There it was, waiting for me: my always-beloved Meli. One of my favorite Chilean wines — hard to find even in Chile, where I’m from — it was standing there like a jewel. When you are away from your homeland and feeling wine-homesick, suddenly finding the flavors that you have missed so much can create instant excitement.
The fact is that, at The Twisted Vine, anyone non-extraterrestrial surely can surely find that one special bottle to make their eyes watery. It’s a successful speed dating with wine that Jonna Brandon, co-owner, has arranged with dedication and patience, considering any possible preference of any possible customer. That incredible Argentinean Malbec that almost gets you high in waves of dark fruits and violets; that intense Italian Barolo that your grandpa used to love. All these wines can be found at The Twisted Vine, showcasing the old and new world in a huge variety. Even if you are barely capable of distinguishing between red and white, you will find: a) diverse wine paraphernalia to make a perfect gift;, b) hundreds of cigars wonderfully curated by Kirk Finfrock, the co-owner;, c) a very decent selection of beers and d) the infinite knowledge of Jonna, Kirk and the whole staff who will be happy to guide you in your escape from the shame of wine ignorance. Yes, the staff at The Twisted Vine are wine priests who want your soul; I got the sense that Jonna is about to print T-shirts with the phrase “Rose doesn’t mean sweet” — in CAPITALS.
The store itself is very simple. Do not expect minimal and trendy decor; it feels like home, displaying some new things, some friend donations here, some really cool vintage furniture there. Everything has been slowly added since 2006, when they completely refurbished the space that had served as an old liquor and grocery store for almost a century. The collective effect is comfortable, warm and welcoming. Everywhere you can find cute hand-written notes, consigning the name and price of some bottles, and useful and concise tasting notes like: “Evolutio Furmint. From Tokaji, Hungary. 100% Furmint, unoaked, rich, aromatic, crisp; citrus, apples, apricot, floral + mineral notes. Goes well w/ chicken, fish and Thai dishes. $9.99.” Just about everything you need to have a general idea of what’s hiding behind that cork.
The first time I visited The Twisted Vine, I enjoyed a wine flight with my husband. From 5-9pm, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday they offer two wine flights that change weekly. Usually, one of them is whites and rose-based, and the other is on the reds side, each composed of three generous samples of 6 oz. Glasses were of good quality, and serving temperatures were perfect. For the quantity, quality and diversity of the wines, the prices are extremely reasonable ($8.50 to $14.00 each flight, depending on the wines). My flight was a refreshing Dry Riesling from Argentinian Patagonia, a complex and rich Verdicchio from Italy, and a very nice French Rosè from Costieres de Nimes. My husband’s flight was a single estate Chianti Classico, a traditional Northern Rhone Syrah, and a Lodi, a California wine made from the same Portuguese grapes that are commonly used to make Port.
Each flight is carefully designed to show a wide range of wines, yet in the same spectrum, so you can easily train your nose and taste buds. If you want to go further, you can even learn more about wine regions and grape varieties. On the counter is a wine encyclopedia you can explore and nerd around in for a while.
The Twisted Vine also offers several sparkling wines by the glass – from sweets to drys – and a couple of cocktail specials. Any wine from the flights is also available by the glass. If you pick a bottle and drink it in the store, a $5.00 corkage fee will be added, but it can be waived if you buy another bottle to take home.
The Twisted Vine doesn’t serve food, but on flight days they have a food truck on the side, usually Street Thyme, Challah, or Herb’n, which you can check in out on the Twisted Vine Facebook page. If you don’t catch The Twisted Vine on a food truck day, they always have some cheese and crackers available.
When to go? Anytime with wine-lover friends, your significant other or with your French/Spanish/any-other-good-wine-region coworker who is always complaining about bad supermarket wine. I can also highly recommend the place for a first date (in this which case, please refrain from obsessing over the encyclopedia).
The Twisted Vine is open Mondays 12-8pm, Tuesday-Wednesday 10:30am-8pm, Thursday-Saturday 10:30am-9pm, and Sunday 1-6pm. The Twisted Vine is located at 1816 W 5th Ave.
