I’ve written about poorly organized wine lists before, but until now, I haven’t felt moved to remark on a particularly well done wine list. Apparently, it took traveling to Muscat, the capital of Oman, to find one worthy of note!

Our first night, we dined at a hilltop Indian restaurant called Mumtaz Mahal. Because I was worried that jet lag, alcohol and a rental car wouldn’t mix, I didn’t drink any wine, but I did marvel at the restaurant’s list. Here, on the edge of the Arabian Peninsula — a region not exactly known for wine appreciation — was one of the better wine lists I’ve ever encountered:

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Now that Sam’s Wine is but a cherished memory, the title of “Best Large Wine Store in Chicago” falls to Binny’s Beverage Depot. (Although I do love my neighborhood shop, In Fine Spirits, with its small but very well-chosen selection.)

I trekked down to Binny’s the other day in search of some unusual, delicious and inexpensive wine to pour at my upcoming wedding. I already planned on serving some Serbian Tamjanika and Vranac, but I needed some contrasting options.

After discussing the logistics of ordering and delivering the wine with “Michael,” one of Binny’s’ wine consultants, we hit the floor. I explained how I write a blog devoted to unusual and obscure wines and spirits, and asked for something a little off-the-wall. He led me to a display of Pillar Box Red, an Australian blend of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. Ah yes, an Australian Shiraz — I’m sure no one at the reception will have tried that before.

He next recommended the Peter Lehman Layers, a somewhat more interesting Australian blend once again dominated by Shiraz. I realized I must have been unclear. I explained again that I wanted something really unusual, “like the two wines I’ve already chosen to serve, a Serbian Tamjanika and Vra–”

Michael interrupted. “Oh, we don’t have any Serbian wine here.”

“Yes, I realize that,” I responded, “But that’s the level of ‘unusual’ I’m looking for. Maybe you have some fun Greek options?”

Michael looked at me like I’d just farted.  (more…)

In honor of Independence Day, Snooth assembled a fascinating collection of wineries from the 13 original colonies. It’s a great reminder that there’s a lot more to United States wine than just the West Coast — all 50 states now have wineries.

New York’s Long Island boasts some of the most innovative, crafting wines from ususual grapes like Dornfelder and Refosco. Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal featured an excellent piece about the virtues of obscure Long Island varietals.

It might not be easy to find a wine from the East Coast in your local wine shop. But you can certainly find something unusual and American with which to celebrate July 4th. A nice dry rosé would be perfect with a picnic or barbeque, or even better, crack open an American bubbly.

Cheers!

Hello, millions of dedicated Odd Bacchus readers. I’m heading into the wilds of Wisconsin for a week, and my access to the Internet will be spotty at best. I’ll post if I can, but most likely you’ll see a return to regular posting around May 2. I suspect there will be wild tales to tell, redolent of cherry-apple wine and rhubarb port.

Cheers!