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TUCKED AWAY in the downtown offices of Terry
Theise Estate Selections in Silver Spring,
Maryland, is a man who’s has been called everything
from a legend to a wunderkind.
Terry Theise does not let such descriptions—or
the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Wine
and Spirits Professional Award he received this
June—go to his head. Instead, the man chosen as Food & Wine magazine’s 2005 Best Wine Importer-
Distributor focuses on what’s in the bottle. And on
that, Theise is nothing if not passionate.
Traveling much of the year, Theise scours
Austria, Germany, and the Champagne region of
France for wines that he finds “attractive and
compelling.” He seeks distinctive wines, he told
Capitol File, “with an instantaneous
and holistic beauty all their own.”
This search has made Theise the
leader in the artisanal Champagne
growers’ movement, in which smallproduction
Champagnes are crafted
by winemakers who grow their own
grapes. The popularity of these
Champagnes and their visibility on
wine lists have skyrocketed in the
past 10 years, much to the credit of
people like Theise who revel in the
“David and Goliath” analogy of
small growers against global giants.
However, hearing the self-confessed
“Riesling wacko” describe
German Riesling as “thrilling” and
“inherently perfect,” it’s clear which
wine is closest to his heart.
“Riesling doesn’t lie; it forces
winemakers to be honest,” says
Theise. “For Riesling, the text has
already been written when the
winemaker picks the grapes—they
can only choose the font.”
Fortunately for Washingtonians,
artisanal wines are seen on more
and more local wine lists, something
Theise credits to “an influx of
good chefs and hip sommeliers”
willing to carry such bottles. But like anyone
involved with importing wine, Theise is concerned
about how the weakness of the US dollar
will affect business. He worries that “consumers
who might experiment with top wines will be
less inclined to do so.”
Still, Theise remains upbeat: “These are better
times for small-batch wine lovers in restaurants,”
he says, a fact already known to those who have
been filling up the wine bars in Washington. But
Theise’s feel for what’s in the glass is paramount.
“I’m not looking for a product I can sell; that’s the
tail wagging the dog,” Theise told us in perfect
Washington-speak. “I’ve always followed the
preferences of my palate.”
YUPPIE BLT
Courtesey of Terry Theise
Start with really good bacon—artisan smokehouse
bacon or your favorite brand, or one of
the many offered by the Grateful Palate. Find
the best bread you can. Buy a slew of local
heirloom tomatoes and fresh greens (snappy
varieties like mizuna or arugula). Finally,
purchase the best store-bought organic mayo,
or even better, make your own.
Cook a ton of bacon, more than you think
you’ll need. The best method is in a 325-
degree oven for 45 minutes or so. Slice the
tomatoes and lay out the greens. Toast the
bread and slather it with mayo. Assemble the
sandwich and eat it with abandon and no guilt
at all. Keep eating until you can barely breathe.
Pair your BLT with a sweet Scheurebe from
Germany (a Spätlese, ideally), and you’ll be
happier than you’ve ever been with a
wine/food pairing.
TOP PICKS
• Soil to Soul from Strub
• Kamptaler Terrassen Riesling from Bründlmayer
• NV Blanc de Blancs Brut from Pierre Gimonnet & Fils
Theise’s wines are available at Vidalia, 1990 M
Street NW, 202-659-1990; CityZen, Mandarin
Oriental, 1330 Maryland Avenue SW, 202-787-
6006; Rasika, 633 D Street NW, 202-637-1222;
and Proof, 775 G Street NW, 202-737-7663.
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