The alternative packaging trend gets bigger and reusable: a 2009 Riesling from the Finger Lakes in 20-liter tank will soon be available in NYC.

Known as Gotham Project, the thirst-quenching Riesling is the brainchild of Charles Bieler (above, left), of Bieler Rose in Provence and one of the Three Thieves, and Bruce Schneider (right), of Schneider Vineyards on Long Island. Bars and restaurants will be able to get it from local distributor Michael Skurnik; the only open question is whether it will be available for homes, as rooftops and poolsides beckon [READ MORE]

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief
Photos courtesy of Verace

 I think we’ve all been there — in a restaurant that may or may not pay much attention to its wine list and may or may not pay even less attention to their by-the-glass selection — more or less offering whatever is already open, and over-charging you for it.

You order a glass anyway, knowing that you’re playing by-the-glass roulette. Before you even take a sip, you can pinpoint how long the bottle has been open — somewhere between a week and a year. Oxidized, cooked or both.

Now imagine a different world  completely, one where every glass of wine is fresh and tastes the way the winemaker intended. Now imagine that — in that same world — the wine by the glass isn’t a rip-off. 

This is the world of wine in kegs. And it’s come to Long Island in the form of Verace, a new Italian restaurant in Islip. I haven’t been there yet, but the wine program is certainly intriguing. [READ MORE]

WINE NOTES: A Portland restaurant is the first locally to use a delivery system that keeps quality wines fresh at a lower price

By KATHERINE COLE
Special to The Oregonian

Travelers to Europe are often beguiled by the vins de la maison served at neighborhood bistros. These rustic wines arrive at the table in a pichet, or pitcher, filled from a spigot attached to an utterly unpretentious (and utterly charming) small wood barrel.

Whether the transaction takes place in French, Italian or Spanish, the end result is the same: a cheap and satisfying wine experience that feels somehow more authentic than the act of uncorking a bottle. [READ MORE]