01/12/2026
MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE – Views from the Wine Bar
by Christina Kotlar Turchyn
Main Wine, Saturday night after a big holiday week and nobody wanted to go out. It was a slow night. However, the evening’s guests made their way in – two gentlemen from the playground corner, a vineyard-hopping couple who caught a Rosé Flight with the football game going on a discreetly-held phone while a jazzy piano floated notes like a seasoned placekicker, and a newly moved-to-Rock Hall couple experiencing their first winter season as permanent residents. Boy, were they happy to discover that we were open as they sank into the Art Deco scalloped-back swivel chairs. From the newly-designed wine list, they chose to start with a Red Flight– Vin Barrista + Wine Steward’s choice– then settled on a bottle of Susumaniella, the ancient varietal that almost went obsolete during the second world war. It was rediscovered and rescued by wine-growers in 1949, nurtured into the 99 pt vintage offered at Main Wine. Locally made chocolate paired with their wine choice was recognized and appreciated. When I asked if they wanted to keep the cork, an entire new conversation flourished regarding cork saving and the projects that would never be made although creativity was inspired. A question was raised about a project that used balsa wood to sail across the Pacific Ocean. “Kontiki,” I announced. Where in the world did that come from? Online info explains: The Kon-Tiki Expedition is Thor Heyerdahl's 1948 book detailing his 1947 journey across the Pacific on a balsa wood raft to prove Polynesians came from South America, not Asia, challenging scientific consensus. The book chronicles the 4,300-mile voyage from Peru to Polynesia. Then a challenge was raised– Why not build a raft out of cork and sail across the Bay from Rock Hall to Baltimore? Someone has to do it. In any case, it was another archaeological layer in my Mind Palace of memories (I must’ve read the book in grade school) that are triggered by the interesting reasons people come into the wine bar, to share their memorable experiences mindfully, sometimes wistfully, often with pleasure in a swivel seating.
COMING UP ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 16th LIVE MUSIC!
Captains Dave and Mark from the Singing Captains will provide local banter, familiar tunes, and acoustic playing from 7-9 p.m. See ya there! Bring your Kontiki cork ideas…
