Only the well-financed restaurants have the resources to present the best wines. Most wine-conscious restaurants narrow their visions and choose a style or region in which to concentrate. The selection complements the cooking and conveys something about the restaurant’s identity.
Freek’s Mill is a new casual restaurant in Gowanus, Brooklyn, and features one of the most narrowly concentrated selections of wine. However, if you want Beaujolais or a chenin blanc, this restaurant is the place to be; these wines make up about 70% of the bottle inventory. The wine list was constructed by Alex Alan, the sommelier and a partner in the restaurant. Mr. Alan said his choices grew out of a draft of the restaurant’s opening menu, which emphasized seasonal vegetables, small plates and a wood-burning oven.
Beaujolais is a French wine generally made of the Gamay grape which has a thin skin and is low in tannins. Beaujolais tends to be a very light-bodied red wine, with relatively high amounts of acidity. The wine takes its name from the historical Province of Beaujolais, a wine producing region. Chenin blanc is a white wine grape variety from the Loire valley of France. Its high acidity means it can be used to make everything from sparkling wines to well-balanced dessert wines,
Mr. Alan is quoted, “In a perfect world, I want to give customers what they want. But I also want to teach them something without it feeling like I’m teaching them something.” The author of this article, Eric Asimov, applauds Mr. Alan for choosing wonderful wines that will reward customers who put themselves in his hands.
Here lies the age-old debate: Is a restaurant obligated to give customers what they want by offering something for everybody? Or can it stay true to a vision?
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