The second day of the Wyandotte Art Fair and I was getting my sea-legs back, after working a twelve plus hour day, and I was out of practice.  On the second day I only had to work an eight hour day, which was doable.  The curious thing that had happened a week earlier or so, I made a sale (which is not odd) to a customer, and somehow the conversation ended up going from clothing to wine, and the customer and his wife I found out were opening up a wine bar in downtown Wyandotte.  It is so amazing what one can find out during a conversation.  Outside of a two year period, I had always sold clothing on a salary, as opposed to being on a commission basis, and somehow it has always been more of a gentlemanly way of doing business.  The customer was planning on having a “soft” opening during the Art Fair, and I decided to deliver his purchases to him, and also to check out the new restaurant in town.  Over the years I have met many restraunteurs and I have always tried to make a visit to their establishment as a courtesy.  I have always thought that since they paid for their merchandise, I would reciprocate.

I just liked the cleverness of the name, Wine Dotte Bistro, a wine bar in Wyandotte.  The location was on the backside of the main street and has a view of the Detroit River, and I have to admit that I had never been to that part of the downtown area.  So as I schlepped all the garments over my shoulder I made my way through the maze of patrons for the fair.  When I got there, the restaurant was quiet, but it was their first day of business and the word had not gotten out on the street.  Since it was a “soft” opening the menu was abbreviated and I understood that.  I went with some Shrimp Tacos with house made Tortilla chips and house made Salsa as well.  I was very pleased with the quality of the food, especially since the Shrimp were not tiny, which is a pet peeve of mine.  The food that I had was enough to make me make a return trip.  By the time that I was paying my bill the room was filling up, the word was out about the new establishment.

Beyond the food, was the wine, and besides having a full bar, they had a wonderful selection of wines and that is what piqued my curiosity.  They had forty-two wines by the glass and a choice of sixty-one different bottles of wine in total.  There was a good mix of domestic and imported wines and some old standbys that I noticed were from the Wagner Group, Duckhorn, Far Niente, Cakebread, Nickel and Nickel, Moet & Chandon and Ruinart.  Since it was another hot and humid day, I started off with a glass of Chateau Moncontour Vouvray Demi-Sec 2014.  Vouvray is one of the most famed wines of the Loire, and for sure from Touraine.  It is in the Loire where Chenin Blanc shines, and locally it is known as Pineau de la Loire, and it can be so refreshing and it actually is a white wine that can age from cellaring, but get a fine bottle to save.  I also had a glass of Jose Limeres Licia Albarino 2014 from Rias Baixas in Spain.  Albarino, known locally as Albarinho, is a most pleasant white wine and this wine was pure Albarino.  To have the DOC of Rias Baixas the wine has to be mostly Albarino.  Rias Baixas means the Lower Rias, which describes the area, and this wine was made from two sub-zones of the region; Condado de Tea and O Rosal.  Jose Limeres got into the wine business, to get quality wines for his restaurants originally.  I know that I shall be going back there again, and I am especially looking forward to their full menu.