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Wine, it’s safe to say, doesn’t have much in common with the world of fashion. Trends in the latter are conceived, blossom, and die in less time than it takes to age a bottle of Rioja, while wine’s obsession with soil is likely to have the average clothes-horse raising a well-manicured eyebrow.
But there’s one area where wine lovers can learn from fashionistas: the capsule wardrobe.
The concept dates back to the 1940s, and its premise is simple: that there are too many things stuffed into the modern wardrobe, where a smaller number of well-chosen garments that could be cleverly mixed and matched to suit all occasions makes more sense.
Most people buy wine the way they buy clothes: illogically. But if less can be more with clothes, then why not with wine, too?
The capsule cellar
Would it be possible to create a wine equivalent, with just one case? Such a case would need to work with all the main food styles and drinking occasions, from wines to share with friends and impress the in-laws to take-aways and date nights. All for under $25 a bottle.
The answer is yes, but it’s a job for professionals. Fortunately, the professionals were ready to help; each one was tasked with creating one section of the capsule cellar.
Creating the capsule wasn’t easy, even for people who do this kind of thing for a living. It’s far harder, after all, to create a good short wine list than a good long one, because there’s absolutely no room for any fat. And most wine lists are considerably longer than 12 bottles.
“Putting my section together definitely needed some research,” said Nicole Cheon, in charge of the red wine section. “But for people who like to enjoy wines every day and try different things rather than collect them, this is a great way to discover new favorites and broaden their knowledge.”
4 red wines you need:
“To choose my red wines, I thought about major ingredients of food styles and cooking methods — meat, fish, grain, and vegetable — and tried to pick something to go with them in broad categories,” says Nicole Cheon, the sommelier at Le Bernardin in Manhattan, explaining that she went for wines with juicy fruit, bright acidity, and balanced structure. “Then I narrowed down the choices with my personal preferences; wines that express specific terroirs and wines made with biodynamic philosophy.”
Cheon says that red wines from Languedoc-Roussillon or Montsant in Spain are also worth considering, because “you can find an array of versatile red wines without a heavy price tag.”
Karim Vionnet Beaujolais Villages 2020 (~$20)
“Karim Vionnet makes pure, authentic, delightful wines that express respect for nature,” says Cheon. “Bursting with crunchy red fruits like cranberry, fresh red cherries, and wild strawberries, subtle spices, violet floral, and wet earth, the wine is juicy, vibrant, and incredibly easy-drinking. Great chilled for weeknights on a porch to unwind and relax.”
