Our Specialty is Knowledge
Josh Terrell, Owner of Classic Wine in Soho
I started learning about wine when I turned 21. My father-in-law has a cellar and some really nice wines. I was very intrigued about wine and learning what made it taste the way that it did. So for many years I trained vigorously, drinking lots of wine to learn about it. A few years ago I got a job at another store. I was big into beer then, but I learned one thing that changed my focus over to wine. The winemaker or grower has one chance each year/vintage to make that wine. He/She has to stress the vine so that it puts all its energy into the grapes, but not kill the vine at the same time. Beer, they can get the hops again, the yeast again, the grain again, and brew that beer again. But these winemakers have to live an entire year off of their work. This realization and a couple years training under a Master of Wine helped me learn rapidly about wine. I took over Classic Wine Company a little over a year ago now from the former owner, Tony Meyer. Tony ran one of the top shops in the state of Alabama and I plan on keeping it going for years to come.The previous owner’s original goal with the store was to carry wines that most people had to drive to New York, San Francisco, or Atlanta to purchase and carry wines from all over the world and at all price points. This is most certainly our specialty. We also specialize in customer service and knowledge. The store has been around for over 30 years now. The store is part of the reason for the fine wine and food scene in Birmingham. And it will continue to specialize in selection, knowledge of products and customer service.
Go With These Wines for the Holidays# SPARKLING SHIRAZ This one I discovered a few years ago. Shiraz, the sometimes jammy, clone of Syrah from Australia is delightful as a sparkler. The beautiful raspberry and chocolate notes marry well with the bubbles. The bubbles help to cleanse your palate so that every bite is as fresh as the last. Sparkling Shiraz shines with turkey, but also goes well with ham for those who go this direction. Stuffing, mashed potatoes, or green bean casserole it can go with the whole meal.# BEAUJOLAIS The humble wine region just to the south of Burgundy providing me of the best values in the wine world. Gamay is the grape here and can vary in its style depending on the village it was grown. Moulin-A-Vent, the King of Beaujolais, is the big and powerful Beaujolais that goes with lamb. Fleurie, Pretty, pretty Princess, is the elegant and charming wine that is superb to drink by itself or with (surprise, surprise) turkey. These are amazing wines that are great for sipping before the meal and go with anything on the Holiday table.# RIESLING/GEWURZTRAMINER These high acid whites are superb with Thanksgiving. Fear not Riesling!There are many dry versions of Rieslings that can go great throughout the meal. Even try some options from Washington. Riesling typically has apple, pear notes and high acidity that go great with turkey and pork. Gewurztraminer is the spicy and aromatic cousin of Riesling. Another high acid white, who’s spicy characteristic stand up to turkey and gravy.
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Southern Roots
Frank O’Neil and longtime friend Rob Francis have begun a winery together in Coombsville, CA. Francis is a longtime Alabama resident, but moved to Napa 14 years ago. Francis has a small plot of land in Coombsville. The two families have always loved wine and always wanted to make their own wine. The first vintage they produced just 67 cases of Cabernet, but the product received a Gold medal. Frank and Rob think the production will increase, but not by much. They have also added a Chardonnay. The label features the two states California and Alabama, to show the connection between the two families. The Cabernet is in the restrained and balanced style, not the super extracted and jammy style as so many are making in California today.
The Benefits of Having an In-Store Wine BarAs I was working at another store, I would spend my days off trying to find a nice place to drink a glass of wine at lunch with a book. A place with a great wine list and knowledgeable staff that could educate me on the wine. What I found was most places I went either didn’t have an interesting wine list and/or the staff didn’t seem to care about the wine. They might know a little bit about it, but were not interested in talking about it or passionate about it. Or the bar was very motivated to sell me some food. So we opened our wine bar in June 2018. This would be the place that I would come drink a glass of wine. You will always find interesting wines by the glass. You will always have a person who is knowledgeable and passionate about the wines. We play wine movies at the wine bar most days and these can be very educational. You can buy a bottle from the shop also. We do have a $10 corkage fee just to cover using glassware and washing dishes. But keep your eyes open - many times we waive these for various reasons. You can also bring food in from wherever you like.
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