Drinking and driving in the Motor City: The Rocket Mortgage Classic, Detroit Golf Club, June 27-June 30, 2024
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Ok, that’s a pretty good headline for a golf-oriented wine blog if I say so myself. At this week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic let’s make sure that all drinking and driving is done on the golf course.
Wine isn’t the first thing I think about when Detroit comes to mind. While there are a few bright spots, my instincts appear largely on target. I can’t be sure, but once again it seems that distribution and market availability are constraints when you look at what the best places carry, especially when it comes to European wines.
Prime + Proper is a big-league steakhouse with a solid list that does a decent job across the board. Unsurprisingly California dominates and while there’s representation almost everywhere, the European producers (France and Italy) could be stronger. Again, I wonder if it’s more a function of what they can get. The prices are F1-level so buckle up your seatbelt and don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Highlands is a worthwhile option even if they come across with a little bit of humble pretension, if that’s a thing. You have to scan a QR code to view the wine list, which isn’t the end of the world but it’s not easily navigable on your phone so what’s the point? It’s organized by New World/Old World and I wouldn’t even comment if the preamble didn’t make a point of apologizing for the list’s “conventional” structure, whatever that means. It’s billed also as a “storied” collection, which may apply more to the restuarants hi-rise location because it certainly doesn’t describe the list. Don’t get me wrong, the list is very good, with a nice assortment of high quality names in multiple regions Old and New. But it’s not that big, it’s a touch pricey, and leans too much on brands. Sorry, you are immediately disqualified from the storied category when you carry Sonoma-Cutrer and you think Bandol is in the Loire Valley. UPDATE 6/27/24: I’m sure my critique had nothing to do with it, but the wine list is no longer available online or I couldn’t find it on the oddly scrolling web site. The sommelier must be drunk or experiencing altitude sickness.
Vertical has among the most confusing websites I’ve seen yet in my virtual travels. It’s a restaurant and wine bar and a retail store. I’m including them based on the strength of their by-the-glass list, which is all you can see online except for a list of producers they allegedly carry. Their companion retail store, The Fine Wine Source, lists producers, regions and vintages without specifying what’s actually available and without prices. They swear they know wine, but they could use some help demonstrating it.
Tallulah Wine Bar has a good list organized by grape. Prices are all over the lot. There are some high-end gems that will catch your eye as you’re scrolling. I’m kind of partial to the 2017 Ornellaia that’s just a hair above average retail.
A wine bar and store called The Royce posts an intriguing but very small menu of wines and tapas. As above with Vertical, I hope there’s more than meets the eye. You get no indication of what wine you can buy at the shop.
I couldn’t find a lot of compelling retail; even places that sound good conceptually don’t post inventory (it changes all the time is a frequent refrain.) The House of Pure Vin has a small, strange collection online with some non-working links (what is it about this town?) and lots of errors. Valtellina in Tuscany? Shame. Maybe try Simply Wine for claimed curation of small, exciting producers from around the world.
