Nothing makes my heart skip a beat like the discovery of a great new wine. Yet the prospect of paying for a full bottle of something new, only to discover on first sip that it's definitely a not- for-me style, can prove daunting for even the most adventuresome. Fortunately for wine lovers in the Tokyo area, a just-opened wine bar in Omotesando Hills promises to serve 80 eclectic wines every day, and all by the glass.
We've long been fans of by-the-glass programs as a way to discover new wines, although we've found that in Tokyo they can range from the thoughtful and well priced to the mundane and outrageous.
Regardless of the scope or quality of the wines served, the universal challenge for all by-the-glass programs is oxygen. As soon as a bottle is uncorked, an epic battle between wine and oxygen begins. This can lead to positive transformations at first, particularly with young red wines, but after a few hours, the aromas can begin to flatten, the flavors dissipate, and a bitter edge emerges.
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