Wines That Tell a Story
In the spirit of March being Washington Wine Month we would like to share a bit about our wine list and the thought process behind it.
Like our menu, the wine list at the Well & Table will be simple, thoughtful, and largely local.
We will obviously be mindful of the usual factors that go into curating a wine list—Are we offering a variety of choices? Do we have a good balance of reds and whites? Are these wines varietally correct (as in, does this Cabernet Sauvignon taste like a Cabernet Sauvignon)? But at the Well & Table we like to go beyond merely ticking all the expected boxes. It’s kind of our thing.
One of the best aspects of tasting through winemakers’ selections is getting to know them and learning what they are passionate about. In fact, if a wine that is not local ends up on our list, you can bet it is due to our being suckers for a good story. Throughout our research we have come across wineries that are run solely by people of color, by LGBTQ folks, and so on. We even discovered a winery in New Zealand that is the only one in the entire country run by Maoris (who are indigenous to that nation).
These are just a few of the considerations that go into putting together our wine list: Will the wine pair well with our food? Is its inclusion thoughtful? And is there a good story behind it?
Then again in the case of a Pinot Noir, well, ours will probably come from Oregon because those grapes just grow better there. And that’s okay with us.
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The Well & Table is located in Gilman Village in Issaquah, WA. We are hoping to be open for business in late spring, 2021.