Soif Quenches a Thirst in Santa Cruz

Thirsty again, I'm clomping awkwardly along the streets of downtown Santa Cruz on Saturday afternoon in a pair of mark-down sandals from Long?s Drugs, having trashed my tennies in the surf. Fortunately, beachwear was on clearance, so they let me walk off in these for 35 cents a toe. I round the corner at Pacific and Webster and find, in my path, a Sign. Heaven-sent, it seems, to slake my parched palate: Soif.

Somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something to deserve this.

In I go and hop onto a stool facing the four-cell, sixteen-bottle WineKeeper. My toes feel better already.

My senses tell me this is a real wine bar for real people. They've just finished a tasting of half a dozen rieslings, any one of which I could still try for $2 a taste. Or a flight of four whites from north-central Italy for $11, or five Tuscan reds for $20.

Blackboard lists seven small plates available for $3.50 even when the kitchen?s closed ? as it is this afternoon, being well short of the 5 PM dinner hour. No matter. Five sparkling wines by the 2-ounce taste or 5-ounce glass. A dozen more whites, from Mount Eden's chard grown in the Santa Cruz mountains just out the door, or the Loire, or South Africa or Austria or New Zealand. Sherries from Spain. Another dozen reds, from nearby Zayante Vineyard to the distant Rhone to Australia. And another dozen dessert wines, from a 5 Puttonyos Tokaji Aszu to a 1964 Madeira. I?m in heaven. No, make that Heaven with Capital H. Spelled www.soifwine.com.

High, high ceilings, walls painted wine-red. Open just about a year now. Two-thirds of the floor space is given over to the wine bar & restaurant, the remainder to an impressive retail store. You can buy any bottle from the store and drink it, from Riedel glassware at your table for an extra $10. Is that a deal or what ? Which of the 50 choices to try ?

Start with 2001 Greco di Tufo from Umbria, taste for $3.75, glass $6.50. Straw-colored & refreshing. Would be ideal with some seared tuna, but the chef?s on break so I order something already plated up: asparagus with aioli. Perfection ! Bright green spears on a dazzling white plate, offset by nugget of garlicky, lemon-yellow mayo. Paradise. Ready for another glass, shift to sherry: 3-oz. pour of Hidalgo La Gitana manzanilla, $4. Yum ! My kind of sherry, dry & smooth. Ideal for transition to stronger flavors of crostini topped with hummus. Again, nothing on plate to distract from the morsels or detract from focus on wine.

Move on to a red: Ninth Island pinot noir from Tasmania, $3.25. Juicy, reminds me of Oregon pinot more than Burgundy. Had thought about cheese, but it?s still in the fridge and owner Ted Pearson won?t serve it cold. So I go for a bit of the pâté de campagne, thin slices of intensely flavored meatloaf, and a taste of Jean-Louis Chave?s excellent Saint Joseph, $3.50. Polish off the bread. By now I?m ready to drink a toast to my quenched thirst, a flute of sparkling prosecco. Here?s to Soif ! May all our thirsts be slaked with as much elegance.

Kitchen opens as I exit. Fire marshal says he'll allow the next 76 lucky souls to occupy the premises, no more. Hurry in ! Hurry !! Posted by Ronald Holden at January 27, 2004 7:15 PM