by Heidi Turzyn
Gotham Wine Director
Time in a Bottle
Wine tells a story, and those we call oenophiles tend to have a romantic side. This romantic tendency begins with an attraction; then the appreciation for something beautiful blooms into a fascination, giving rise to an even deeper sense of affection and wonder at the variables of winemaking. From the fruit, to the terroir, to the climate and winemaker, each wine is an expression of time, place, and man. In the bottle, a wine is committed to its glass house, where it matures and reveals over time the qualities that went into its formation. Opening a bottle of wine from a special vintage often leads to reminiscing about the past—what happened that year and the years since—the birth of a child, a wedding, a special trip, a new chapter. These memories come flooding back, all with the pull of a cork. Recently I had the pleasure of opening 1985 Heitz “Martha’s Vineyard” with my team and celebrating the year Alfred took over as executive chef of Gotham and we received our first three-star New York Times review. As Gotham embarked on its celebration of 30 years in New York, I wanted to create a gotham30 “reserve” list of American wines that would recall some of the important and memorable years for Gotham—such as our opening, our first New York Times reviews, the year the James Beard Foundation recognized Chef Portale, and so much more. The list is a celebration of culinary history and the achievements of great tastemakers in the United States. Winemakers and chefs have helped to develop and advance our palates over the past 30 years. the winemakers’ dedication to their craft has led to unexpected gems and great examples of the longevity of American wines.
