Ah, dear wine.  Its been rumored as of late that a decent glass of white wine not only can coat and protect your throat from the onslaught of Chinese Yellow Dust, but can potentially cure existing aches and pains from a past affliction of the noxious Gobi Desert sand clouds.  If only white wine was as omnipresent.

In Korea, the selection of domestic and traditional wines is as vast as that of any European county.  From the sinus clearing soju (소주) to the intriguing baeksaeju (백세주), the sweet raspberry bokbunja (복분자) to the Welch's-like podoju (포도주), Korean wines are like its food:  bold, assertive and powerful, with little tolerance for weakness or subtlety.  As expats, we frequently find ourselves enjoying  Korean food with one or several of the above, separately or mixed together (!).   For the most subtle palate, however, the occasions to match our food with a more complex wine, can be few and far between.


The biggest barrier to enjoying a fine bottle of foreign wine in Korea is and has been price.   All non-FTA wines imported into Korea face around a 72% mark-up before ever seeing the smack of a  consumer's lips, due to customs, duties and other taxes.    Of course, you can drill the Duty Free for a bottle of merlot at the airport, but an evening with friends one bottle does not make.   And naturally, potable wine is available for purchase at any convenience store.  These wines, however, tend to be the lower quality exports from overseas wineries with exotic and premium sounding names.  
As you would expect, top vintages are available in most 4-5 star hotels and the finer restaurants in and around Seoul (Anna Bini, Macaroni Market, Bistrot de Yountville, etc).  Expect to pay a steep price, however, with mark-up sometimes pushing the tab to the 2.2 million won range (around US$2,000). 
But fear not, gentle reader, for a solution is at hand:  the Korean wine bar!  I've compiled a list of a few wine bars in Seoul, each with a character as unique as a the wine that they serve, in the hopes that, with the arrival of Spring, the need for a fiery burst of domestic Korean rice-alcohol searing your esophogus can be  substituted with a more calming, thoughtful, fermented grape sensation swirling across your tongue.  


In alphabetical order:


10 Corso Como Cafe, Apkujong-dong.  I hesitated to write about the Corso Como Cafe, as, frankly, its my favorite place in Seoul to spend a Spring Saturday afternoon and I appreciate the dearth of customers at this time.  Think outdoor patio.  Prosciutto wrapped melon. Shopping fatigue.  Actors.   Prosseco.  Apkujong foot traffic.   Korean Pop Stars.  That's the Corso Como Cafe.   Skip the hyped indoor seating and head out for the garden patio and sunshine.  Drop 60,000 won (come on, its 90 minutes of a private) on the perfectly chilled New Zealand Cloud Bay Sauvignon Blanc.  In a celebratory mood?  Sit closer to the garden's shady trees and get after the Prosseco Brut Zardetto for 56,000 won or open the wallet and pop the Blanc de Noirs Spumante for 85,000 won.  Better yet, get both and get a taxi.


Photo:  Late afternoon in the 10 Corso Como Cafe garden patio (stripped off their unconscionably poor website.


Do Ga Hun / 두가헌 (pronounced du ga hone), Samcheondong, Jongro-gu.  My second favorite wine bar in Seoul, due mostly to the ambiance and architecture.   The main building is a traditional Korean-style house from the early 1900's, sequestered off the main street.  The house is spaced elegantly, allowing you the privacy you need to page through a thorough wine list, but close enough to peer at the label across the bottle on your neighbor's table.  The house opens up onto an outdoor, wood-floored patio, a perfect retreat for a late evening bottle and some squinting at the stars among the nostalgic chatter of the good old days of Korean architecture.   Do Ga Hun also doubles as a restaurant and art gallery, but go for the wine and the green and black olives "service."

Photo:  Entrance to Do Ga Hun--focus on the wine, not the gallery.

Photo:  The unique layout of Do Ga Hun (두가헌), cribbed off their fantastic website.



Dulce Y Suave, Sinsa-dong, Garosugil.   One wine list is not enough for this versatile wine bar, which features three wine lists, each as thick as a dictionary, and each with a page dedicated to a particular wine.    You'll need the list and your wits:  the average staff are nowhere near as knowledgeable on wine as the owner and maitre'd'.   I recommend avoiding the front patio (too close to the distracting pedestrian and rambling auto/moped traffic) as well as the back dining area, with the loud acoustics.  Instead, try one of the reasonably priced champagnes on the social back patio in the afternoon, or enjoy the Gnarly Head Zin in the evening candlelight in the front seating area.  The perfect spot for a group is by the window on the huge comfy couches.  Just don't linger too long--you might end up staying the night!   All wine orders come with small sides of anju to nibble on.   



Mamma Kiki, Bangbae-dong, Sodaemaul (French Village).  An ambitious wine list and soothing interior greet you at Mamma Kiki, a family run wine bar off the beaten path in the French Village.   A true wine bar, its stays away from venturing into wine shop or restaurant territory.  Robust cheese and fruit plates suggested by the owners will compliment any vintage on the list.


Photo:  Mamma Kiki--like Paris in the Spring



Pinot, Bangbae-dong, Sodaemaul (French Village).  I'm going off hearsay for Pinot, having only visited but never sat to open a bottle.  More of a lounge than a purist's wine bar, a few of my more esteemed friends tell me that its not bad for a light bite, live music & fun.  Off the main street in the French Village, head down the narrow stairs into the basement and then gasp for air.   Plenty of space, big cushy couches, wine and music genres.  You'll see me there next week to follow up.  Forgive me.

Photo:  Like Abba or the Beatles with your wine?  The line-up at Pinot in the French Village.


Vin Ga, Apkujong-dong.  A peaceful Zen stream runs through your wine bar, so be careful where you step in this very upscale locale or you'll be wringing your socks under the table all night.   The patches of grass outside the surprisingly light and airy basement entrance, along with the brick interior and big wood tables (tables that beg to have your name "+ Vin Ga forever" carved on them) will transport you to the European countryside and small family run wine cellars.   Sit at the long wood top bar and take in the classy, glass-ensconced wine refrigerators and plenty of the Korean fabulous enjoying top quality wines by the bottle.   Tap your foot to the live music Monday through Saturday, and stick to the Saturday set menu:  50,000 won for one bottle of wine + salad + pasta or one bottle of wine + the mouth watering steak.  (Try the Mamre Brook Shiraz with the meat).    Go upstairs to the wine shop on the 1st floor or the tasting room on the 2nd, and browse your fancy.  You can find a few deals here, but I never went without my boss...so make sure you take yours.


Vin Vino, Itaewon.   Looking for a VERY quiet place to relax and reflect in the darkness?  The owners (Pieroth Wines) of the now gone Kabinett in Itaewon have come back with Vin Vino.  I've been there twice, both times on Tuesday, and both times I was the only customer from around 5 to 6:30 in the evening.    Ironically, I found the staff (Hana and others) much more helpful and good natured than the ostensible "hostess/manager."   The good news is, if a wine tickles your fancy, Vin Vino allows you to buy it on the spot, by the bottle or case, with a deep discount.   They also have an impressive Wino Wednesday with wines by the glass for 2,500 won.  Haven't been, but will.  Vin Vino:   dark and quiet--but if you just want to hide out for a few hours with a book or lap top, this is your place.   Located on the 2nd floor, across the street from Marrakech Night and next door to the new IP Boutique Hotel.


 
Photo:  Wine Nara--Dark interior surrounded by towering cases of wine.


Wine Nara, Bangbae-dong, Sodaemaul (French Village).   Actually a chain of wine stores in Seoul, the location on the main drag in the French village made me think there might be more than meets the eye on this one.  Not quite.   Small, cramped seating with little room for privacy, the crates in the interior evokes images of the large, private stock of a fraternities' beer reserves and a few tables to play quarters on.    They go easy on the lights and noise and keep a regulated, comfortable temperature (no doubt more for the benefit of the displayed wines than the guests).  One place Wine Nara does not go easy, however, is the extensive wine list, which is surprising dominated by Italian vintages.  Top wines are priced from 45,000 to 56,000 won, and the owner, Kim Dong-Kwon, brags of being able to match wines with specific Zodiac signs.  Go figure.  Glasses of the house red and white are 8,000 a pop, but unimpressive.  I recommend dropping in to pick up a bottle of the Cape Grace merlot from South Africa (33,000 won) or the Baron Philippe de Rothschild Mouton Cadet Rouge Bordeaux (36,000 won) and enjoying it at home.


There's your starter's list, so write to me and let me know what I missed.  Most importantly, remember:  You'll enjoy yourself much more "wine-ing" in Korea instead of whining about Korea!

"Which cheers the sad, revives the old, inspires
 The young, makes Weariness forget his toil,
 And Fear her danger; opens a new world
 When this, the present, palls."
          --Lord Byron

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