New Wine List at Beauty Shop Restaurant
Four sparkling, one pink, one orange, six white, six red = 18
I’ve been consulting on the wine list at Beauty Shop restaurant in Memphis for eight years. The challenge is to select wines that 1. match the eclectic culinary vision of owner and executive chef Karen Carrier; 2. are appropriate to and enjoyable for an audience of people who like to drink wine but aren’t necessarily knowledgeable about wine; and 3. keep prices fair and as low as possible considering the economics of running a restaurant these days.
Typically, Carrier and I — and now with the participation of beverage manager Emily Adams — start tasting wines in April and continue through May and even (pushing our deadline) into June. Rather than putting out a general call to the local distributors, I work with them and their portfolios to select particular wines we want to try.
Today, I’m featuring the list we finally decided on, a combination of holdovers from the previous list and a selection of (I believe) exciting new wines. We particularly wanted lighter, drinkable wines for Summer and Fall drinking, keeping a few more substantial choices to pair with heavier dishes like steak frites and pork chops.
Four of the wines are suitable for those who follow vegan practices.
Several of the wines now in the 2022 or 2023 vintages will shift to 2023 or ‘24 as distributors’ supplies make them available.
Prices are by the glass/by the bottle.
SPARKLING
Scarpetta Prosecco 2022, Grave dei Friuli, Italy. 13/51
Banshee Ten of Cups Brut nv, California 14.50/57
Ultraviolet Wines Sparkling Rosé nv, Mendocino Ridge, California 14.50/57
Champagne Donson Recolte Noir nv, France 120 (bottle only)
ROSÉ & ORANGE
Vidaubanaise Le Provençal Rosé 2023, Côtes de Provence, France 13.50/53
Wurzinger Früg Orange Wine 2024, Burgenland, Austria 14.50/57 Vegan-friendly.
WHITE
Folk Machine White Light 2024, Central Coast, California 13/51 Vegan-friendly.
La Coeur de la Reine Sauvignon Blanc 2023, Val de Loire, France 14/55
Cora Pinot Grigio 2022, Colline Pescarese, Abruzzo, Italy 13/51 Vegan-friendly.
Cadre Sea Queen Albariño 2023, San Luis Obispo Coast, California 15.50/61
Ernest Vineyards Chardonnay 2022, Sonoma Coast, California 14/55
Prinz Salm Two Princes Reisling 2022, Rheinhessen, Germany 14/55
RED
Field Recordings Wonderwall Pinot Noir 2023, Central Coast, California 14.50/57
Frontonio Microcosmico Garnacha 2022, Valdejalon, Spain 14/55 (Served slightly chilled)
Albert Bichot Château de Varennes Beaujolais-Villages 2023, France 13/51
Domaines de Rothschild Lafite Légende 2022, Bordeaux, France 13/51
Monte Rio Old Vine Zinfandel 2022, Lodi, California 14.50/57
Domaine de la Patience Vin Rouge 2022, Coteaux du Pont du Gard, France 13.50/53 Vegan-friendly.
