What's on Tap? Wine, Of Course

In my continued journey to learn more about wine, I’ve noticed a big trend: accessibility.

So many wine lovers are trying to bring their passion to the masses – like me – and are attempting to remove the snobbery and the pretentiousness associated with wine and just get people drinking.

Maybe that’s why Alexis Kahn, owner of the newly-opened ABV wine bar on the upper east side of Manhattan, will offer four wines on...wait for it…TAP!. Yep. On tap. Right next to the beer, which is also on tap.

Now this probably is making many wine snobs spit up in their wine glass, but that’s not the crowd Kahn and her husband Noah Shannon are looking for anyway.

In addition, Kahn, the former director of beverage education at the French Culinary Institute, will offer customers the option of paying for their alcohol by consumption.

That means you pay for what you drink. It is also why the bar is named ABV – in wine speak, that stands for “alcohol by volume.” So you can choose how to pay and drink.

ABV offers an extensive wine list in addition to the four wines on tap and you can order them by the glass (starting at $7), the half-glass, the half-bottle, and of course, “by consumption.”

So you can try new wines and control your costs at the same time.

It doesn’t get more accessible than that.

Cent ‘Anni.

Questions for Our Wine Pro

What is your death row wine?

1995 Billecart-Salmon Les Clos Saint Hilaire Brut, Champagne, France

What region produces the best wine?

There are wines I love from all over the world, but if I had to choose one region to drink from, it would be the Loire Valley in France. The variety is unbeatable, from crisp sparklers to aromatic whites to food friendly reds to luscious dessert wines, the Loire has it all.

What is the best wine and food pairing you’ve ever had?

I've had many, but the one that comes to mind is fried squid with a copa of the "house" Cava while seated at a food stall/bar in the Boqueria in Barcelona.

What will the U.S. wine industry look like in 10 years?

More young people will be both consuming and producing wine. There will be a drive toward protecting indigenous varietals and producing more natural wines.