Restaurant Wine Lists: The Quirky Village Tavern Shines
By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor
When I dine out, I’m looking for three things on a wine list:
- Diversity. I get it. Ravenswood Zin is awesome, but it would be nice to see a little more.
- Price: I expect to pay a markup, but I don’t expect to need to pay in installments.
- Age: This is rare, but it’s always fun to see if an establishment carries any older bottles.
The first time I had dinner at The Village Tavern in Hammondsport, NY I could hardly believe the wine list. The restaurant, located on the southern end of Keuka Lake, carries the oldest and most diverse list of Finger Lakes wine in existence. It’s almost as if the Tavern is single-handedly challenging the “drink now” mentality that dominates local wines. (Here’s a sample of the wine list).
We ordered a Hermann J. Wiemer 1994 Johannisberg Riesling on that first visit, paying $60 for a wine that was released at roughly 1/6 that price. We didn’t blink at the markup; the Tavern has a reputation for carefully storing bottles and this was a rarity. And we were thrilled to find that the oldest Riesling on the list was still showing marvellously.
On this trip, as you’ll see in the video, we ordered an even older Riesling now on the list. And the general manager and wine director shows us a bottle he selected specifically for the company at our table: McGregor Vineyard and Winery owner John McGregor and his wife Stacey. You’ll find a handful of aged McGregor Black Russian wines on the list at the Tavern.
But how do they make sure they’re not selling customers some heavily marked-up vinegar? How are they stored? What’s the philosophy behind such a quirky and compelling wine list? And what does John McGregor think about having his older wines on that list? You can find out in the video. And we hope you’ll tell us what your criteria are for restaurant wine lists — and which establishments offer your favorite lists.
Evan, I share your enthusiasm for the Village Tavern’s policies. Although I have not been in a position to splurge on their oldest bottles, it makes me happy that they are available!
This is a restaurant I always recommend to people who are visiting the area for the first time.
Evan: When Nena, Jackson and I first visited the region (and stayed at your cottage) we went to the Village Tavern based on your reco.
The wine list really is amazing and very cool. No one down here is stocking old LI wines in such amounts!
I did think that the food lagged behind the wine list though. It was fine, but underwhelming.
I honestly can’t remember the vintage, but we had a mid-90s riesling from Fox Run that was really really good. Some petrol had emerged along with some almondy hints that were almost vanilla-like. Very cool experience.
I’d go again JUST for the wine list.
Lenn - We’ve typically found the food very solid, though not in the ethereal realm of a Suzanne or a few select other restaurants. But you’re right: It’s worth the trip just to experiment with an older bottle. Heck of a lot of fun.
Evan,
As a local who regularly finds himself at the Tavern, I definitely enjoyed reading and watching. The thinness of my wallet forces me to avoid the oldest vintages, but just browsing through the list can be a lot of fun (and a guided tour through memories of past tastings). You don’t have to be a practiced connoisseur to appreciate it, either. On an early visit, the first Finger Lakes wine that my mother-in-law fell in love with was Rooster Hill’s 2003 Cayuga white. Rooster Hill doesn’t even produce that hybrid anymore, but the exact wine she tasted was at the Village Tavern at a reasonable markup. I would have been nervous about serving a five-year-old hybrid, but the Tavern always came through, and the wine helped to make her visits complete.
Have you tried the Union Block Cafe in Hammondsport yet? It doesn’t have the nostalgic feel the Tavern does for me, or the extensive cellar, but the wine list is pretty good and the quality Italian filled a gap in the area’s dining options.
Ryan - Funny you ask… our original intention on the night we shot that video was to go to the Union Block Cafe. I’ve heard good things. We’re now planning to go next month.
I can’t help but feel like some of the wines on the Tavern’s list are well past peak, but as you heard from the GM, they taste through quite often to make sure they’re comfortable serving them.
As you know, Evan, past peak doesn’t mean they are garbage or not worth drinking.
Sometimes wines on their last legs are really interesting.
Lenn - No doubt, reference the dr. Frank we’re drinking in the video. But I was euphemizing. The truth is there some wines on the list that I would be shocked to find weren’t totally shot. But it’s great to hear the restaurant is periodically checking them.