Learning about and enjoying the truth in wine by Daniel P. Bader The empty wine bottles that ring the inside of In Vino Veritas are not mere decorations. Each one is a lesson in wine for the owners of the wine bar and restaurant on St. Nicholas Avenue and W. 170th Street. Elizabeth Arizaga and Frederico Torres opened In Vino Veritas in March 2004 after moving to the area from Hell’s Kitchen. The two were so used to having a huge variety of restaurants to choose from that they felt a little lost when they moved into the area. “It’s a very different neighborhood than where we used to live,” Arizaga said. As far as what kind of place to open, they chose to sell something they like, but didn’t have a deep knowledge of. “We both didn’t have a background in restaurants,” Arizaga said. “As far as product, we both really enjoy wine.”  Enter the ring of bottles.
“All those bottles up there – that’s our research,” Arizaga said. The fact that the pair of owners weren’t wine connoisseurs to start with has added a bit of flavor to the bouquet of In Vino Veritas, a bit of variety to the nose of the place. “Every week or two, I change the list,” Arizaga said. “There are too many good wines to stick with one list. … We push people out of their comfort zone.” Arizaga said she and Torres want to remove the mystique from wine and make it accessible to more people. “As I learn I want to show that to someone else,” Arizaga said. “Wine lists can be very intimidating.” But the two do have their standards, and you won’t find mass produced wines at In Vino Veritas – or on their beer list, which has microbrews or high-end Belgian beers like Chimay and Duval. “Most people come in asking for Corona,” Arizaga said, shaking her head in dismay. To complement the wine, Torres and Arizaga have a menu of light dishes that they describe as European with a tilt towards Italian cuisine. “It’s a good mix,” Arizaga said. That menu has four types of bruschetta, a classic tomato and basil, a Caprese, which has mozzarella and an “Española” version where chorizo and manchego cheese is added to the tomato and basil and finally a combination of the three. For main dishes, In Vino Veritas has a bevy of salads, and open-faced sandwiches like their Prosciutto and Avocado Tartine, which is served on toasted garlic bread, and paninis. Of note is the Mahón-Jamón Panino, made with mahón cheese, Serrano ham and olive tapenade, and the Cubano made with prosciutto. Great with a good red wine, the desserts include cheesecake, tiramisu and chocolate soufflé. In Vino Veritas is open everyday at noon for lunch, except Sunday when it opens at 3 p.m. Weekdays there is a lunch special which includes salad, panino and soda for $8.75 until 4 p.m. The Manhattan Times is the bilingual newspaper of Washington Heights and Inwood. In Vino Veritas, 1202 St. Nicholas Avenue. 212-781-4900 www.invinoveritasnyc.com
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