The Tasting Panel magazine

september 2009 / the tasting panel / 75 Farber's success at the sell stems not from fast talk, but from careful consideration of wines that he thinks people will enjoy. He doesn't track how many he and his staff re- view monthly, but estimates they choose one out of every 25 they taste for the store, based on value, appeal and, sometimes, novelty. "We like to be in the forefront of find- ing new items, and over the years, we've found a lot of good—even great—things for people here," he said. "We like the new kid on the block." One such newcomer, Kiamie Wine Cel- lars, is actually an old-timer at Dodd's. Kiamie proprietor Greg Johnson started at Dodd's, working the stock room while in college. He learned the business on the floor, leaving college and eventually the family real-estate business to devote him- self to wine. More than ten years later, he's back in the Westchester store—this time as a boutique wine producer. "Kiamie is a class operation and a labor of love," says Farber, not without a flicker of pride in his protégé. "They were focused on making a really good wine instead of fill- ing up the bank account; they didn't want to make anything ordinary, and they didn't." Farber will carry Kiamie's third vintage when it's released this fall, and says that while the wines aren't for "Sunday-afternoon drinking," he likes them for their versatility with food and excellent varietal characteris- tics. In his opinion, "These are for real wine drinkers. All I can say, the wine is in the bottle, and you will make a friend recom- mending this." Dodd's Liquor City, Millwood Shopping Center, Millwood, NY (914) 762-5511 Kiamie Wine Cellars K iamie has a simple philosophy: Blend the best West Side Paso Robles grapes into wines of uncompromising quality. But the result of that is anything but simple. These Bordeaux- and Rhône-style wines, in their third vintage, are gaining quick renown in wine compe- titions for their complexity, expression and structure. The award-winning Kuvées are of particular pride to proprietor Greg Johnson, who calls the blends "a wonderful representation of the fruit quality coming out of Paso Robles." And if he were to pick one to represent the spirit of this young winery, it might be the Gold Medal–winning Kiamie Kuvée, a blend of five varieties that Johnson unabashedly describes as a "fruit bomb." "The wines are definitely fruit-forward and accessible, but have the str ucture to lay down for ten years," he says. "I was trying to draw some of the Napa crowd—heavy Cabernet drinkers—and offer something similar to what they're drinking, but more approachable . . . something easier than an estate Cabernet. And what we ended up with was a little different. Right now, I think it's trying to find its own niche by being a unique bottle of wine." Indeed, the Kuvées, two of Kiamie's five wines, are unique enough now that Johnson describes them as the flagship wines of the port- folio. The 2007 White Kuvée, a 2009 Double Gold winner in San Fran- cisco, retails around $24; the 2005 red Kuvée, a Gold-winner in Los Angeles and Santa Rosa, and Best in Class Red over $30 at Monterey County, retails at $44. Production is at about 2,500 cases. Says Johnson, "We're not look- ing to be everywhere, but are focusing on boutique stores and quality restaurants that want to diversify their offerings." www.kiamiewines.com The Kiamie portfolio is based on the best grapes from the West Side of Paso Robles. The wine-centric staff at Dodd's Liquor City (left to right): Mike Brady, Mike Klewan, Dodd Farber, Bob Chipman, Joe Cutaia and Mark Buglione.

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