Greetings from Carrboro,
I have to be honest. The first time that I honestly enjoyed a glass of wine, I was sitting on top of Cliff’s Meat Market. It had to have been at least 1am and I was sitting on a cheap outdoor folding chair taking notes. There was a rowdy contingent shooting off bottle rockets, lighting them with cigarettes and trying to make them land on Wendy’s. Obviously beer drinkers. It was May and the first George Bush was president.
Talk about falling down the rabbit hole; Lewis Carroll would be proud. I hate to imagine the actual number of different wines that I’ve tasted since that night. Or the number of times that I’ve assumed a certain mastery only to have that suave mirage turn into so much sand. But I am nothing if not persistent.
There were books or, more precisely, stuffy tomes of usually British origin if you wanted to learn about wine. I still have one or two that I bought at a used bookstore. And, yes, the occasional sales rep who did know something about wine would come heroically to our aid. But essentially we were on our own. Orders were over the phone. And every Thursday from 3-5, you could call the bar at Pyewacket (IYKYK) and ask for any of an assortment of reps from different companies who were hanging out there, drinking, talking shop, and taking orders.
Needless to say, I’ve surfed all the crazes – from white zinfandel to Aussie shiraz to orange pinot grigio – and I must say that wine has never been better than it is today. Sure, there’s nostalgia. But there’s nostalgia for pretty much everything. Today, the breadth and depth of quality wine from all over the world is staggering. And it’s thrilling to have such personal wines on our list, wines that tell stories of people and places and ways of life.
That first great bottle of wine is actually on the Acme wine list today. And has been for most of our 25 years. Obviously it’s not the 1989 vintage I tasted that night sitting on top of Cliff’s. But it’s still just as delicious to me today. Every time that we sell a bottle, I wonder if it will have the same power and lead someone else down that oh-so-delicious rabbit hole.
This weekend @ Acme: Soft shell crabs. Strawberry margaritas. NY strip steaks. Martha’s Mississippi tamales. Pecan-crusted fried chicken. Scallop, spring pea, and mint risotto. Acme Brussels’ sprouts. Texas-style smoked beef brisket. Shooting Point Oysters on the half shell. Blackened salmon. Pistachio pound cake with strawberry ice cream. Cocktails galore. Acme wedge salad. Flash-fried flounder. Acme cornbread. Macaroni & cheese. Mushroom pie. Acme smashburgers. Fried oyster po boy sliders. Key lime pie. Calamari salad. And, yea, a lot of delicious wine.
Well, that’s all the news from Carrboro. The staff at Acme look forward to serving you soon.
Cheers,
The Staff at Acme