Greg Sorrell of DOC Wine Bar pours a glass of Perfum de bi Blanc.

There is a well-known fact that elicits a nervous chuckle: Recessions and drinking go together. While one envisions a once-respectable (?) stock jobber sprawled in a fetid heap after a market crash, the truth is that people simply want to ease their nerves about lean times. Of course, the economy doesn’t lend itself to stilted waiters and wine directors speaking in demeaning tones about “world-class” product to patrons already intimidated by their shrinking portfolios.

Rather, the confluence of the economy and enjoyment of beverages with a kick has led to perhaps a better appreciation of wine. This has created interest in varietals, blends and regions that are driven more by devotion to practice and place than obtaining a top score in a "proper" publication. Opportunities have opened up for white wines from Spain, red wines from Austria and grapes thought lost to careless transport across the ocean.

Sommelier Greg Sorrell of Chicago’s DOC Wine Bar vigilantly monitors the “grapevine” and the emerging wines that will allow his customers to share his passion for it. Though an almost reverential student of the grape, Mr. Sorrell is not overly formal or severely serious about this endeavor; he sees wine as a primary vehicle to a jovial experience. Chicago Budget Wine Examiner sat down recently for a few sips with the affable sommelier, and Mr. Sorrell was equally generous with conversation and a good pour.

Chicago Budget Wine Examiner: What was the impetus behind establishing a wine bar of this style? What’s the primary customer base you’re trying to attract?

Greg Sorrell: We started in 2005 as a neighborhood-style addition to Dunlay’s on Clark (next door). The owner had an interest in wine, and so it was natural to add this when the space became available. I came on board six months after it opened, and because I had experience at Charlie Trotter’s and Alinea, I was given a lot of opportunity and creative control with the wine initiatives here. The younger (Millennial) wine crowd has the knowledge and wherewithal to appreciate many finer things. But here, it's done in a more comfortable manner, without excessive formality. This is very attractive to me. I’ve always had a love for wine and food, as well as people – and this setting is a way for me to connect with people.

Many people have had Cabernet, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but when they come here, they are looking for a real experience. We’re fortunate to have a lot of repeat people; I usually recognize about three-quarters of the room on any given night. It makes for a really warm, inviting and comfortable space. But there are some novice wine drinkers who come in, and they will hear a conversation about (something more esoteric) say, Zweigelt. We try to provide them with an unintimidating approach to discovering something different. This gives them a sense of knowledge, which they can take away and build on for the future.

CBWE: You say you like to experiment with under-the-radar wines and things that are off the beaten path. There are many of these items on your list, yet you also have many Chardonnays. The latter is popular, yet polarizing – can you explain this?

GS: Many people do have a comfort level with the varietals they recognize, so I don’t want to go strictly obscure. So, I will try to find different expressions of those familiar wines. For instance, the Silver Mer Soleil Vineyard Chardonnay 2007 is unoaked – all stainless steel-tank fermented. We also change the half-bottle and by-the-glass lists every two weeks, so there’s a lot of rotation.

But, the more obscure wines are really our most popular, and our staff really gets behind them – they’re exciting to talk about, and in turn, the customers will often say, “Oh, I ought to give that one a shot.”

CBWE: Have any particular varietals caught your attention lately?

GS: I’ve really been enjoying white wines that are Muscat blends from the Penedés region of Spain. The Perfum de vi Blanc 2009 has a semisweet profile, and would be best as an aperitif, but it does work with some seafood dishes, with sushi and with Thai. It’s a blend of Macabeo (60%) and Muscat (40%). A Sardinian white I’ll be bringing in soon is a Vermentino. Sardinian wines are very cool. They are grown very close to the coastline. The Vermentino is almost slightly salty because of its proximity to the sea. It’s got a real sense of place.

A red that I’ve found really interesting is the Cannonau, which is a Sardinian red that tastes almost like an Italian Grenache: medium-bodied and mildly tannic. It goes really well with mushrooms, or a truffled gouda cheese. I also really like Austrian reds. The Zantho Zweigelt 2006 is really great wine that’s very flexible with food – a real crowd-pleaser. On the nose, you get figs and walnuts, and flavors are of Gamay, i.e. Beaujolais. And there’s a touch of spice to it. I recommend it for big groups of people who might be ordering a number of different things to eat.

CBWE: Any trends you see developing? Everybody mentions how Malbec is on a roll. What varietal is poised to equal its popularity, or even surpass it?

GS: Well, I think there are a couple of wines that could be on the verge of doing this. Chilean Carmenère is one that I do really well with here – the Casa Silva Reserva. It’s a grape that’s super friendly, with some weight, dark fruit and some spice. It’s got a neat story, too. It was being sold as Merlot for many years, and was thought to be completely lost when brought over from Bordeaux.

A white that could take off is French Semillon. As the weather turns a bit warmer, and people turn to white, this is one I recommend, particularly if someone is not necessarily a white wine drinker. Semillon is dry – almost “slatey” – and has a nice mineral component.

CBWE: What are your personal favorites – white and red – priced at or under $15 per bottle at retail?

GS: A red that I really like is the Lang & Reed Cabernet Franc 2008, from the North Coast of California. It’s very flexible, and I really love it with smoked duck breast.

The Gessami Gramona 2008 is a white I would recommend. Like the Perfum de vi Blanc I mentioned, it’s from the Penedés region of Spain. It’s 60% Moscato, 30% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Gewurztraminer. When you see a Gewurztraminer from Spain, that’s something truly unique.

Chicago examiner.com article written by Thomas Caestecker