Good experiences in small packages

Mini-vins provide more control over consumption and a great opportunity to experiment and sample. So what's not to like?

By BILL WARD, Star Tribune

Last update: November 5, 2009 - 10:01 AM

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WINE OF THE WEEK

Dry Creek Vineyard Sonoma County Fumé Blanc 2007

The experience: There's some lip-smacking juiciness to this zesty white, with an array of fruit flavors (citrus, stone fruit, a touch of the tropics). But there's also enough acidity to give it some zing, and to balance out the surprisingly long finish.

The setting: Oysters, anyone? This vibrant white also sings with goat cheese, leafy salads with the always-challenging-to-pair vinaigrette, and most any other seafood, especially off the grill ("fumé" is French for smoked).

The back story: Dry Creek Vineyard's 1972 Fumé was the first sauvignon blanc from Sonoma County. It came out just a few years after Robert Mondavi concocted the "Fumé Blanc" designation.

The tab: $9-$10 for half-bottles, available at North Loop, France 44, Surdyk's and Bar Lurcat. Full bottles are $12-$15 and widely available.

BILL WARD

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I'm not nearly smart enough to figure out a whole lot of things. Foremost among them: why half-bottles of wine haven't caught on in a big way.

At about 12.7 ounces, these puppies contain just the right amount for so many occasions, from individuals dining at home, to casual dates, to groups with divergent tastes. The mini-vins provide more control over consumption and a great opportunity to experiment and sample. So what's not to like?

I understand why wine bars, which tend to have large by-the-glass offerings, aren't on board. But it's frustrating that most local stores and restaurants carry just a few, if any, 375-milliliter bottles.

That's starting to change. "They've worked really well for us," said Lenny Russo, whose Heartland restaurant in St. Paul has two dozen half-bottles on its list, "especially with a fixed-price menu.

"You might have one person ordering fauna and want a red wine, and the other person ordering flora and a white. Or a party of two might be starting with fish and ending with meat, and want to do a white and then a red. Or they might start with a sparkling wine."

Half-bottles are an even bigger hit at Minnetonka's Pairings Food & Wine Market, which has an eye-popping display of more than 70 of them. Those dining in the adjacent café pay no corkage fee, and with such a wide selection, wine director Anissa Gurstel and her staff often encourage diners to extend, or treat, themselves

"It's not such a large commitment, so we have an easier time getting people to try something they normally wouldn't," Gurstel said. "We can sell them on trying a Savennières [chenin blanc from France's Loire region] a little easier than with a full bottle.

"Also, when you look at the price of half-bottles, it's only so much per glass. So someone can get a single-vineyard pinot noir for $10 to $13 per glass."

While Gurstel has been pleased with half-bottle sales, I was particularly heartened to learn that about half the purchases were headed off-site. "We have a lot of townhouses in the area," she said, "and the singletons are buying them to take home."

Maybe that will encourage more retailers to carry half-bottles. They might have done so sooner, in fact, if not for one surprising factor: ever-improving box wines.

"With the evolution of quality box wines, that takes care of the issue of opening a whole bottle and not being able to finish it," said Dana Lade, fine-wine sales consultant for Quality Wine & Spirits. "When I worked at Solo Vino, people would read articles about one glass per day being good for them, so we'd give them a box."

But for those seeking a higher-quality experience, half-bottles make a lot of sense.

"If you don't drink a whole bottle," said Russo, "you have a limited amount of time before you're cooking with it. With half-bottles, you don't have that waste."

Bill Ward • bill.ward@startribune.com Read Ward on Wine at startribune.com/blogs/wine.