A fine wine might impart images of palatial estates and smells of aromatic fruits and spices. It might offer a demonstrative mid-palate and a finish of rich chocolates. Then again, it might remind you of wet concrete …
That’s a great sales pitch. Meanwhile, I stop just short of looking for horse shit in my grape juice; however, other’s make more compelling arguments for manure in wine.
[via imgur]
If you fancy yourself a wino, you know the name Jay Miller. I didn’t say you liked Jay Miller, just that you probably know who he is. For those who don’t obsess about the crushed grape jus, Jay Miller worked as a wine reviewer for Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, an unfortunately popular dinosaur of wine media’s formative years.
I say worked because Jay Miller left his position at WA. The impetus behind this decision? Well, it seems a couple of journalists uncovered a “Pay for Jay” scandal whereby wineries in Spain were going to have to pay €20,000 (roughly $27,000!!!!!) ~ and that doesn’t include the VAT ~ to get Miller to come to their property and check out their schnizz.
It will be interesting to see what shakes out from this … and to see if Miller really had any involvement in the scandal, but I usually operate under the presumption that where there is smoke, there is fire.
The SF Gate has some of the gory details, as does Jim Loire on his blog.
The moral of this story: stop reading that stodgy crap and learn about wine this dude, or get your self Dirty with this guy (who also makes wine with this guy), or learn from a lady … cuz lady’s rock … or look through some notes I have about the wine community.
Answers to the Age-Old Question: What Makes a "Good" Wine List?
by certified Sommelier Elizabeth Schneider
As wine becomes more popular, it seems like every restaurant touts its unique, boutique wine list.
I’ve got to be honest — I have no idea what that means.
What I do know is that more often than not, nothing is exclusive about these lists. Except for the very top echelon, I find that restaurants frequently get good deals from distributors and buy things from them based on price. Wine buyers often would rather peddle big brands than take a risk on adding some cool stuff that their servers may need to know about and "hand sell" you on (which is what we want because it expands our repertoire of wine). This is hardly "boutique" or "unique."
And although wine is a subjective topic — what you like and what I like are totally based on our individual taste preferences and palates — I’d argue that there are certain guidelines for what constitutes a "good" wine list for most everyone.
Deep in the backwoods of Inman Park and the Old 4th Ward and tucked away in the corner of the vast Stove Works complex sits a little gem of a wine bar. Krog Bar, appropriately situated at the foot of Rathbun’s since 2005, serves as one fine place to enjoy an evening.
Though a tip of the hat from the food community usually only comes after mentions of Krog’s big brother and sister (the aforementioned Rathbun’s and Rathbun’s Steak), many wine enthusiasts in Atlanta vigilantly frequent this 750 square foot watering hole from celeb chef and big green egg enthusiast Kevin Rathbun.
Thanks in large part to establishments like Holeman & Finch (and by extension H&F Bottle Shop), Leon’s Full Service, and Perrine’s Wine Shop, Atlanta’s beer community, cocktail culture, and wine enthusiasm is alive, well, and growing. Despite spending a year of my life working for a distributor (and managing a bar in college), I must say that I often overlook the contribution libations make to my dining and entertainment experiences.
Thankfully, there are no shortage of resources available that will help keep you in touch with all the cocktail happenings here in Atlanta and the neighboring areas. Here’s an abbreviated guide to all things drink in The Dirty South (in alphabetical order of course).
It’s a bright and sunny day in Atlanta’s Westside Provision District. The late August breeze lends itself well to the sleek White Provision complex and its many foot-bound visitors. I have just stepped inside a large room lined with two walls of wine, a cheese and charcuterie case, and even some skin products (seriously). Slinking back and forth between the large communal table and the sleek iMac register is one Perrine Prieur. Immediately, without so much as a bat of the eye, I know I’m home. There is something really fantastic about Atlanta’s newest wine shop, indubitably named Perrine’s Wine Shop.
Now mind you, this is anything but a surprise to me and shouldn’t be to anyone who digs wine. Heck, it’s already garnered attention of Thirsty South! So though I’m no Legend, I’ve seen my share of liquid grapes. I’ve guzzled wine in romanticized cities, giant castles, and even the back of a giant warehouse. However, some of my most memorable escapades took places at the now defunct Joël. The success of those notable occasions rested entirely on the shoulders of Ms. Prieur. As Joël’s sommelier, Perrine assembled one of the city’s, if not region’s, most impressive wine lists. Now, she’s taken her talents Westside, and Atlanta is better for it.
A new website/blog is on the scene and it goes by the name of ThirstySouth.com. While I’m going to bet most of y’all have a knack for the obvious … in case you don’t: Thirsty South is dedicated to all things drink. They have an excellent photographer on staff and have already hit up Perrine’s Wine Shop … the best wine shop in town … which also happens to be the newest wine shop in town. Check out the post and tell me the blog doesn’t have mad potential.
Anyway, the site will cover wine, beer, libations & cocktails, coffee, tea, and pretty much anything else that takes liquid form. I think there’s a lot of potential for this thing to go big … so get in early! I’ll leave you with this lifted photo … good stuff … good stuff! Don’t forget to follow their facebook page and the twitter feed for all the good tids and bits.
Perrine Prieur, the former sommelier from Joel, is set to open her eponymous Wine By Perrine Wine Shop in the not to distant future. As it stands, the boutique is slated to open in the White Provision complex on the Westside. For those familiar with the area, Wine By Perrine will be sandwiched between the newly opened Yeah! Burger and the fresh smelling Matthew Klyn Garden. Word around the campfire is that July 15th will be the day; however, we all know how these things go … so don’t be alarmed if that doesn’t happen.
As for the credentials, Prieur has already established quite a reputation, as evident by her impressively impressive wine list at Joel. She has hand selected (and personally tasted) the roughly 200 wines that make up the initial inventory. The stock will consist of wines from all over the globe with a focus on limited production items from smaller vineyards. Perhaps my favorite feature is the Wine Club. It’s a monthly gig that will fit a theme and come with pairing suggestions, recipes, and a whole slew of other goodies. Count me in!
Though a wine shop from someone this respected might sound intimidating, there are a number of reasonably priced items, so don’t be intimidated.
1168 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta, GA, 30318 // Wine By Perrine website
Wine ratings are highly controversial to say the least. At their core, the ratz seem like a great idea. They take something that isn’t standardized and provide people with a measurable way of differentiating it from one and other. Formed as a consumer protection utility in the early 70s, the shortcomings of the system have been bemoaned while the virtues of the scale have been defended with fervor.
What was once a way to protect customers has turned into a marketing tool of epic proportions for grape smashers all over the world. Recently, the Journal of Wine Economics (no really … it’s a thang!), published two articles that attempt to further discredit the system. The articles were penned by Robert Hodgson, a retired statistics professor. While these tests are often dismissed by winos, this one seems to have a bit more teeth. A few days ago, The Wall Street Journal published an excellent summary piece on Hodgson’s findings. It’s definitely worth the read.
When you are done with that, you should definitely head over to The 89 Project blog. A popular site in its own right, it is definitely one of my favorite wine blogs. If the name doesn’t already give it away, the purpose of the site is to dispel the notion that 89 point wines deserve to be in the bargain bin. Unfortunately, the posting over there isn’t as rampant as I’d like it to be. Still, definitely worth the check out.
So Eat It Atlanta decided to head out to Cali for a little visit to the Wine Bloggers Conference. Turns out, he ran into Mr. Dirty South Wine and the two of them cavorted about, teasing those of us stuck in the ATL with tweets and status updates. To further rub it in – he took a number of great pictures and put together a nice little food-centric post. My ire grows stronger with each second as I come to grips with my decision to stay here and work.
Atlanta Restaurant Reviews | Atlanta Food Blogs | Dining in Atlanta
