Video Transcript: Wine and Chocolate and Gifts
Written By: Anonymous on Mon, Feb 11th 2008
Brian Freedman: Welcome to the Classic Wines Minute brought to you by Classicwines.com. I am your host Brian Freedman, and today we are here in Old City, Philadelphia at Pinot Boutique and we are joined by the owner and founder of the store, Dan Soskin. Dan, thanks so much for joining us.
Dan Soskin: Oh, my pleasure Brian.
Brian Freedman: So the catch phrase of the store is "Everything but the grape". This is a very different idea that we've ever seen here in Philly. Take us through the philosophy behind that.
Dan Soskin:M Sure Brian, I'd love to. "Everything but the grape" means we sell everything but the wine itself. So everything related to enjoying the wine.
Brian Freedman: Okay. And just like with Golf or any other hobby that people can really throw themselves into completely, there are any number of accessories that they can use to enhance their enjoyment of the actual wine itself, correct?
Dan Soskin: Yeah. Sure. We have all kinds of openers, ways to preserve your wine, ways to store your wine, ways to decant and drink your wine and enjoy it.
Brian Freedman: I think a store like this is coming around at a perfect time because more people are more into wine now than they really ever have been before. Are you seeing, now that the holidays are upon us, are you seeing people sort of coming in more and looking for those gift ideas for their family and friends?
Dan Soskin: Oh, absolutely, absolutely. In fact we've just launched a line of gift baskets that are getting lot of attention. This is our first real holiday season and people are very excited about it.
Brian Freedman: Okay, and actually in conjunction with the holiday season you've just expanded downstairs where you will be holding classes and you will be holding events. You're really making this sort of the epicenter of wine for the city.
Dan Soskin: That's right Brian, and yeah it's very exciting.
Brian Freedman: Yeah, absolutely. Now, we have to address this issue here because we're sitting here with chocolate wine sauce, which I've never seen before, and I keep on hearing about this Pinotinis.
Dan Soskin: Pinotinis, yes.
Brian Freedman: Yeah. What's the story with those?
Dan Soskin: Pinotinis are chocolate martinis made with our cabernet wine chocolate sauce.
Brian Freedman: Okay. These sauces are actually made in Napa Valley, you said?
Dan Soskin: That's right, a little chocolate factory in Napa Valley. They use cabernet wine that is -- the grapes are growing right there, and it's made right there.
Brian Freedman: Okay. So this really is a natural product and therefore it's a great excuse to drink a little bit more of your martini, which is never a bad thing. Can we taste these, if you have a sample back here?
Dan Soskin: Yeah. Well, I have a sample; this is actually not the Pinotini, this is the chocolate sauce pure.
Brian Freedman: Okay.
Dan Soskin: So, what you are tasting is often used as just a dessert topping, but it makes for a great chocolate martini too.
Brian Freedman: Okay. Now, how would you make a chocolate martini with this? Is it white because it is gin?
Dan Soskin: Generally it is a flavored Vodka or a flavored Rum.
Brian Freedman: You know what, I didn't hear a word you said. This is great; this is absolutely great. Yeah, I mean you definitely get the wine character in there but it is not overwhelming, the chocolate is not too too sweet. That's great; I think I am going to actually take a bottle home today.
Dan Soskin: Cool.
Brian Freedman: Great. Well Dan, thank you so much for joining us today.
Dan Soskin: All right Brian.
Brian Freedman: It's been a pleasure.
Dan Soskin: Likewise.
Brian Freedman: From all of us here at Classicwines.com we'd like to thank Pinot Boutique in Old city Philadelphia. I am Brian Freedman. I am going to cheers with the plastic spoon.
