This year I consulted as the Wine Director at The US Tennis Open which is held in New York in early September. I started working on the project in early January. The format for the food and beverage at the Open is reviewed and finalized by the end of January, over seven months prior to the event. Not surprisingly, I approached the notion of formulating a list that would be carved in stone for months with some trepidation! I knew all too well that despite the best intentions of suppliers, that this was somewhat unrealistic. With vintages expected to change, sketchy availability, and unknown quality, I expected anything to happen in seven months in the crazy wine world! Not to mention the sheer volume of wine sold in the two weeks of the event far surpasses what most restaurants move in a year’s business!

The natural inclination would be to use wines from major commercial producers, where supply could be almost guaranteed. While this would ensure a list that could survive the time requirement, it did not necessarily produce a list that would entice. What we were trying to achieve was a list that would appeal to the incredible variety of consumers to be found enjoying Grand Slam tennis. What we finally settled on was a broad mix of popular national brands, seeded with a few gems from boutique producers who were willing to put aside some valuable product for us. I can’t begin to account for the number of phone calls made and emails sent to accomplish this!

When the day finally dawned for the event, we were all greatly relieved when each and every one of the wines was not only available, but the vintages were all as printed on the thousands of menus and lists. A first for the wine program at the US Tennis Open! I did, however, feel just a little older………...