I’d tap that!" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Offline!
Two Urban Licks in Atlanta has used this method since they opened a few years ago. All the barrels/kegs are stainless steel. I do think the wine tastes a bit different. Not necessarily better or worse, just different.
Its going to be a stretch for me to even taste from a tap. I even prefer quality beer [Belgium] from a bottle over a tap. Think Ill stay traditional.
Friend of mine who’s a smart wine guy and a sommelier just asked me what I thought about this, and I had to admit, it’s a little hokey. However, I said that if it’s cost efficient (say under $2 a glass), you could run an after work, 5 to 6 promo where you get a free glass on the house with an app order or something. Not sure if the kitchen staff would love to work that extra hour, but good way to draw.
Blake,
They have this going at the Wine Cask - in fact, I believe they have a Brewer Clifton Pinot in there right now! Not shabby stuff.
I think that it is a positive concept for our industry - cheaper to produce on the winery side, more eco-friendly, and many consumers who want to get away from the pompousness of wine may be drawn back by the simplicity concept.
Out The Door in SF has been offering this for the past year - and they’ve been quite successful.
Cheers!
What’s hokey about it? If the wines are pushed via argon and the lines are kept clean, there is no difference between that and a freshly opened bottle. Consumer wins by getting a fresh glass (vs something that may have been sitting a day or 3), Resto has no spoilage, Producer saves costs of bottling, and environmentally is no waste in packaging. The wines that are now being offered in kegs are pretty sick- stuff that you may not have seen BTG in years before. The most important thing isn’t delivery, it is if the wine is good.
The demand and interest for wine on tap in SF is very strong (from both the restos and consumers). We’ve now taken it so far as to converting our tasting room to a tap system.
If anyone is interested- A view of the room and taps-
Tasting Room" onclick=“window.open(this.href);return false;
The first pour from our taps-
http://vimeo.com/12137654” onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (if wondering about the color, that is unfiltered Sauv B on the skins)
Larry, I guess I`ll have to try it before slamming it. It does appear to me that putting so much emphasis on crafting a wine with all of the hands off preferences, storing it properly and pouring it into a fine stem is potentially violated with this procedure. Is there no harmful influence exerted here? Is the wine the “same” as if poured from the bottle fresh?
I just tasted ABC wines with Jim at the Wine Cask, but they were poured from bottle and I did not notice any BC on “tap”. Will check it out next stop. Thanks.
Try it first- The bottling procedure is a lot more aggressive on wine vs filling up a keg. Also- these are wines that aren’t meant to be stored- they are to be consumed now, by the glass or carafe- Hopefully they are going into a stem that fits the caliber of the juice.
Brewer Clifton wines do not qualify for “wines not meant to be stored”. I`m curious enough to give it a taste. Thanks for the input.
deleted- duplicate
Beer is almost always fresher from keg than bottle.
I recall going to a dive bar (when I was barely 21), and the wine they served came out of the same tap as the soda. (I was into wine from age 19, so this made me gag back then) Always stuck in my mind. Totally understand the logistics, but screw caps have been in the market for what, like 10 years now? I still have folks rant and rave about them. Tetra packs also have not caught on out here either. May be a coastal thing.
I am surprised that beer is " almost always fresher from the keg". My experience has been that it depends upon the size and how long the keg has been tapped. I have had some very flat beer from old kegs. I travel a lot in Holland and Belgium and have always deferred to the bottles of some of my favorites [Westmalle. Leffe] over the tap although in some instances, I know the owner of the bar and get fresh keg beer when it is recommended as fresh and just tapped. I have cases of Westmalle that are over 2 years old and they are drinking beautifully now. I may have to experiment here also.
It is a total shift in perception (like screw caps)- Plonky juice has flowed off tap for years and people are finally making the leap to get great wine on tap. This whole shift depends on solid wines coming from tap systems, followed by tap systems being setup and maintained properly.
TetraPak is a little weird- It isn’t recyclable everywhere, and the quality of the juice in TetraPak has not been very high (Yellow & Blue is clearly the best one I’ve tried).
Taps are catching on in NY, ATL (has bee doing it for years), TX, and in N & S Cali. Perhaps the bay is feeling the fever even harder due to the proximity of the wineries to the restaurants / broader options?
Off to Out The Door to do some QC…
It is a total shift in perception (like screw caps)- Plonky juice has flowed off tap for years and people are finally making the leap to get great wine on tap. This whole shift depends on solid wines coming from tap systems, followed by tap systems being setup and maintained properly.
TetraPak is a little weird- It isn’t recyclable everywhere, and the quality of the juice in TetraPak has not been very high (Yellow & Blue is clearly the best one I’ve tried).
Taps are catching on in NY, ATL (has bee doing it for years), TX, and in N & S Cali. Perhaps the bay is feeling the fever even harder due to the proximity of the wineries to the restaurants / broader options?
Off to Out The Door to do some QC… 
This was written up in the San Francisco Chronicle and SFGate last month:
I’ve heard of more and more places doing this in the Bay Area. It makes loads of sense for restaurant wine by the glass programs. And as Hardy noted, the system is much easier on the wine than bottling it would be, plus there’s no waste from bottles, corks or screwcaps, labels, etc. - and the wineries save money not having to bottle this wine. I expect we’ll see a lot more wineries and restaurants doing this.
Our favorite wine bar in Venice:
In print, the tap story was on the front page-- pretty cool
I just got back (11PM) from spending all day working with or talking about kegs in SF. Followed by drinking off them tonight at Out The Door. I’m going to be pulling taps in my sleep tonight…