My old Kentucky Rhone. The PGA Championship, Valhalla GC, May 16-19, 2024
You’d think that the home of the Kentucky Derby would present a wine landscape of some sophistication and taste. But like many other mid-sized US cities, the wine scene revolves around chain steak houses. I guess the big spenders stock up their private jets before leaving for Churchill Downs. Which isn’t to say it’s the equivalent of a $10,000 claimer here, I was just hoping for more, especially with the PGA in town this week. There’s a lot of generally undistinguished cab available, but also some surprises on the (very) high end, so golf fans needn’t go entirely thirsty.
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Restaurants
As I was saying, you know what you’re getting when the Capital Grille is one of the top wine destinations cited by “authorities.” Jeff Ruby’s, a local chain, has a credible list if you want to play the favorites. There’s good breadth in California but the overall experience is like a trip to Total Wine.
I like the list at Repeal a little better. It features more judicious and less mainstream choices in many regions and generally less rapacious prices than Ruby’s. For example, you can save $300 ordering Opus One here instead. I have a hard time understanding how Matanzas Creek Merlot is a “red wine of distinction,” but that’s the way it goes. They should probably repeal that category altogether if this is the best they can do. There are two Huet Vouvrays and some other unexpected options that imply someone here would like to nudge patrons in the direction of quality and diversity.
Swizzle offers more of the same in a smaller list, which unaccountably fails to provide any vintage information whatsoever. I guess you need to ask your server if it matters to you, thought I’d lay big odds they won’t have a clue.
Volare naturally skews Italian and in its own way is just as predictable as the American lists above. I’d probably order the always dependable Selvapiana Chianti for $60 and call it a day, but there’s a glimmer of excitement just seeing a grape like timorasso or aglianico on a list in Louisville.
The French equivalent of Volare can be found at Brasserie Provence. There’s no evidence of high-end curation, but hey, the pulse quickens in a town like Louisville just to see an appellation like Cahors represented. Sticking with the reasonably priced selection of French country wines is the safe bet here. As with Swizzle, there are no vintages on list.
No-see-um. The website vibe around 610 Magnolia suggests an air of refinement generally absent in my survey. There is no wine list online so it’s a hunch, but I’d probably check in with them if I were on my way to Louisville and maybe get lucky.
Retail
It wouldn’t be Kentucky without at least one nod to bourbon. You can allegedly taste 155 of them on any given day at Taste. The bourbon tasting list is available online and it’s massive as they say, but there are only about 15 wines listed and therefore hard to draw any conclusions.
Note to would-be wine entrepreneurs: TBH, I couldn’t find a category-defining retailer in Louisville, that is, one with a broad and deep selection stocking quality wines from around the world while also pushing boundaries for the benefit of its customers. There are a few funky-looking shops that don’t publish online inventory. IMO there’s opportunity for someone to become a tastemaker here.
