Wine on tap
I don't know what to think of the wine on tap Dave Holter plans to install at Taps Baltimore.
I've talked to a few people about the idea -- wine dispensed through taps with a nitrogen-powered system -- and they're split on it.
Some people think it would be cool. Others say they'll never order wine on tap because it sounds cheap and dirty.
Not so, says Patrick Russell, owner of Kooper's Tavern and Slainte in Fells Point. ...
He tried it in California and said it's an awesome idea.
Bars that serve wine by the glass sometimes keep pouring from the same bottle for days at a time, he said.
That means when you get to the bottom of the bottle, the wine tastes horrible and looks like sludge.
With wine on tap, it's never a problem, because it's always kept fresh -- no oxygen hits the wine. Only nitrogen.
And, you can get an exact pour of one ounce or two ounces, he said. That's perfect for wine tastings.
"It's a great concept," Russell said. "He'll do well with it."
(Photo by Bloomberg News)
Erik Maza is a features reporter at the Baltimore Sun. He writes for several sections of the Sun paper and contributes weekly columns on music and nightlife. He also writes and edits the Midnight Sun blog. He often covers entertainment, business, and the business of entertainment. Occasionally, he writes about Four Loko, The Block, the liquor board, and those who practice "
Comments
You've under-cut your own argument for this by showing a screw top bottle of wine. If this is the standard, yea wine on tap may seem good. (I'll slink back to D@L now.)
Posted by: Robert (the Single One) | March 9, 2008 5:09 PM
la Scala has had wine on tap for years. After you get over the stigma of a non-bottled wine, it's so much more fresh.
Posted by: Rick | March 10, 2008 8:50 AM
RtSO, don't knock wine screw-caps, please. I've had some very good wines ... even French ones, thank you ... that have screw caps. Screw caps can't taint wine as cork can, and you don't need a corkscrew. This is what's called "win win."
I want to taste tap wine before passing judgment, but it has to be better than the gunk I've had at places where wine isn't a big seller. Nothing like a glass of purple acid to knock the pleasure right out of your food.
Posted by: Dottie | March 10, 2008 1:37 PM
Come on RtSO - get with the times! Google the benefits of screw caps on wine and you'll quickly see that it's a far better way of preserving bottles than cork.
Posted by: Greg S | March 10, 2008 3:14 PM
there's an Italian joint in Philly that has this setup and it never fails. Plus, you don't have to worry about all the time opening bottles, wasting wine, overpouring/underpouring, etc.
Posted by: Mike | March 10, 2008 3:38 PM
It has taken a while for people to accept that screwtop wine is better for a variety of reasons. It will probably take just as long to convince people to appreciate canned beer.
Posted by: Liz Kay | April 8, 2008 11:27 AM
I don't know whether it's still true, but years ago a lot of canned beers had a metallic taste to them. That's not exactly what I want to taste in a beer. I agree with the people who extoll the virtues of screwtop wine, though.
Posted by: Jim | April 8, 2008 12:21 PM
Sam,
Went to a bar in DC (Lola's), they had a twelve bottle wine tap. I asked the bartender how that was working for the place. She said the patrons don't care one way or another. It hasn't brought in anymore business. As for her, or any other bartender there, they hate it because it takes longer to 'pour' a glass from the tap as opposed to pouring it herself while talking to the customer. (She has to turn around and face the tap on the wall)
Posted by: Eeyore | May 14, 2009 3:59 PM