The Local Vine

2520 Second Avenue

206 441 6000

Reviewed: 12 January 2008

We can't really say much about the food at The Local Vine, a very moderne wine bar in rapidly gentrifying Belltown. We've had a few olives, but otherwise we come for the champagne. For too many people champagne is a commodity. You bring it out at weddings and graduations, but the sparkling wines of Champagne are as varied as any other varietal, perhaps more so, since champagne depends much on both the grape and the processing. The Local Vine has a charming, well chosen selection of champagnes by the glass, so we were able to try their Gosset Brut Excellence and the unusual Gonet Medeville Extra Brut Rose. The Gosset is a favorite of the owner. Some people say it tastes like sparkling cider, but it is much drier and more elegant than that. The rose was a special treat, dry and crisp, with only a touch of sweetness. On another visit, they had the Piper Heidseck Brut Sauvage Rose. Although the exquisite color would lead you to believe that this was a sweet raspberry liqueur, in fact it was as dry as a bone, almost austere in its appeal.

Their wine list changes, so be sure to ask if they are pouring anything special. You may be pleasantly surprised. The staff may seem a bit distant at first, but a few questions or a word of appreciation will spark a warm discussion about the merits and foibles of the profered vines.

Not every wine bar even serves a pink champagne, so for now, The Local Vine will be our place in the country. We can't wait to return.