The Winemakers are Coming! Again…

Originally published on March 4, 2010.

First – long time no post. Loooooooooooong time! But I’ll just blame vacation schedules, sick me, sick staff, sick kids, snow storms, too many distributor reps and call it a day.

Moving on….

The Winemakers are Coming!

I have two lined up for March. The last winemaker visit, back in October, was a big success. We hosted Emil den Dulk from De Toren Cellar and my fear of a store filled with nothing but chirping crickets was unfounded. There were plenty of customers tasting and talking, asking questions and even buying (I like buying.) Emil was very impressed with the turn out, saying it was probably the best in-store tasting he had done. Happy winemaker, happy customers, happy cash register…not much more to want.

So I’ll be letting more winemakers stand behind the big white tasting counter.

Tomorrow, we’re hosting Theodore Vatistas from Vatistas Vineyards in Greece. He’ll be pouring a red and a white, both made from obscure, local grape varieties. Greece has quite a few obscure, local grape varieties but Vastistas has identified some that are especially unique. Like Kidonista, which is rumored to bloom twice during the growing season (and makes for a delicate, subtly aromatic white.) We’ll be tasting it tomorrow and learning if it really does bloom twice a season. And if so, why? And how do you actually pronounce “Agiorgitko?” And “Xynomavro?” And “Assyrtiko?”

Answers to these questions and many more will be found at Frankly Wines.