Wine Library

At last my friend Corwin and I had a mutually available Saturday to visit the Wine Library in Springfield, NJ. If you’ve never been to Wine Library I INSIST that you take a couple hours to go — it’s not a wine store, it’s an experience. Friends had recommended it to me for years but I never made the schlep until now, and I wish I had gone sooner! Right inside the door we must have been obvious “virgins” because a customer with a cart stopped to ask us if we’d ever been there before, ebulliently rhapsodizing about the store’s features, inventory and staff in response to our sheepish “No”s. I thanked him and added, “Man, if the staff is HALF as helpful as you are we’re never leaving!” There are two floors: tall, dark wood shelves of more affordable wines below, rare and pricier bottles above. The walls are lined with sparkling wines and liquors. There is a wine-accompaniment grocery section on the other side of the entrance as well. If you are overwhelmed you can ask any of the army of experts employed there (if they haven’t offered their assistance first), or if you’re seeking something specific in the oceans of labels you can type your search in their website at one of the terminals in the store to see if it’s in stock. Comprehensive and diverse don’t automatically mean stuffy: none of the Wine Library staff members that I encountered were wine snobs — they just want you to find what you like and like what you buy. The checkout girl and I got into a conversation about how remarkable it is that I got my boots at Victoria’s Secret, it’s just that casual. Everyone in that store customer & clerk alike have one thing in common: they like wine.

Corwin asked if I had received my certification exam results in the mail yet and I managed to evade the question for a few rows until he finally pressed for at least a pass/fail. Yes, I passed, yes I did about as well as I expected to on the written. Then he pointed at me and asked what I got on the tasting exam. When I bashfully told him it was a perfect score he laughed and said “I KNEW IT!” Quite a compliment, particularly from someone I respect as being very knowledgeable and talented in the realm of wine & spirits.

So I did go a little crazy (come on, you knew I would) fulfilling my mission of getting some wines I haven’t tried before or haven’t tried enough, or had in class and must have again. Here’s what I went home with:
2005 Warnke Cellars Merlot, Napa Valley, CA (had to grab for a friend with the same name)
2007 Château Ducasse Bordeaux (white), France, unfiltered
2006 Hogue Gewürtztraminer, Columbia Valley, WA
2006 J Vineyards Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, CA
2006 Christophe Buisson Pinot Noir, Bourgogne, France
2005 Don Nicanor Malbec (Bodegas Nieto Senetiner), Mendoza, Argentina
2006 Wallace Shiraz/Grenache, Barossa Valley, Australia
2002 Château Belle Vue, Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux, France
2005 Pecchenino San Luigi Dolcetto di Dogliani, Italy
2006 Freja Cellars Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, OR (since I got this test question wrong and will live to facepalm myself forever, I figured I should try some)
2007 Francis Ford Copolla Diamond Collection Yellow Label Sauvignon Blanc, Geyserville, Napa Valley, CA
2006 Francis Ford Copolla Diamond Collection Ivory Label Cabernet Sauvignon, Geyserville, Napa Valley, CA

Also, if you have never watched Gary Vaynerchuk on Wine Library TV, I HIGHLY recommend it — he is hilarious, and has an extremely articulate palate.