Imbiber Beware
Your sour-grapes odds have never been higher.
- Photo by Jeremy Swanson.
Huge by-the-glass menus were once the province of deep-pocketed chains, which easily absorb spoiled bottles. But lately the city’s one-offs have ramped up their single-serving offerings: Clink has 34 wines on tap, Bouchée’s got 38, Bin 26 boasts a whopping 65. Since more partially poured bottles means a greater chance of getting oxidized plonk, though, it’s important to know how to game the system.
HEED THE CHEMIST
Fancy oxygen-repelling storage systems aren’t just for looks. Bin 26 and Troquet preserve opened bottles with nitrogen and argon, respectively, and the payoff is clear: pristine wine, vibrant bubbly.
FOLLOW THE PACK
Higher turnover yields fresher wine. At the Butcher Shop, the standing-room-only crowd and compact menu make every glassful a winner.
EMBRACE BRASH YOUTH
When in doubt, choose from big, young reds, like recent-vintage cabs or Barbarescos. These untamed upstarts require serious aging to mellow out the gnarly tannins, but several hours in an opened bottle does the job almost as well.
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