Announcing the Basil T’s Monday Night Burger Night.

Come to Basil T’s in Red Bank and enjoy Monday Night Football like never before: your choice of three delicious salads, char grilled Black Angus burger, a pint of our homemade micro brews or glass of Principato Vini de Casa, all enjoyed in front of 12 large flat screens around our lively bar scene.  Best part – all this for $20.  Monday Night has never looked better.

The “Wine Professor” Anthony Verdoni and “The Tasso” Victor Rallo, Jr. weigh in with their thoughts on the Wine of the Week, Fattoria Vignavecchia Chianti Classico 2004.

Anthony Verdoni (AKA “The Wine Professor”)

Value: B+

You’re buying more than wine here. You’re buying history. The handsome, bearded man on the label is Odoardo Beccari, who founded Vignavecchia in 1876. He retired to this estate in Radda after a life as an explorer, botanist, zoologist, and ornithologist. In his commitment to scientific research, he made arduous journeys to such distant lands as New Guinea and Sumatra – and he later brought this intellectual curiosity back to his vineyards. His descendants run the winery today, adhering to the high standards that Odoardo set so many decades ago.

Radda is one of Chianti Classico’s most important and historic villages. The Sangiovese here is powerful and complex, much as it is in Montalcino. The wines age well. The 2004 vintage was superb, bordering on spectacular. Vignavecchia Chianti Classico is rounding into shape. It is perfect when decanted or when it is served in large, balloon glasses.

All of the flavors of the Merlot are well integrated into the oak and Sangiovese. Balance is everything! The color is ruby to purple, an almost brilliant eggplant hue. The taste is peppery with dark fruit nuances from the Merlot. The best part for me was the prolonged, lingering, fruity finish. You can hold this wine for another 3-5 years, if you have the patience. Treat yourself. Buy some history.

Victor Rallo, Jr. (“The Tasso”)

Overall quality: B+

Value: A

When you meet Orsola Beccari you know immediately the Vignavecchia makes great wine. She is dynamic, fun and energetic just like the wines her family produces, and the 2004 Chianti Classico is no exception. This wine is an excellent bridge wine, the infusion of 15% merlot when blended with the oak aged sangiovese produces and international style Chianti Classico that appeals to the American palate. This wine has excellent balance, beautiful fruit and a delightful finish. A great choice with hard cheeses, roasted meats and even a pizza.

#ShoreTweet Tweeters outside Basil T's

Basil T’s Brewery and Italian Grill in Red Bank, New Jersey was proud to host the Central Jersey  #ShoreTweet community’s first tweetup! (A tweetup is a meet up organized through twitter to bring members of specific twitter communities or of a specific area together.)  The #ShoreTweet hashtag was started by Colleen Curry to plan the tweetup, and was the tag for dozens of posts from enthusiastic central Jersey tweeters.

Last night (a week after Colleen announced the tweetup) 14 of central Jersey’s finest Twitter users came together for the first time at Basil T’s.  The first half-hour  set the tone for the evening as people gathered around the table near the bar and met the faces behind the user names.  Introductions like “Oh, you’re ShoreFlicks!  I love your taste in movies!”  showed in a nutshell the value of these types of events to the Central Jersey online community.  The entire two hours (and then some) were filled with constant conversation over some complimentary pizza and micro brews, among which the Red Rocket Ale seemed to be everyone’s favorite.  You can view some wonderful pictures taken from the event here thanks to @Navesink!

Basil T’s looks forward to being an active participant in the growing online Central Jersey community through events like this and the upcoming Jersey Shore Restaurant Week.  Below is a list of the tweetup attendees.  If you attended and are not yet on the list, please send a DM to @BasilTs or @HelloPresto. 

Thanks again to everyone who came out and made this possible!

@CurryColleen
@AsburyPop
@EatontownBB
@MarioB1895
@Kevin1895
@LKcoach
@ShoreFlicks
@Navesink
@NJFilm2009
@JerseyDebMadey
@InFreehold
@HelloPresto
@tlabetti