Above: Paul Grieco of Terroir Wine Bar: Mad or Cunning?
413 E 12th St
Tel. 646-602-1300
Opening Hours: Mon-Sat 5 pm-2 am (food til 1am) Sun 5 pm-midnight
New York, NY 10009
Neighborhood:  East Village
Cross Street:  1st Ave
Website: www.wineisterroir.com
Credit Cards: Yes
Parking: Street
Dress Code: Casual
Reservations: No
Outdoor Seating: No
Happy Hour: Yes
Alcohol: Beer & Wine
Smoking: No
Prices: Inexpensive-Moderate

Reisling fanatic Paul Grieco opened Terroir Wine Bar in the East Village about one year ago. He has been quoted in an interview by the website Dr. Vino (drvino.com) as saying,  “I say the only wine by the glass in the summer will be Riesling. That’s it! It’s a small enough venue at 500 sq ft., the costs sort of minimal, I think I feel I can afford to take chances like that. I want to upset people, I want to educate people, I want people to open their minds. In taking such an aggressive stance, my goal is not to piss people off; my goal is to get people to open their minds. If they come in and they say they want a Chardonnay and I say all we have is Riesling, and they say “how can you not have a Chardonnay! It’s the worlds most popular grape!” I’ll say, “you’re absolutely right and here’s why Riesling should be just as popular…please have a taste.”
Following are a couple of Paul’s well-known accompaniments to the wines:
Sage leaves stuffed with lamb sausage $7
Beet risotto balls with Gorgonzola cheese $7