Wednesday, August 31, 2005
PITTSFIELD

Brix Wine Bar is the type of place you visit when you have an appetite for tasty tidbits accompanied by all-world wines and you want to feel like you're someplace other than Pittsfield.

I stopped in on a recent Tuesday night shortly after 8, accompanied by my wife, my longtime culinary companion. Faint jazz sounds played over speakers, and all but one of the tables were full. An older man stood at the bar (there are no stools) sipping wine and asking the bartender questions.

Screeching semi-trucks passing by and views of the Crowne Plaza reminded us that we were in Pittsfield, but the sophisticated, neo-hip vibe told us it's the "new" Pittsfield.

Brix bills itself as a wine bar and bistro that brings "a touch of Europe to downtown Pittsfield," but its feel is more New York City than Europe. There's exposed duct work on the ceiling complemented by a fresh coat of yellow paint on the walls.

The zinc bar top, one of only a few in the U.S., takes top billing, having been made by Thierry Nectoux, a third-generation Paris bar maker. In years to come (and I'm betting this bar

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will survive), the zinc top will develop a deep, colorful patina as unique as the patrons who sip over it.

After being seated promptly, we opted to try a "flight," or sampler of four wines, ($10), as we heard from many who visited before that this was a specialty.

My wife went with white, I went red. The whites were a South African sauvignon blanc, a South African chenin blanc, a dry gewurztraminer from Oregon and a chardonnay from France.

The reds were a Nero d'Avola from Italy, a blended wine from Spain, a tres bagos from Portugal and a Californian zinfandel.

The four samples equaled about a glass-and-a-half of wine. The sauvignon blanc stood out in nose alone, emanating a rich floral bouquet, the taste subtle and warming. The dry gewurz' was too dry for my liking, but the chardonnay was buttery and clean.

The Nero d'Avola (translation: "The black (grape) of Avola") is a new grape on the wine scene, although people familiar with Italian wines know this is the native grape of Sicily, once used to give light reds more body. Sicilian wine growers stopped producing it in bulk in the 1980s, but now it's making a return. The grape makes a velvety red wine, and this 2003 version shined.

The waitress informed us that owner Patrick McGinley changes the sampling selections on a daily basis, as to give customers the option of trying new wines each night. There's also an Introduction to Wine sampler ($8) that features two reds and two whites, ones that may be considered more mainstream. These also change on a daily basis.

Fifty-eight wines are offered by the glass (ranging from a 2003 Castano rosado monastrell for $5 to a Duval-Leroy brut rose for $17), and dozens more are offered by the bottle.

The menu is meant to complement the wines, and the foods are in no way the main attraction, just a light meal or a snack, really.

We decided to share three items. A prosciutto, plum tomato, basil and fresh mozzarella panini ($9) was near-perfect. The bread was crispy and flavorful and doused with extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). The fresh basil provided more of a flavor impact than the prosciutto, of which there was only one slice.

A choice of field greens or a pasta salad was offered, and we chose the latter — the fusilli was al-dente and served with a light vinaigrette and sun-dried tomatoes.

A salad of field greens topped with a pinot noir reduction, blue cheese and five well-done, chilled medallions of pork tenderloin stuffed with mission figs ($10) was interesting, although I wished the pork had been warm and medium rare. They had almost no pork flavor, acting as a vehicle for the figs more than anything.

The sun-dried tomato bruschetta ($8) was standard fare although skimpy: three cell phone-sized pieces of toasted bread generously topped with a tapenade that I suspect was out of a jar. It was also served with the fusilli.

The menu offers five paninis, five bruschettas, two salads and seven appetizer plates. These in-clude prosciutto and figs ($9), bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with almonds ($8) and assorted cheeses ($20) from Rubiner's Cheese-mongers & Grocers of Great Bar-rington.

Two desserts from Chocolate Springs of Lenox are offered, as is an in-house creme brulee ($7).

Six import beers are available for those who don't like fermented grape juice, as is trendy VOSS water ($5) direct from the Viking state of Norway.

All in all, you don't go to Brix to fill your belly full or if you're on a tight budget. You go to taste the new Pittsfield and to sample wines from a list that can compete with the best in the county.

    Restaurant review

    Brix Wine Bar 40 West St., Pittsfield. Tel. 413-236-9463.

    Style: Wine bar with a light bistro menu

    Dress: Casual

    Prices: Salads: $7 to $10; Bruschettas: $8; Paninis $9; Plates: $8 to $20; Desserts: $7.

    Wines: More than 50 available by the glass, ranging in prices from $5 to $17.

    Smoking: No smoking.

    Hours: Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 5 to 11; Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 5 to 1.

    Reservations: Accepted for parties of six or more.

    Credit cards: All major.

    Wheelchair accessible: Yes.

    Noise level: Quiet. Tables generously spaced.