Hot wine picks promise to tickle your taste buds - Maryland Beachcomber - delmarvanow.com

Hot wine picks promise to tickle your taste buds - Maryland Beachcomber - delmarvanow.com: "Hot wine picks promise to tickle your taste buds

By John Purnell
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Beachcomber Photo by Cameron Adams

A Voga 2004 Pinot Grigio, packaged in a big beautiful bottle, is available at Connoisseurs in West Ocean City.


OCEAN CITY -- The resort has officially arrived when it comes to fine wine, especially bottles in the $15 range. And you always thought Ocean City was a beer kind of town. Wrong.

Vintners are packaging their products in all kinds of containers, not just glass, large casks and boxed wines.

At Connoisseurs, one of the most arresting bottles of wine ever produced practically smacks you in the face when you open the front door of the Teal Marsh food and wine shop off Route 611.

It's a big beautiful bottle of Voga 2004 Pinot Grigio that looks like a cross between a shampoo bottle and a cracked-pepper shaker. It sells for a very reasonable $11.99 and if you don't like the squat, rounded off look, keep looking and you'll find something you can enjoy.

Sleek and eye-catching, the bottle is attractively displayed with a rack of large wine glasses.

It's one of the new, better sellers, says Crystal Clayland, owner of the bustling little shop that opened in 2002 and turns out wonderful take-away meals or a sit-down dinner, if you prefer.

Also in West Ocean City, the Avalon Market -- with its 400 different labels of wine -- has a huge selection from which to choose, much of it in the $15 range, according to sommelier Rick Pairo and owner Rick Vach."