DINE+WINE - wine time
The Wine
Whisperer
Pair wines from The Hidden Bin with a meal at Table 31 by Trevor Burton | photography by Trevor Burton
To me, walking into The Hidden Bin wine shop and tasting bar is an experience of great comfort. I’ve known the manager, Graddie Lane, for many years. He has a long and impressive culinary resumé; I’ve tasted many of his kitchen creations. But it’s his approach to wine that makes The Hidden Bin so uniquely attractive—his nickname is “The Wine Whisperer.” The world of wine is so vast—simply exploring it is such a joy. The thing that Lane and I share is discovering wines that are true values; superb wines that are “under the radar” and don’t command an exorbitant price—vinous nuggets. The Hidden Bin has a fair share of “top-shelf” wines and a fair share of customers for them. But Lane makes sure that there’s also a fair share of vinous nuggets and he is always there to whisper in their ear and advise customers as they go prospecting. A great example would be the Pinot Noir grape. Lane told me that he has a surprisingly high demand for Pinot Noir wines. I attribute that solely to him. He is a great fan of wines from the northwest of the United States. I am, too. Over millions of years, this area has gone through huge geological turmoil. It’s a story that is too long for this article but, over the years, let’s just say that this wasn’t good place to be a wooly mammoth. And all of this shows through in wines from the area. Given the wooly mammoth stuff, 50 years is but a blink of the 64
LAKE NORMAN CURRENTS | FEBRUARY 2021
eye. But it was around 50 years ago that Oregon became an undisputed center of excellence for Pinot Nor wines. And Lane became an aficionado. So much so that he was recently selected to go to an Oregon “retreat” on just these wines. I use the religious word, retreat, because if you get him talking about it for any length of time, he speaks of it as an almost spiritual experience. There is no doubt in my mind that his guidance is the reason why Pinot Noir plays such large role with The Hidden Bin customers. There’s another reason to like The Hidden Bin. Just across the breezeway is the entrance to the wine shop’s sister establishment, the restaurant, Table 31. Most times I’m at a restaurant I tend to read the wine list first in order to select one and then go on to the menu to find a dish to pair with it. In the case of The Hidden Bin, one has the opportunity to consult with The Wine Whisperer for wine guidance, select a bottle from a vast choice, take it across the breezeway for dinner and pay just a very reasonable corkage fee. That surely makes economic sense but from a wine point of view it’s an absolute home run. A great price deal to have a bottle of wine with dinner and a great place to explore and taste wine. The Hidden Bin is a wine shop and tasting bar that you should seek out. It could be the best and tastiest game of hide and go seek that you’ve ever played. Sip well and sip often.
