Taking the plunge
Water and wine make a splash
By Kirsten Ott
LA VITA BUENA
Restaurateur Tony LaRocco continues to elevate expectations for restaurant-goers. The owner of Vita, the New York-style classic Italian restaurant in Buckhead where I had lunch last week, just installed the Natura water purification system. So instead of my typical order of a tall glass of city water with lemon (it relieves the twinge of chlorine for me), I agreed to give this fancy new water a try. It’s just $2 a person, which is about the price I’d pay for a Diet Coke or a sweet tea. Our server tells me he’s got sparkling and still; we take the bubbles. He returns with a frosted glass bottle similar to Voss water, except this bottle, he tells us, is reusable by the restaurant because the compact dispensing system is actually installed in the kitchen and the glass bottles are refilled throughout the day, eliminating waste and carbon footprints, and saving storage space. As we take our first sips (it’s delicious and refreshing), we’re given a rundown of what Natura water offers. The water purification system uses both high-grade carbon filters and UV technology to eliminate impurities and bacteria while retaining healthy, thirst-quenching minerals. Furthermore, these filters reduce chlorine compounds, particles and heavy metals, while retaining magnesium, zinc, calcium and all the good-for-you minerals. Vita is one of only four restaurants to have come on board with Natura (the others are Repast, Cakes & Ale and Steel). Vita is located at 2110 Peachtree Road in the old Mick’s location. 404-367-8482. www.vitaatl.com.
PORTUGUESE BY THE GLASS
In the 5,200-square-foot space LITKitchen behind Atlantic Station, owner Brad Lev continues his series, “An introduction to the wines of the world,” with a Portuguese wine tasting on Aug. 11, at 6:30 p.m. Take a trip through the Minho region where the summer sipper Vinhjo Verde is produced before heading through the Douro and other fine wine-producing regions to see what those in the know are drinking. The tuition of $35 includes a materials fee for wine and cheese. LITKitchen is located at 433c Bishop St. 404-249-4300. www.litkitchen.com.
TRAVELING ON THE VINE
Atlantans have another wine to choose from at restaurants as Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard crosses state lines into Georgia. The family-owned and -operated winery, which was founded in 1999 and released its first wine in 2003, is located in Charlottesville, Va.—just seven miles from Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, where American winemaking began. Kluge Estate has joined forces with Georgia Crown Distributing Company (another family-owned and -operated business) to introduce its stable of wines to Georgians. Kluge Estate’s classic East Coast wines and their unique terroir include the Blanc de Blancs, a brut sparkling wine made from chardonnay grapes I like to pair with sushi. The complex aromas are vibrant, exhibiting notes of ripe apple and pear with hints of hazelnut and roasted almond. The wine is medium-bodied with a creamy, finely beaded mouthfeel and a clean, zesty finish. Kluge Estate wines are currently offered at Repast, City Grill and Shaun’s. www.klugeestateonline.com. SP
When she’s not checking out restaurants, interviewing chefs or nodding off after her fifth glass of wine, Life, Food & Style Editor Kirsten Ott dishes culinary and cocktail insights. E-mail her at kirstenott@sundaypaper.com.
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The Sunday Paper, Dish column, August 10, 2008
