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Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/383488
www.cheersonline.com 30 Cheers • September 2014 colombard that are very approachable but have a little bit of difference that takes guests out of their normal box and makes it kind of fun," says Max's wine sales manager Leslie Higgs. That slight difference, along with value and an easier food-friendliness, are frequently cited by wine pros who like to include emerging wines. Max's typically charges about $7 for a glass of the colombard. GRECIAN FORMULA Oleana restaurant in Cambridge, MA, which specializes in Middle Eastern food, is fi nding success with Greek wines, among others. "Once people get over their post traumatic retsina experience, they fi nd a lot to like," says wine director Lauren Friel, referring to the traditional Greek wine that's fl avored with pine resin. "We pour assyrtiko by the glass and people love it, particularly in the summertime—that briney and snappy acidity," Friel says. "Among reds, xinomavro is dynamic and versatile, and can be like a Beaujolais or a Barolo, depending on the producer." Hon, who carries nearly a dozen Greek bottles on his list, says that Greek wines have benefi ted from a continuing promotional campaign in the U.S. that has succeeding in generating consumer interest. "In mainstream markets, they really are catching on—as a wine professional, I never really thought we'd see that with Greek wines." Oleana's Middle Eastern cuisine derives in many cases from nations with no winemaking or consuming tradition. So customers have few expectations or preconceived ideas of what should be on the wine list, says Friel. That's an advantage with guests, she notes, "but by the same token, we are a nationally ranked restaurant, and people see that and make a reservation without necessarily knowing what we are about before they come." Her white by-the-glass list is indicative of the breadth of entire program: The choices include an assyrtiko from Greece, a muscadet, an Austrian riesling, a pigato from Liguria and a malvazija from Slovenia. How does Oleana handle it when guests are confused about the wines? "We try to make people feel comfortable with the wine list, so they know it's not different for the sake of being different," Friel says. Also, she says, "I train the staff about how to make the connections between, say, a pinot and a mencia blend from the Ribera, or if they like white Burgundy to get them into a gruner [veltliner]." UNDEREXPOSED ITALIAN WINES Some restaurants by choice confi ne themselves to one major region. In the case of Nostrana, a pan-Italian restaurant in Portland, OR, the wine list is limited by convention to Italian and Oregon wines, though it includes Corsica for its winemaking traditions and Slovenia for its proximity. Still, Nostrana features a multitude of small and underrepresented Italian regions, says wine director Michael Doherty. For example, the restaurant this summer offered two fl ights on the menu: one a trio of white, pink and red lambruscos; the other three rosés from Corsica. Flights are a great way to ease customers into wines with which they may be unfamiliar, he notes. "Some guests like to stay with what they know, while others want a new experience. So we make sure there's enough on the list to serve either type," says Doherty. Wines such as the three Etna Rossos he offers attract diners who want to venture a bit further afi eld, says Doherty, who admits that he used to have a much more narrow view of Max's Wine Dive will take some risks on emerging wines. Austrian wines have been gaining a following at Houston-based Max's.