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| At Wine-Centric Restaurants, a Pandemic Pivot with Staying Power Posted: 14 Jul 2021 04:29 AM PDT  Lauren Feldman always imagined there would one day be a retail component to Valley, the bar and restaurant she cofounded in Sonoma last July. But when the pandemic hit, she launched direct-to-consumer wine sales before Valley even opened its doors. "We started with isolation deliveries, where we drove around to get wine to people, order by order," says Feldman. This was from March to June 2020. "We figured, people still need wine, maybe now more than ever," she says. This month, as Valley celebrates its one-year anniversary, its pandemic pivot endures with The Valley Bottle Club. The subscription-based service offers three bottles for pickup at the restaurant each month, or six-bottle shipments available quarterly in select states. "People come to Valley because they like the food and the vibe," says Tanner Walle, one of Valley's cofounders. The wine club appeals, he says, because "it connects you to a lifestyle."  Restaurants create wine clubs for an array of reasons. Some do it to build loyalty. Others use it to distribute allocated bottles. Some simply want steady income in a notoriously unpredictable business. During the darkest days of the pandemic, wine clubs provided a means of survival for some beleaguered restaurants and linked up isolated patrons. This sense of connection is vital to Feldman. "For me, it very much comes down to community," she says. "It's about seeing people's faces and having a location to connect to."  In Philadelphia, Jet Wine Bar's club also prioritizes locals. "We're a teeny-tiny wine bar," says Jill Weber, owner of Jet. "During the pandemic, we had to make money the way everyone else was, by becoming a bottle shop." Earlier this year, Jet transitioned those a la carte sales into a subscription-based wine club. Each month, premium members come to the bar to pick up two bottles chosen by Beverage Director and General Manager Nick Baitzel. "We have a small, but very loyal customer base," says Weber, who estimates the club has around 100 premium members. "We’re a neighborhood spot. More than anything, the club is a perk for our most loyal customers."  New York City restaurant King launched its wine club in November 2020. Unlike Jet and Valley, which run primarily on pickups, King Wine Club delivers three bottles a month to subscribers nationwide. "It was part of a larger attempt to make up for lost revenue at that time," says Annie Shi, a partner at the restaurant. "A lot of our regulars had scattered at this point, whether temporarily or permanently, and we thought this was a way to bring a little of King to wherever they were during the pandemic." Similarly, in Asheville, North Carolina, Cúrate created a pandemic-era club that features three bottles of Spanish wine each month. All are available for onsite pickup or via delivery for a $10 flat fee.  Even if diners can't sit at a table and interact with a sommelier, clubs can connect them to a restaurant's area of expertise. The club from San Francisco's Che Fico restaurant features rare or hard-to-find bottles. Members of a planned club from Santa Monica's Crudo e Nudo will be able to choose from “modern" or "traditional" bottlings off the restaurant's primarily biodynamic and minimal-intervention wine list.
Several restaurant wine clubs include an educational element. Ray Gadzinski, wine director at Vernick Food + Drink in Philadelphia, selects four bottles from the primarily organic and minimal-intervention list for monthly subscribers, and includes tasting notes and pairing suggestions. The wine club from Chicago's Press Room encourages subscribers to conduct blind tastings at home. It includes two bottles of the same variety from different regions each month, and there are three tiers of difficulty. When New York City's Cote launches its club in September, members will have “access to insider knowledge," according to its Beverage Director and Partner, Victoria James.  Rami Ezzat, general manager of Robert et Fils in Chicago, also hopes to provide insight via the restaurant's wine club. Every month, he selects four bottles from one wine region. Each package includes tasting notes and an introduction to the destination's wine culture. "For the familiar regions, we explore varietals that may not be as popular or recognized," says Ezzat. One month, Robert et Fils Wine Club featured a selection of Loire Valley Muscadets, since "most people will go straight to Sancerre as their Loire Valley white wine," he says. Robert et Fils' subscription boxes are only available for local pickup. Ezzat hopes to expand its reach but, in the meantime, he's happy with how the wine club connects his team to their community. Especially lately, he says, "when the world's current state didn't allow us to swirl and sip with a new, friendly face." |
| Fizzy and Fun: Six American Pét-Nats Posted: 14 Jul 2021 04:00 AM PDT  Pétillant naturel, or pet-nat, has been trendy for a while. But these summer sippers are the original sparkling wines. Made all over the world, these wines are fermented in the bottle to retain their fizz and signature fruity, joyful profile. Here are six pét-nats from the U.S. to try. Birichino NV Petulant Naturel Malvasia Bianca (Monterey); $25, 91 points. From 31-year-old vines, this bubbly is all kinds of wild, starting with a very cloudy appearance then leading into aromas of grapefruit soda, apple sauce and banana. That unique combination shows strongly on the palate as well, where tropical hints of mango and makrut lime add to the attention-grabbing format. —Matt Kettmann Savage Grace 2019 Petillant Naturel Dineen Vineyard Côt Sparkling (Yakima Valley); $35, 91 points. Again from this producer, a one-of-a-kind wine in the state, this time a sparkling Malbec. It’s cloudy in appearance, with aromas of brioche followed by bright, broad feeling citrus flavors that tingle the palate. It’s outright delicious and fun to boot. Editors' Choice. —Sean P. Sullivan Grosgrain 2020 Old Vine Petillant Naturel Kiona Vineyard Lemberger (Red Mountain); $30, 90 points. This slightly cloudy wine is apricot colored. The aromas offer notes of baked bread and pear tart. The palate dances with light, elegant flavors that linger on the finish. It’s flat-out delicious. Editors' Choice. —S.S. Pet Project 2020 Petillant Naturel Arete Vineyard Chenin Blanc (Columbia Valley); $29, 90 points. This is a rare-for-the-state organic sparkling wine of an increasingly seldom seen variety. It was fermented with native yeast, and the aromas bring plenty of appeal, with notes of lemon, cut apple, apple skin and brioche. Bone-dry, quite austere citrus flavors follow. Acidity hounds, this one is for you. —S.S. Sandoval Mergenov 2020 Rockets Red Fizzion Petillant Naturel of Pinot Noir Pinot Noir (Santa Barbara County); $50, 89 points. Very bubbly in the glass, this wine from the Allan Hancock College vineyard expunged about a third of the bottle on opening, and smelled of strawberry, cherry and baking soda on the nose. Rosewater flavors came through on the sip, with a touch of citrus rind. —M.K. Breaking Bread 2020 Pet Nat Sparkling Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley); $26, 88 points. Unfined and unfiltered, this wine takes on a hazy, grapefruit-like color. It is buzzy in fruity cherry, blood orange and fresh acidity. Simple and crowd-pleasing, it is light and bright. —Virginie Boone |
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