DRINK CULTURE
Master Sommelier Keith Goldston wrote an article in
2001 comparing different types of wine with popular
entertainers. For instance, he likened Britney Spears to the
oft-derided buttery, oaky California chardonnay.
Since then, he's found that using musical analogies to
describe wines serves both as a helpful talking point for
sommeliers and servers, and a universal, relatable reference
for guests. So Goldston decided to use this tactic when
constructing the wine list at Range, Bryan Voltaggio's 300seat, 14,000-sq. ft. seasonal- and Mid-Atlantic-focused
restaurant in Washington, D.C.
Goldston serves as wine director of Range, where the
weekly changing list spans 500 bottles priced $16 to $986,
with 17 wines available by the glass for $9 to $19. The
menu focuses on classic wines from classic regions, along
with several hundred bottles that Goldston deemed "too
good to pass up."
Eschewing the more common organizational
methods—by region or varietal—Goldston categorizes
wines according to musicians. The result is an abstract,
often tongue-in-cheek menu that has guests talking.
For example, crisp, lean white wines are known as
"Skinny Elvis," while big and powerful whites are akin to
"Fat Elvis." "Poppy & Polished Reds" are like The Beatles
pre-drug-period, and "Powerful & Intense But Still Poppy
Reds" describe the band's evolution after they discovered
psychedelics.
10
| JUNE 2013
Keith Goldston, right,
wine director at Range
in Washington, D.C.
(shown above), uses
music references to
describe wines.
Some groupings require guests to delve deeper into
musical history (a lifetime subscription to Rolling Stone
probably wouldn't hurt, either.) A page devoted to
Rieslings around the world touts "whites with incredible
precision, power and purity, some will say the greatest
ever," comparing them to Canadian progressive rock band
Rush: "Either you get it or you don't."
Goldston uses the "Exile on Main Street"-era of the
Rolling Stones to describe earthy, funky Old World reds
from Bordeaux and beyond.
He admits that occasionally he encounters some head
scratching from guests, but the overall response has been
positive. "Out of all the lists I have written, this is the first
one where I have seen lots of people laughing, smiling and
taking pictures," Goldston says.
Range is fortunate to have three sommeliers working
the floor on busy nights. They have the chance to open
guests' minds to select a wine not by its grape or area of
production, but by focusing on how it's drinking.
"The list leads to a lot of discussion; it is a joy to be able
to engage with the majority of our guests and help guide
them through the list instead of just taking an order,"
Goldston notes. —Kelly A. Magyarics
www.cheersonline.com
KEN GOODMAN PHOTOGRAPHY
Range's Rockin' Wine List