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Wine bars are entering their heyday here | In the news | My Website
Wine bars are entering their heyday here
24/01/07 21:19 Filed in: In the news
Medford Mail Tribune
by Cleve Twitchell
The era of the wine bar has definitely arrived in Jackson County.
It began two years ago with the opening of The Winchester Inn's wine bar in Ashland. Now, we're now up to four. Liquid Assets of Ashland came along last August and Corks of Medford in September. The latest is 38 on Central, opening in Medford in November.
A common theme in wine bars is the stocking of a wide variety of wines and the ability of consumers to sample several in quantities smaller than a full glass. And, as Denise Daehler-Piotter, co-owner of Liquid Assets, says, "A wine bar is place where people come to enjoy wine and each other's company." And stay for a while, if they wish.
Beyond that, the four local wine bars differ in interesting ways:
* All four serve food, but in varying styles and quantities, ranging from appetizers to a full dinner menu.
* Some present lists of all the bottles they have. Others encourage you to browse the shelves.
* Some offer specific flights of three to four wines. Others let you choose two or more flights from a list. Many flights feature 2-ounce pours, others 3-ounce. Prices vary from $5 to $30 for a flight of three wines.
* All except 38 on Central are also bottle shops.
Here's a closer look:
38 ON CENTRAL WINE BAR and restaurant, at 38 N. Central Ave., suite 110, Medford, is open from 4 to 11 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, with dinner served from 5 to 10 p.m.
This is the largest of the four, with seating on two levels. The elegantly remodeled space is accessible from the downtown Medford parking garage, as well as the front door.
Wine bar manager N. Will Smith says his focus is on local and West Coast wines. A printed bottle list that changes from time to time has about 200 wines, many from the Northwest. It does not offer specific flights but rather lists about 20 wines you can order in 3-ounce pours, so you can create your own flight.
Three-ounce pours start at $2.75, with most in the $3 to $4.50 range. Another 20 or so are available by the 6-ounce glass.
On the food side, there is an upscale dinner menu and appetizers. Also in progress is a "Taste of the World" promotion — a different part of the world as the theme each month with appropriate food and wine. In January, it's the Piedmont area of Italy, home of Medford's sister city, Alba. In February, it'll be New Orleans, La.
The place has a full bar, but Smith says, "We want to be a wine destination." Meet-the-winemaker dinners and winery tours may follow.
by Cleve Twitchell
The era of the wine bar has definitely arrived in Jackson County.
It began two years ago with the opening of The Winchester Inn's wine bar in Ashland. Now, we're now up to four. Liquid Assets of Ashland came along last August and Corks of Medford in September. The latest is 38 on Central, opening in Medford in November.
A common theme in wine bars is the stocking of a wide variety of wines and the ability of consumers to sample several in quantities smaller than a full glass. And, as Denise Daehler-Piotter, co-owner of Liquid Assets, says, "A wine bar is place where people come to enjoy wine and each other's company." And stay for a while, if they wish.
Beyond that, the four local wine bars differ in interesting ways:
* All four serve food, but in varying styles and quantities, ranging from appetizers to a full dinner menu.
* Some present lists of all the bottles they have. Others encourage you to browse the shelves.
* Some offer specific flights of three to four wines. Others let you choose two or more flights from a list. Many flights feature 2-ounce pours, others 3-ounce. Prices vary from $5 to $30 for a flight of three wines.
* All except 38 on Central are also bottle shops.
Here's a closer look:
38 ON CENTRAL WINE BAR and restaurant, at 38 N. Central Ave., suite 110, Medford, is open from 4 to 11 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, with dinner served from 5 to 10 p.m.
This is the largest of the four, with seating on two levels. The elegantly remodeled space is accessible from the downtown Medford parking garage, as well as the front door.
Wine bar manager N. Will Smith says his focus is on local and West Coast wines. A printed bottle list that changes from time to time has about 200 wines, many from the Northwest. It does not offer specific flights but rather lists about 20 wines you can order in 3-ounce pours, so you can create your own flight.
Three-ounce pours start at $2.75, with most in the $3 to $4.50 range. Another 20 or so are available by the 6-ounce glass.
On the food side, there is an upscale dinner menu and appetizers. Also in progress is a "Taste of the World" promotion — a different part of the world as the theme each month with appropriate food and wine. In January, it's the Piedmont area of Italy, home of Medford's sister city, Alba. In February, it'll be New Orleans, La.
The place has a full bar, but Smith says, "We want to be a wine destination." Meet-the-winemaker dinners and winery tours may follow.