This past week I had a chance to meet up with Josh Bendahan from Halpern Wines at Rock Lobster (110 Ossington Ave) to discuss something I had not thought about… ever… Wine on Tap. This isn’t any sort of typo, Rock Lobster has a setup where they pour wine out of a tap just like you would beer at any Pub in the city. I can hear the sound of many of your necks snapping back to turn your nose up at the thought of not pouring wine out of a bottle. I must admit, I was a little skeptical at the thought of deviating from the tried and true way of serving wine, but I reminded myself of the fact that Screwcaps once looked down upon by wine snobs are now (slowly) beginning to be accepted. When I am enjoying a bottle of wine it is easy to forget that the people who make the wines also have to worry about selling the wines… and making a profit.
This is where the idea of wine from a keg is beneficial to the producer. What was fascinating talking to Josh are the benefits to the producer and the restaurant by serving wine from a keg. You don’t need to worry about bottles, labels, and corks. As well as having a cost saving benefit this is also going to help cut down on waste (Who would have thought that drinking wine could help you save the planet!). While all of these things are all great, and as much as I love a wine with a good gimmick to get people interested in the product the important thing will always be … does it taste good? The answer is Yes (for the most part).
I got to the restaurant early enough to have a glass of Vineland Riesling poured right in front of me. When the wine hit the glass I saw thousands of tiny bubbles and grew concerned that the wine would be carbonated, but the glass quickly cleared up. I am familiar with the Semi-Dry Riesling from Vineland and I was pleased to find that the wine tasted exactly how it should have. I did get a chance to taste several more wines from the lineup and I must admit the White Wines definitely shine on tap, while the Red wines were a little short on the finish … this is bad news if you’re a fan of full bodied reds. That being said the Vineland Cabernet is a very good Red Wine and goes for 1$/oz at Rock Lobster.
Much like with screw caps you can’t help but wonder if this is going to be a fad or if this is going to be the new norm when ordering wine in a Restaurant. It’s hard to say with only five restaurants serving wine using the Versay wine on tap system. However this idea has already taken off in California, New York and Italy.
You can find Wines on Tap at the following Toronto Restaurants:
Rock Lobster – 110 Ossington Ave
Wildfire Steakhouse – 3438 Yonge St
One Restaurant – 116 Yorkville Ave
Fabbrica – 49 Karl Fraser Road
Miller Tavern – 31 Bay Street
Wines available at Rock Lobster:
Vineland Riesling – 1$/oz – This is a very good high acidity Riesling with a little sweetness on the finish. The high acidity is very much flavours of Lemon and Lime.
Vineland Cabernet – 1$/oz – A very good uncomplicated Red that is loaded with very ripe red fruit flavours, Cherry and Raspberry.
Bob and Roberts Blend – 2$/oz – This is an American Wine from Washington that has a more complex flavour profile than the Vineland Cabernet that striked a balance between Raspberry and a Smoky finish. Comprised mainly of Merlot it is very soft and easy drinking.
If you’re not able to make it out to any of the restaurants to try this for yourself you can always enjoy the Vineland Semi-Dry Riesling (LCBO 232033 / $13.95)
