In previous posts, I mentioned that if I ever turn up missing, check Bern's Steakhouse in Tampa or Lotus of Siam in Vegas. Two freak-show wine destinations where I never want to leave-- Now make that bike a trike! TERROIR SF.
Thinking about this place-- I want to cuss like I'm country... "WEREWOLF BATHTUBS and FORKED CLARINETS!!!" (Gregory Corso) This is a special place in the universe.
Along with a wine program focused exclusively on natural wines made with wild yeast, the wines are even surpassed by the infectious passion, knowledge, and conviction of two of the owners- Luc and Guillhaume.
For those of us living in areas where these sorts of wines aren't well represented or have limited distribution, Terroir SF is like a moon-landing.
Having sampled far too many beautiful wines to list, one truly rattled my cage.... The 2008 N.P.A Chardonnay.
Organically grown grapes, neutral French Oak, 18 days on its skins.... No filtration, no sulfites... available only in a reusable canteen, sold only withing 100 miles of the winery.
Cloudy yellow- looks almost creamy, and then just wow... Pure lemon, a core, a ghost-- no, a soul. I said nothing fit to print. I looked at Luc, and my drinking partner Jon... they both were smiling.
As the wine warmed, it felt more like a red wine, and the flavor / aroma even took on some berry-like characteristics. Mind-bendingly good.
For those interested--Far more intelligible things have been written on the NPA Chard-- Alice, SF Gate, Spume, Saignée.
What amazed me about Terroir, was not that it was geek Mecca, but that it was filled with wine drinkers of all sorts - An incredible example of passion and enthusiasm being contagious. I want a satellite location in the ATL. I'll even promise to turn it into a bird sanctuary!
For those in San Francisco, or heading there, get your butt into Terroir and sit down with a canteen. Just don't mention my name... I think I tore that place up...
Amidst considerable local restaurant closings, wine bars in Atlanta appear to be popping out of the woodwork...
Though I am really glad to see more wine destinations hitting the streets, it seems like the driving force behind almost all of them is the quantity of wines "By the Glass" vs. the quality of their picks.
"Come on down to Mc BrixNmust we've got Lots and lots of wine!" "OakNcroak" has 30 by the glass? We've got 50! "Plonkers" has 50? We've got 80! "'Dang! Tude n' Guzzlers" has 80? Well, we've got this Son of a B#*!
While hopefully no one strives to be the vinous equivalent of the Cheesecake Factory, many places present a whole lot of choices, and little that I am excited to go and order.
Very few places are getting the large by the glass list right. In Atlanta, ENO does it better than anyone. Their list is well thought out, packed with a selection of unique varieties, regions, styles and most importantly...Interesting, quality pours, at all levels of pricing.
($10 Wednesday Night Tastings at ENO)
Another large "by the glass" concept I like is at ONE. midtown kitchen If you want to taste, sample, and drink a lot of different wines, their bottomless glass program allows you to consume as many of the wines in that specific pricing level (or below) that you'd like. The concept is perfect If you want to compare and contrast wine styles and ultimately try a lot of different wines in one night.
But what really surprises me, is that few places have had the confidence to do the flip side of the mega "By the Glass" list. The well-constructed, smaller, rotating list.
Atlanta's best example of the small(er) list is Top FLR. They have a wine-geeky selection that they are truly passionate about. Knowing that some selections change almost weekly and that the list is assembled with a lot of care, gives me the reason to go back again and again, just to see what they've got.
The point of this ramble is that with all of the new places on the scene, I really want a new place to reach out, and excite me, so I can scream from their sidewalk- "THESE FOLKS GET IT!"
(For more Atlanta Wine Bar observations, Besha Rodell with Creative Loafing wrote the following article a few months back)
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