Blog Post

Why we serve wine in mason jars (unless you ask for a stem).

January 31st, 2010 by Jeff Segal

At Heart, we serve our wine in mason jars.  It’s odd, we know.  But there’s a method to our madness.  Go to a cafe (or a winemaker’s house) in most of the world’s wine-crazy countries and you’ll see people drinking wine out of water glasses.

The mason jars are our American stamp on that.  They’re an American staple, used for everything from home canning to transporting moonshine.  And now we’re bringing them to wine.

We’ll be the first to admit that there are certain times when we want a stem.  We are all about the celebratory clink of two glasses of Champagne.  But good wine tastes good in a mason jar, or any glass for that matter.  And the wines at Heart are unique, eclectic and damn good.

We’re about stripping down wine to what it’s really about – the grapes and enjoyment.  We don’t bow down to wine here like it’s some deity worthy of our everlasting obedience.  Someone recently said to me that they thought serving wine out of mason jars was “blasphemy.”  Really?  An act of cursing or reviling god?  Wine isn’t god.  We drink wine with breakfast.  Wine is a beverage made by skilled, hard-working people that makes life better.  But we don’t need to offer it perfect stemware like some sacrificial lamb.  Respect the grape, and the human hands behind it, not the stem.

We apologize if this offends you.  We know it’s fun to feel special.  So if you want a wine stem for your vino, just ask.  We’re flexible like that.

Posted in The straight dope.