Recently the Village Voice had a round-up of the 10 "best wine bars" in the city, which oddly did not include Terroir. Comments ensued, prompting the paper's restaurant critic Robert Sietsema to take readers' comments to heart and visit the 18-month old Terroir. Apparently, he'd never been.
Sietsema dislikes Paul Grieco's (not that he knows - or thinks he needs to know - who Grieco is) quirky winelist, mostly for being pricey and deceptive (way too many rieslings listed - they couldn't possibly have all these bottles in the cellar!), and sniffs at the house-cured charcuterie "because they tend to be about the same everywhere." Then he orders an auslese riesling without knowing what it is. And, as a reviewer reviewing a wine bar, he does not think he should know what an auslese riesling is, this being such an elitist, arcane wine knowledge term and all. Cue all heck breaking loose in the comment section.
How bad did the smackdown get? Some highlights after the jump...
Sietsema dislikes Paul Grieco's (not that he knows - or thinks he needs to know - who Grieco is) quirky winelist, mostly for being pricey and deceptive (way too many rieslings listed - they couldn't possibly have all these bottles in the cellar!), and sniffs at the house-cured charcuterie "because they tend to be about the same everywhere." Then he orders an auslese riesling without knowing what it is. And, as a reviewer reviewing a wine bar, he does not think he should know what an auslese riesling is, this being such an elitist, arcane wine knowledge term and all. Cue all heck breaking loose in the comment section.
How bad did the smackdown get? Some highlights after the jump...
Now, we've been to Terroir and other places where Paul Grieco put his wine imprint, starting with Gramercy Tavern. The list is unique and unusual, inviting exploration and experimentation, if goofy in presentation. The wines we had were good and not what one would find at dozens of other places. Not too pricey for the quality - there is even free sherry for for the early bird. And we tasted a number of wines before settling on what we liked best.
The commenters took issue with not so much the (mixed) review itself but the revelation that the Voice critic does not know what 'auslese' means and doesn't think he needs to - when reviewing a wine bar. Sietsema did not take kindly to the criticism of his work addressing the commenters directly. A few choice comments from possibly the first critic to attack his readers online:
So Gene, you would describe yourself as a "wine bar elitist"? Just where do you get your bags of money to spend on a small taste of wine? Nice that you don't have to worry about such mundane things! And I never claimed to be a "wine writer." I'm a "food critic" with the concerns of my readers in mind, and they're concerned that there are no cheaper options on Terroir's wine list. We don't begrudge you your expensive glasses, we simply wish to be included in your effete wine universe. And if we took a poll of people who simply like wine, without mastering the thousands of foreign-language terms, how should we automatically know what "auslese" means.
Josh: Please introduce me to your friend Jack Shit, he sounds like an interesting fellow. notwineguy: so glad I don't know you, but if you and your contemptuous pals are the types who hang around Terroir, I'm so glad there are other wine bars in the East Village, where I can count on friendly people hanging out.
I don't know who Paul Grieco is, and it's not my job to find out. I review.
Not the best way to build an online following - attacking them.
The commenters took issue with not so much the (mixed) review itself but the revelation that the Voice critic does not know what 'auslese' means and doesn't think he needs to - when reviewing a wine bar. Sietsema did not take kindly to the criticism of his work addressing the commenters directly. A few choice comments from possibly the first critic to attack his readers online:
So Gene, you would describe yourself as a "wine bar elitist"? Just where do you get your bags of money to spend on a small taste of wine? Nice that you don't have to worry about such mundane things! And I never claimed to be a "wine writer." I'm a "food critic" with the concerns of my readers in mind, and they're concerned that there are no cheaper options on Terroir's wine list. We don't begrudge you your expensive glasses, we simply wish to be included in your effete wine universe. And if we took a poll of people who simply like wine, without mastering the thousands of foreign-language terms, how should we automatically know what "auslese" means.
Josh: Please introduce me to your friend Jack Shit, he sounds like an interesting fellow. notwineguy: so glad I don't know you, but if you and your contemptuous pals are the types who hang around Terroir, I'm so glad there are other wine bars in the East Village, where I can count on friendly people hanging out.
I don't know who Paul Grieco is, and it's not my job to find out. I review.
Not the best way to build an online following - attacking them.
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