Ari Malcolm Tried 1,000 Wines to Develop Pizza Vinoteca's Affordable List

All of the 36 wines available by the glass on Pizza Vinoteca's list have something in common: they're priced under $10.

They've also been sampled by CEO Ari Malcolm, but Malcom tried quite a few more wines to narrow the field to that point. Malcolm says he tried out about 1,000 different wines in order to determine the Ballston pizzeria's selections, which range from $5.50 to $10 per glass (all are available in 3 oz pours as well). The restaurant uses an argon gas-fueled system that keeps the wines fresh for about a month after opening, allowing the place to have a wider selection available by the glass.

Malcolm's goal was to find some underrated, value-oriented hidden gems for the restaurant, which originally opened in New York (that location has since closed). Though Pizza Vinoteca's menu skews Italian, wines can be found from countries ranging from Argentina (the Malbec, their best seller) to Uruguay (a Merlot-Tannat). Malcolm says he's been pleasantly surprised to see customers experiment with wines they may never have heard of, such as one of his favorites, the Erbaluce di Caluso "Al Bacio" from the Piedmont region of Italy, which tends to pair well with the restaurant's pizzas. The half-glass option seems to get customers out of their comfort zone, since they don't have to spend a lot to gamble on something new, he said.

Pizza Vinoteca's Wine List