Resorting to good wine: The RSM Classic, Sea Island Resort, November 16-19, 2023
Click on the map for links to locations and directions
Through a lucky set of circumstances, I recently had the chance to speak with two of the most knowledgeable wine people in the so-called Golden Isles (Sea Island, Brunswick, St. Simons, Little St. Simons and Jekyll Island) and it was a revelation. I have to admit their input exposed many limitations of my online-only approach to evaluating the availability of good wine in unfamiliar markets. First, as they say, you don't know what you don't know. Second, getting on-the-ground recommendations from local experts was invaluable in terms of what I can pass along to you.
My two local "gurus of the Golden Isles" are Brian Henderson and Brandon Boudreau, both of whom cut their teeth at the Sea Island Resort, a shrine to great wine as you'll see below. They are now both involved in dynamic retail operations that you'd never uncover if you were trying to figure it out remotely online. It's worth getting to know a little about each of them before diving into the specific recommendations.
Brian was the maître d' at The Cloisters at The Sea Island Resort in his early 20's, which as you'll see below is far and away the best wine destination in the area. There he soon found himself in love with wine and on the path to passing the fiendishly difficult Advanced Sommelier exam on his first try as well as becoming a Certified Specialist of Wine. Today he is responsible for evaluating and purchasing premium wines for JP's Wines and Spirits in Brunswick and advising several local restaurants. If you find yourself anywhere nearby and care about wine, you'll want to look him up. Ask about his experiences working with John Daly and Vijay Singh. You won’t be disappointed.
Brandon is himself a Certified Sommelier who left a senior Sea Island post to realize his dream of opening a fine wine boutique (Newcastle Wine Merchant) in an affluent but underserved market. He is passionate about and specializes in small, high quality, artisanal producers whose wines may never have been seen before in Coastal Georgia. For our purposes here @SwigCoach, suffice it to say he serves as the wine whisperer/caddie to several touring PGA pros who reside in the area.
What follows then is a combination of my own remote research and their precision-guided recommendations. So you can calibrate, I’ll include their initials after any venue one or both specifically mentioned. I’m not a food critic, but they confirm the food is great across the board and any number of menu photos I saw of Georgia Coastal Cuisine looked inspired.
Restaurants
Sea Island Resort. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the anchor of wine culture resides at the venerable Sea Island Resort itself, site of the RSM tournament. On the website there are 15 listed places to eat, ranging from ultra-fine dining to poolside and the Men’s Locker Room. It took some digging to find the full wine list available at the Cloister but it’s magnificent, full of great options from all over the world. It features multiple verticals and expresses a fondness for certain esteemed high-end producers like Didier Dageuneau in Pouilly Fume, Arnoux-Lachoux in Burgundy, and Opus One. The philosophy seems to be once you’ve found the gold standard, you might as well double down. Prices are resort-like, but not the highest we’ve ever seen. At 78 pages, The Cloister list is more than twice the size of the The Lodge, which is also excellent. If we were there, we’d ask for the Cloister List at the Men’s Grill and snack bar too. Sometimes big resorts will share the cellar across venues, so why not try? I’m guessing/hoping Southern hospitality would prevail.
Once you leave the Resort, everything else plays second fiddle from a wine perspective, but it doesn’t mean you’ll go thirsty
Halyards (BH) has a solid list with nice assortments in key varietals and regions, but real strength in California cab and especially Bordeaux. In fact, we like their Bordeaux selection more than The Lodge List at Sea Island, since there are a bunch of quality options at less than nosebleed prices. Unfortunately, though, when you can find a straight up comparison between the two lists (e.g. Clos du Marquis), they are about the same. Ouch.
Delaney’s Bistro (BH) is a place to try if you don’t want to have to check your credit card limit before heading out. It’s pedestrian in a lot of categories and dominated by familiar, high-volume names. But there are pleasant surprises too, like Domaine Faury Cote Rotie for $85, so take a few minutes to look it over before pulling the trigger. If you dare, ask the staff if you can visit The Shed (BH). Even we don’t know what lurks within.
Dorothy’s Cocktail and Oyster Bar (BH, BB) Cited for its small but imaginative and eclectic list. Only the BTG list appears on their website.
Tramici (BH) Italian leaning list from the same team as Halyards. A few decent options if you go straight to the reds on the Select Bottle List.
Reid’s Apothecary (BH) No wine list visible but their casual fine dining menu got my juices flowing
Woodside (BB) A new restaurant from a sous chef who worked with Grant Achatz of Alinea fame (say no more). Still in stealth mode with no website, but it sounds like a can’t miss if you can get a reservation. Link is contact info only.
Coming attractions: Brian has recently become a consultant for two popular area restaurants, Georgia Sea Grill and The Nest. Stay tuned for exciting developments in the near future.
Retail
Whether you’re a resident, a snowbird, or just visiting, here’s where to go if you want to make good wines part of your Golden Isles experience. Nothing like having an accredited sommelier on the floor in a retail store if you’re wondering what to serve with dinner tonight.
Brian Henderson at JP’s Wines and Spirits
Brandon Boudreau at Newcastle Wine Merchants
The owner of JP’s Wine and Spirits made Brian Henderson an offer he couldn’t refuse to help take their wine game to the next level. As you might expect, his impact has been immediate and he’s only getting started. Early next year he’s planning to add more than 300 new labels. Brian explained that he’s been going gangbusters recently with Picpoul de Pinet, a light and super-refreshing white from the French Languedoc coast. Frankly, I didn’t see that coming, but it’s evidence that there’s plenty of pent up thirst for quality and innovation in the area. Unfortunately, you won’t learn a thing from their website, so we heartily recommend you either email or call Brian directly to find out what’s up. In his spare time Brian is a kayak guide and hiking enthusiast. Despite his exalted wine credentials, he couldn’t be more friendly and down-to-earth.
Brandon’s store, Newcastle Wine Merchant, has only been open for nine months as of this writing but he’s already accumulated a devoted local following. He’s what I would describe as a tastemaker, whose combination of knowledge, enthusiasm and access to allocated producers can help steer his clients to exciting discoveries across the price/value spectrum. In his own words, his goal is to help people discover “the best kept secrets of the wine world.” Despite the fact that his wines may be unfamiliar to many, he’s committed to the idea that buying them should never be intimidating. Again, the website isn’t much more than a billboard with some Instagram photos, so by all means drop in or get in touch.
The Bubble Bar at Two Friends is curated by another certified sommelier and wine educator, Ruth Ryberg. The unique concept is a wine store and wine bar inside a boutique/gift shop. More than 500 wines are available, many from small, artisanal producers with a sustainable/organic orientation. French wines and a selection of 80 champagnes and sparkling wines provide focus. Prices look very fair, especially since you can carry a bottle right to the wine bar without any additional corkage (yay!). But if you’re in the mood there are also some thoughtful, relatively affordable splurges like Auguste Clape Cornas or 2016 Chateau Talbot.
