The French "board" at Madiran The Wine Bar in East...

The French "board" at Madiran The Wine Bar in East Setauket features Brie, Bleu d'Auvergne, cornichons, fig jam, pickled red onions and toasted baguette. Credit: Newsday / Erica Marcus

There’s a new wine bar in East Setauket, and it means business. Madiran The Wine Bar has opened across Route 25A from Mario’s in the Old Schoolhouse Square shopping center, pouring hundreds of wines and serving small plates, panini and cheese-charcuterie boards. The spacious venue has tables, couches and two bars, one with seats, one for sidling up to.

Owner Jacqueline Malenda abandoned a law career to become a sommelier. After earning her certification five years ago, she worked in both wine wholesale and retail. Madiran, named for a wine from South West France, is the culmination of a dream: to introduce customers to “handmade, small-production wines that they aren’t seeing in wine stores — at a reasonable price.”

Malenda stocks seven Madirans. “They’re big and rich but still dry,” she said. “Perfect for the American palate — and easy to pronounce.” The 300-bottle list is organized by grape for the whites and country for the reds, with scores of bottles costing less than $40, some less than $30. There are also more than 50 wines by the glass, ranging from $8 to $16, and seven craft beers.

In the kitchen is chef Michael Armetta, formerly of Molto Vino and Ristorante Gemelli in Babylon. Small plates include mussels Provençal ($10), shrimp in green sauce ($10), caponata Siciliana ($8) and seared foie gras with spiced apple chutney ($15). Panini, with side salads, are $12, and cheese-charcuterie boards — highlighting Italy, France, Spain, Germany and the U.S. — are $25.

The wine bar’s hours are Tuesday to Thursday 5 to 11 p.m., Friday 5 p.m. to midnight, Saturday 3 p.m. to Midnight, Sunday 3 to 10 p.m. Weekdays, from 5 to 6 p.m., everything — food, wine, beer — is 10 percent off.

Madiran The Wine Bar is at 209 Route 25A, East Setauket, 631-675-2778, madiranthewinebar.com.

 
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