We should have felt just a bit uneasy about quaffy down a ridiculous quantity of wine in a former Methodist church, but something (maybe it was the quantity of the wine or the ghost of Reverend John Butt) said, "Jesus liked his wine too."
I was at Bonterra in Charlotte, North Carolina, a lovely restored church turned restaurant/wine room, and I was too busy marvelling at the extensive list of wines-by-the-glass and the mouthwatering menu to feel much trepidation about sampling Bonterra's many lovely offerings. It's not often you find a Veuve-Clicquot Yellow Label Champagne or a Patz and Hall Pinot by the glass outside of London's bubbly bars or Sonoma Valley's finest bar/restaurants. I did have a glass of the Patz and Hall Pinot and the value-priced (at $8/glass) Hill Family Barrel Blend which is primarily Cabernet Sauvignon. These paired nicely with the artfully conceived meat and seafood dishes which I shared with fellow foodies and friends Stephen and Carolyn Kwiatkowski.
The menu is built for sharing--the entree portions generous and a starter menu that includes cheese, charcuterie, and olive plates, mussels, and Fois Gras. The ambience and the well-trained servers invite you to linger and revisit the menu for dessert or a glass of port, or late-harvest wine.
Okay, if you insist...
