Zev Rovine Selections (New York) | 🇫🇷 still red
Cinsault / Grenache
John Coltrane Quartet ・ red fruit jam ・ blood orange leather
BONUS
Autour de L’Anne 2022 Vin de France Rosé ‘Wonder Womanne’
Zev Rovine Selections (New York) | 🇫🇷 sparkling rosé
Cinsault / Syrah / Grenache
raspberry Sweetarts ・ Diana Henry’s wine・ roses are red, violets are blue
Common Wealth Crush Co. 2023 ‘Family Meal’ Red
Zev Rovine Selections (New York) | 🇺🇸 still red
Blaufränkisch / Chenin Blanc / Sauvignon Blanc / Cayuga White
chill & crush ・ convivial co-ferment ・ Virginian victory
THE CODA
Another fabulous evening collaborating with Adam and Bryan — this lively Wednesday only made possible by Perquín’s badass team (shoutout to JP and Walter), familiar faces (always jazzed to pour for my Jersey City wine crew 🫶), as well as new folks — all being open to trying new wines. Once again, guests were very receptive of what we were trying to do for Wine Wednesday at Perquín, with enthusiastic feedback over our selections, flight format, and pairing inspirations, especially with tonight featuring our most abstract theme to date. These distinct wine selections (alongside a talented array of jazz musicians, no less) paired amazingly with Bryan’s awesome menu.
I’ve said many times before in various Substack posts that parameters can be very helpful at flexing one’s creativity, especially when it comes to pairing wines and arranging tastings around a theme. Our previous Wine Wednesday themes were pretty structured and concrete — whether geographical (inaugural), regional (Après Ski), or gender-affirming (Women in Wine) in nature. They allowed for a decent breadth of exploration within a given realm, but our Jazz theme for April 2025 allowed me to really dig deep on how to cohesively pull together wines that wouldn’t normally go together for any obvious reasons (think normally: geography, appellation, climate, or grape variety).
“Don’t play what’s there; play what’s not there.” —Mary Lou Williams
This rationale isn’t much different than when jazz ensembles are formed or when jazz compositions are devised — musicians and/or elements are brought together that will naturally “riff” on each other to create something (sound, harmony, solidarity, and the like) that can be greater than the sum of its parts. I’ll always look back at this night (and all ones to come) as my opportunity to act as bandleader and orchestrate a gustatory tasting suite through these curated flights — in the wise words of Mary Lou Williams, I hope to continue playing what’s not there for those who wish to listen.
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Cheers,
Stefie aka ‘Two Bottle Stef’ 💁🏻♀️✌️🍾