Vancouver was in serious need of a wine shop according to David Gray, owner of Salut! Wine Co. in East Vancouver. The wine shop that had been in that location previously had closed when Salut! was opened five years ago. Salut! offers wine tastings on Friday nights. This last Friday wines from Walla Walla were featured and port wines in their "Port Weekend" the 15th - 17th this coming weekend will be spotlighted.
The Salut! store in Camas, which offers wine tastings and dinners each Friday was opened two years ago in response to the need for a catering kitchen. They are featuring a Valentines Day dinner on February 14th, (men take note of that date) and "Cab Frank & Sauv Blanc--Parents of Cabernet Sauvignon" night, Friday February 15th. Events
David Gray chose to open his wine shop in Vancouver because he is a Clark County resident. He has a sign in the window of his shop encouraging customers to support their local communities. "We are much more casual here," he replied in response to my question about the type of wine tasters he serves, "there is less attitude. It's like an art show in Portland versus wine appreciation here. We're not the society page; we're the people who enjoy the wine." Well stated!
Salut! offers several wine classes and events, one of which I participated in a number of months ago. I thought I knew a fair amount about the wines I drank, mainly what tasted good is good, right? The "Wine 101, Components of Wine" class taught me what it was I was tasting in the wine and also taught me the answers to the questions: "Why do wine tasters swish the glass around and sniff it?", "What do those descriptors, woody, aged, oak, really mean when they're talking about wine?" and more. I asked David which one of his classes is the most attended and he told me it is the Wine 101 class. His theory is that people need to learn about wine, it's like going to buy a house without an education, you won't find the house that fits your needs unless you educate yourself. The same applies to wine, you hear snippets here and there but they're not always consistent. For me, it was a safe learning environment, I've found wine that meets my needs, with yummy foods, fun people, and I learned that Sauvignon Blanc has a hint of a grapefruit smell.
Salut! Is another of our wine assets in the 'Couv. I've had more than one friend tell me they can go in there and ask for advise on which wines to serve or give as a gift. Salut! carries a great wine selection as well as great advise. It doesn't hurt that their merchandise tastes great!
Cheers!
Marcie
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