THE NOSH PIT >>>

The Nosh League's first gathering was a wine and cheese tasting last night inside Cork! A Wine Bar on Sixth Avenue. Besides the sweltering heat and a cranky bicyclist who threated a lawsuit over our sandwich board on the sidewalk, it was quite a lovely evening.

Cork! opened its arms to the League, accommodating us in every way - including some tasty classic rock licks under Tivoli lights.

Weekly Volcano Grocery Stories columnist Kris Blondin - a veteran in the local wine and restaurant scene - lead us through five wine and cheese pairings. We tasted a very dry Codorniu Cava, Root 1 Sauvignon Blanc, Yealands Pinot Noir, Hahn Meritage and Ficklin Port. I learned: gamey goat cheese pairs well with the natural sugars of Root 1, the smokiness of the Yealands and the smokiness of the gouda didn't smoke out my taste buds, and Nicky Hahn of California's central coast Hahn Estates owns massive acreage in Kenya and didn't kick out the natives who were living there before he bought it.

Throughout Blondin's presentation, the Nosh League members threw many questions at her, which she had an answer for every one. It was obvious that mosts NL members had a solid wine knowledge base due to the complex nature of their questions.

The highlight for me was the Hahn Meritage, a blend of the five grapes form the Bordeaux region. Blondin took us through its history, shared her experience meeting with Nicky Hahn, elaborated on the Kenya situation, including Hahn's generosity with handicapped Kenyan children, and its amazing value, around $14 - while I stole extra pieces of the pairing Manchego cheese.

At the end of the evening, my wife, Kate, her mother Chiara Wood, and Steph and Damon DeRosa dined under the Tivoli lights on more Hahn Meritage, a load of Manchego and Cork!'s delicious flatbreads.

Our next Nosh league gathering will be an educational tour of various beers on Aug. 12. We don't have the final go ahead from the venue. Stay tuned.

LINK: More photos from last night's Nosh League gathering

LINK: Join the Nosh League