I am not one of those people who go to bars and then order a glass of the house red. The bar is just not a place where I can enjoy a glass of wine. It's loud, crowded, and generally too smelly (though not necessarily in a bad way) to really appreciate the wine, and to be honest, most offerings are not very remarkable anyway.
However, there is an exception to this rule: Restaurant bars are excellent places to sit, munch on a yummy appetizer, and sample a wine from what is usually a varied and interesting list. The experience is wholly different from drinking in a bar?and rather convivial to boot, especially when you have a group of friends with whom to share and switch. Below is my report on one such adventure.
Solo Bistro Bistro in Bath, located at 128 Front St., is a tiny jewel of a restaurant. The interior décor is what I would describe as Swedish modern meets Maine country. The furniture is minimalist and somewhat Ikea-esque, but the walls and exposed posts are pure early farmhouse. Downstairs, the sleek bar and one high table comprise the "wine bar," but the regular dining tables easily accommodated me and my guest. For such a small restaurant, there is a surprising array of wines by the glass to be sampled; there are 10 white wines ranging in price from $5 to $9 per glass and 15 red wines from $6 to $11. The staff was quite knowledgeable, and was happy to bring us a small taste before we ordered.
Last Saturday, I had a wonderful glass of Donnafugata Anthilia ($9), a blended white wine from Sicily. Its taste is absolutely spring-like, with a pale gold tint. On my second visit, I was fortunate to try Limb, an Australian Shiraz ($10). I'm not much of a fan of Shiraz myself, but since the waitress recommended it, I gave it a go and was I ever pleased! I thought it tasted like cherries and bark, and my companion agreed. We both found the lush color and the wonderful aroma to be very intriguing. My guest ordered a glass of Caldero Pinot Grigio. While it was not a favorite for either of us, it was still a nice wine. The smell of the wine was very buttery but the flavor not at all so, and for me the dissonance was off-putting.
We added to the experience by ordering appetizers; I had pan-seared bay scallops with roasted shallots in a Madeira and butter sauce and my friend tried the braised endive with prosciutto and cream. The food was excellent, and the Shiraz complemented it especially well. The service was impeccable and overall the experience, though pricey, was definitely worth repeating.