Happy weekend for grapefriend – I went to a place where they had wines and beers right next to each other on tap. The wine on tap trend has been around for a little bit, but I just hadn’t personally seen it in effect. Yes, there are those places where they have bottles in cold storage and you insert those cards to get a few ounces, but that’s not what I mean. I’m talking about right on tap, front and center at the bar, with pulleys and everything like it could be Blue Moon.

from Colonie's menu

I was taken to Colonie in Cobble Hill, a neighborhood I’d never been to but am now intrigued by due to this situation of goodness. I got to talking to the bartender, who said the wines were all tapped into kegs under the bar and were all pretty much drink-young types. Wine in a keg – seriously, where was this when I went to college??? Tap fans argue it keeps the wine fresher, there’s no chance of corkage (like screw caps), and it’s more eco-friendly. Excitement level about all that: 4, maybe 5. Excitement level that wine is getting a main stage play: 10.

how can you not love this? go Finger Lakes.

I’d read about Gotham Project kegging their wine, so sampled the Riesling they had on tap (it IS the Summer of Riesling after all). It’s from the Finger Lakes and has a killer poster. The Riesling was good, pretty crisp and on the drier side. Then the bartender poured me a sip of the Paumanok Chenin Blanc which I liked, and I also tried the Hermann J. Weimer (nerd name defined) Pinot Noir rosé that my friends ordered which I also liked though it was a bit dry for me.

Looking forward to seeing more of this. Rager of a keg party.