CHECK OTHER REVIEWS FOR THIS PLACE:
Although the trend of wine bars in the Lebanon has not been well-received in the 1990s, their popularity has recently started to see the light. By early 2011, wine bars became popular and started popping up in many neighborhoods across the country. Wine bars now rival the local hangouts such as coffee shops and local bars. The wine bar phenomenon offers the 'taste before you buy' philosophy - a concept now well enjoyed by many. The Wine Teller offers much more than just that...
The Wine Teller incorporated a larger variety of food choices to this new concept. Traditionally associated with cheese and desserts, the Wine Teller is looking to combine wine with appetizer-sized gourmet selections to enhance the palate. The concept brings the tastes of fancy restaurants to a dressed-down setting. The Wine Tellar has opened its door two months ago, owned and managed by Najib Moutran, the well renowned Lebanese Wine master, who has been lecturing and training about his passion for the last couple of years. Najib created a wine bar based around a knife or a slicer and a wine glass. He believes that everything sliced in thin layers is more enjoyable to eat than thicker chunks. Behind the bar is an industrial slicer that cuts everything: Cheese, ham, vegetables, bread, fruits and more.
While enjoying a couple of fine delicatessen bites, it's up to you to choose from more than 200 different Lebanese wines on display as well as a choice of 250 International names to accompany your meal. The person behind the concept: Najib Moutran:
- Graduated in agriculture from USJ, followed by a degree in wine marketing from the university of Crete
- Worked at Enoteca, Phoenicia Eau de vie, Kefraya, wine planting and other companies
- He has a passion for wines and food
- He believes in living your passion:"Receiving guests, cooking for them, drinking all together..."
- He loves cooking and the secrets a kitchen offers
The architecture of the place:
- A glass door slides to welcome you
- Two tables, one seating 7 and the other seating 2 guests with a bar for a group of 6
- A roughed wooden floor looks like wine boxes one next to the other
- Wood walls with isolation
- A stone bar with its thick wooden surface
- An ambiance of burgundy, crushed petals and light wood
- Two fridges, one for cold cuts and the other for cheese
- A wine cellar at the end having the fine supreme wines and maintained at 15degreesC and a humidity of 78%
- Go up the second floor on the metallic stairs where Najib's office welcomes you with a high table, where group tastings are organized
The food we tasted:
- Bread slices in a stainless bucket
- Sliced zucchini
- Grana Padano Italian cheese
- Comte affine served with potatoes or apples
- Navet
- Emiliano with mango
- Camembert au calvados
- Bria Savarin a la Truffe Noir
- Tomme de Chèvre au Mare de Raisin
- Eggplant Mille Feuille with halloum heated
- Apple, Comte cheese, apricot, orange zest and cummins
The wine that accompanied the food:
Kumala, Western Cape, Pinotage Shiraz, 2010. A wine from South Africa
We enjoyed a great evening, tasting some of the finest wines while eating a variety of original bites prepared by Najib and his lovely wife. The food, that activates all your palatal buds, is served on little ceramic plates. Simple yet impressively creative.
The concept:
- Formula of $50: 50g cheese, 100g charcuterie, 3 wines tasted, equivalent of a 1/2 bottle per person
- Formula of $15: 1 wine glass and cheese platter
- Formula of $75 with salmon and Foie Gras or magret. Vin doux and sparkling wine
- 30,000L.L or 50,000L.L are paid depending on the bottle as "droit de bouchon" since wines are bought at retail prices
The details I loved:
- Water is served in a glass carafe, no plastic bottles are seen. I love this detail. Even the water taste becomes different
- The music choice is exactly what I was expecting to enjoy
- Small porcelain serving plates are classy
- Everything is freshly cut in front of the customers
- The salad cognac-like glass is a must see. What a beautiful idea
Signature desserts:
- Strawberry salad with rosé liquor
- Chocolate sausages or chocolate fingers as some refer to it
- Chocolate with pistachio nuts and another with penuts
Dinner ended by a taste of Afandello, a new and unique Lebanese drink. Afandello is our Lebanese way of doing the Limoncello a la Libanaise. Lebanese Clementines (Afande) prepared in an alcoholic drink like a Limoncello. Extraordinary indeed. It will be available around town soon for you to enjoy. Afandello is created by Mr. Jalal Nakad from Chateau Nakad Wines.
Ourjouan, a wine label created by Najib:
- The more you seek the more you find
- A detailed sticker that makes you want to grab the bottle and look at every single drawing
- Fresh tannin that doesn't need aging, so bottles are filled and sold immediately
- Searching for the best wines around and making their own label
- Nice red color soft on the thought and strong on the palette
What a pleasant night. Pass by the Wine Teller, you'll surely enjoy it
