FOR those who can’t be bothered blending their own grapes, new high-tech wine bar Clo offers a novel approach to sipping and swirling. Located on the fourth floor of the Time Warner Center, the walled-in kiosk features a 32-seat communal table with a digital wine list projected onto it.
With the touch of a finger – or in my case, repeated stabs – you can search some 100 wines by color, grape, region and price (half-glass pours start at $3 and quickly go up from there). You can also view extensive tasting notes before taking your glass to one of several Automat-style pouring stations. But first you have to exchange your credit card for a Clo card, which lets you activate the machines.
Maneuvering the list’s motion-activated cursor can be frustrating (“Don’t give me that Luddite stuff,” laughed GM Scott Brenner after I told him it made me feel old), and indeed, it’s hard to argue with the appeal of a wine list resembling a giant iPhone. If sommeliers intimidate you, you’ll especially enjoy exploring the system’s tasting notes.
But be prepared to pay for the novelty: A small pour of 2004 Loire Valley chenin blanc from noted biodynamic winemaker Nicolas Joly costs $15. It’s hard to swallow such a price when that region produces so many affordable high-quality wines. But if you’re going shell out $141 for a bottle of the stuff from Clo’s soon-to-open wine shop, it’s certainly nice to have the option of tasting it first.