The Wine Bar
Many areas of the world have clusters of vineyards or grape growing facilities, and in the United States many areas advertise “wine trails”. For example, the Litchfield County area of Connecticut has a well-marked wine trail that takes visitors on a beautiful and scenic drive from one vineyard to another, with some offering tastings and others full meal services and even accommodations. Additionally, entire regions of a state may be dedicated to the cultivation of wine grapes, such as the Napa Valley area of California, where visitors will bicycle from one vineyard to another in order to sample the many fine vintages, or stay in the region’s spas and hotels while enjoying the remarkable cuisine and wines.
What if a visit to a particular region is out of the question? How does a fan of wine and food go about enjoying a tasting of the many vintages a particular area has to offer? While membership in a wine club can provide a case or assortment of a particular region’s wines there are also other methods of enjoying an area’s foods and wines as well.
For instance, there are now “wine bars” in almost every area that specialize in presenting wine tastings, vintages by the glass, and menus full of food choices that are perfect accompaniments to a wide variety of wines.
Generally, a wine bar will not look at all like a standard “bar” or pub, but will look more like a traditional restaurant or bistro. The main difference will be that the focus of the experience is the many options in wines, with food serving as the “side dish”. Many wine bars will also serve as merchants, able to sell full bottles or even cases of the wines represented in their lists. For the most part, a traditional wine bar will offer no more than fifty to one hundred types of wine to choose from, and most make suggestions as to which dishes would work well with the wines.
For most visitors to a wine bar, the experience will be about experiencing or sampling only a few vintages and some lighter fare. Traditionally, guests will sample the same number of wines as in a traditional wine tasting, but will be seated to enjoy the experience in the same manner as a standard dining or restaurant experience.
Can people create the wine bar “experience” at home? Absolutely, the increasing interest and popularity around wine tastings has made the at-home events just as easily managed as any other kind of party or special event. It is a good idea to do a bit of research around the food and wine pairings, and even a visit to a wine bar to see their menu and sample some of the wines to serve as inspiration.
The standard experience, at a wine bar or at a wine tasting party or event, will require a transition of wines: from dry to sweet if the emphasis is on the white wines or from light to deeper, fuller wines when tasting the reds. Alternately, a transition from younger to older wines could also guide the selection. Regardless of the choices, they should never be sampled or tasted simultaneously, and this is the reason for lighter fare or well-chosen foods.
Most patrons at a wine bar will be able to ask their sommelier or steward for suggestions, and additionally most wine bars offer “wine flights” or other pre-designed selections that provide four or five vintages and foods to experience without having to make individual choices. This may be the wisest option for those not familiar with wines or who have never visited a wine bar before.
