House Wine

Wine & Dine Wednesday more about a concept than a particular bottle, but I will talk about that beautiful bottle up above too. The thing I have learned most about now offering wines at Watson Kennedy by the bottle is how much I don’t know about wine. Insert very large smile. But I would fall back on a guiding principle that has served me well—I know what I like. The challenge to narrow down a selection was at first daunting. One distributor had a catalog the size of a lengthy novel. And that was just one distributor! The fun part of all of this is it is a new challenge. A completely new category to buy for and a whole new set of rules in which to do it. I have been in the wholesale/retail gift & home goods industry for close to 30 years. Parts of the process I know as well as the back of my hand. This is where my tennis days kick in. Go back to the basics, my brain tells me. Buying a bottle of wine should be no different than buying a book or a lamp or a vintage object. First your eyes must be tantalized by it. Something has to grab you. Something has to speak to you and stir your soul. It has been my guiding directive in everything I have bought for WK all these years. So I will employ that same concept to this new venture. Which leads me to house wine. I really want to offer a variety of bottles that are affordable and are really tasty. Something you would reach for time and again. I like to think of it as ‘house wine’ as it is incredibly reliable that you would enjoy drinking time and again. Both with a meal or having a glass while reading a good book. The above Ventenac fits the bill. A Chenin Blanc that is just easy to enjoy. While we are not able to ship wine quite yet, we do have a lovely selection at our First & Spring shop if you find yourself in our neighborhood. I took a gorgeous display case that I bought when I. Magnin was closing in Seattle years ago that we used as a jewelry case forever and made it our new wine case. I think it looks quite spiffy filled up with all those swell bottles. With plenty of options to make a house wine along with other bottles for extra special occasions. We are off and running and learning and having fun!