Shop talk 2

Rule two for the wine buyer: Explore and experiment

Uncorked by David Marglin

Not all wine stores are created equal. You can buy a $10 bottle of California chardonnay at any corner liquor store, but when you're looking for something interesting -- or, more important, when you're looking to choose from a variety of California chards, not to mention chards from Australia, Argentina, Chile, France, Italy, New Zealand, and South Africa -- you want to go someplace more sophisticated. A really good wine store will have a big selection and a knowledgeable staff that cares about quality. Pricing at this level is fairly competitive; prices vary no more than a few dollars from store to store (unlike at restaurants, where wines swing wildly in price, depending on what you order and where you are).

Two weeks ago I wrote about three of my favorite stores in downtown Boston; here are some that are farther afield.

Martignetti's

1650 Soldiers Field Road, Brighton. Open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. (Other locations at 64 Cross Street, in the North End, and in the Parkway Plaza Mall in Chelsea.)

Martignetti's is big. So big that it has supermarket carts. Unfortunately, it's not near any public transportation, but it has 3000 wines on display, reasonable prices, and plenty of sales. I have to admit that at first I felt a bit at sea here, but over time I've come to know the staff, and I find them to be extremely helpful -- especially Bob Kaplan and George Bardis, the wine director. These guys know their wine, and they know people. If anything, they may know a little too much: the knowledge can come so fast and furious that you may have to ask them to slow down. The store is wonderfully laid out, with plenty of space; the well-marked wines are arranged by both region and variety. Martignetti's is strong in Italian, Spanish, and, of course, French and American wines.

Marty's Fine Wines and Gourmet Foods

765 Washington Street, Newton, and 193 Harvard Avenue, Allston. Open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The main Marty's, in Newton, is a lot like Martignetti's: it's a supermarket, also with 3000 wines on display, and it's near nothing. Marty's staff is solid -- not as extensive or as forthcoming as Martignetti's, but not as intimidating, either. And Marty's has deals: people line up at the door for its irregularly held "close-out sales," which recall the settling of the Oklahoma Territory -- one big wine grab. As one fellow rube said, with a twinkle in his eye: "It's amazing what the middle class will do for 20 percent off." Marty's also has Tom Schmeisser, who is universally recognized as the wine buying guru of the Boston area (and, in fact, of America: Schmeisser just won the European Wine Council's award as American Merchant of the Year). Marty's has a strong Burgundy and Italian section and the best selection of German wines in the state. It also has more than 500 kinds of cigars and claims to guarantee the best prices in the country. Tastings, usually organized by region, are held every Saturday from noon to 2.

The Wine (and Cheese) Cask

487 Washington Street, Somerville. Open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10:45 p.m.

The Wine Cask opened in 1968, the year after I was born, and I believe the first wines I ever drank came from here. This is where my dad bought most of his wine, always stuff under $15 (he thinks I'm a bit spoiled to drink anything more expensive). The store is so cramped, with bottles everywhere, that it never does wine tastings. Yet despite the crowded quarters, the Wine Cask offers 1800 wines. You come here for wines from Italy and Spain, the usual and not-so-usual suspects from France (check the selection of sweet whites from the Loire), and some eclectic American vintages. The staff prides itself on its ability to find inexpensive, drinkable, and -- yes, Dad -- enjoyable wines under $10. The monthly newsletter always features four $6.99 wines. The staff goes to Europe (on the Cask's dime) and elsewhere to "source" wine -- that is, to find excellent wines to import, rather than waiting for an importer to come to them. Basically, eclectic is the key word here (it certainly isn't location), and these lads do go off the beaten track: you won't see a better selection of "find" wines anywhere in Greater Boston.

*** Remelluri 1994 Rioja Estate Grown ($17.99, Martignetti's)

A Spanish monster: a humongous, dark, deep-red wine, bigger than many cabs, but with fruit that lingers just below the surface. Tempranillo (the main Rioja grape) plus garnacha, graciano, and mazuelo, in that order. You could sit on this, but I say just let it breathe and drink it now.

*** Weingut Willy Schaefer Riesling Spätlese 1996 ($14.99, Marty's)

A very precise, almost surgical German riesling, with super-crisp apple up front and pear on the finish. Very bright, with loads of sun coating the tongue. A super summer wine.

*** ¹/2 Domaine Des Baumards Quarts Des Chaumes 1996 (Loire) (full bottle $34.99, half bottle $17.99, Wine Cask)

Thick and sweet, with an almost fuzzy feel in the mouth: apple strudel and vanilla and apricots and pear tart rolled into one. I like the Loire Valley dessert wines that are showing up in local stores and will be exploring them soon.

David Marglin can be reached at wine[a]phx.com.

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