Hotel Metro Milwaukee Wisconsin

Hello Milwaukee wine lovers!

I am Toni Johnson, Food and Beverage director of Hotel Metro Milwaukee. I have some very exciting plans for the wine program here at Hotel Metro, one of which I have already implemented. Being a certified advanced sommelier, I am uniquely qualified to put together an eclectic wine by the glass program, train our servers to sell them and then follow up with excellent customer service to make sure our guests are comfortable with what they have for their wine by glass selections.

When you walk into Hotel Metro for dinner you will be given the menu, wine list and of course our nightly specials which have been expertly crafted by our chef and sous chef. On the second page you will find our wine by the glass list, and here are some cliffs notes of how it reads.

If you like Pinot Grigio try these:

Hopler Gruner Veltliner, Burgenland, Austria
Colosi Sicilia Bianco, Sicily, Italy

If you like Chardonnay try these:

Terradora di Paolo Falanghina de Irpinia, Campania Italy
La Tunella “Selenza” Tocia Friulano, Colli de Orientali Friuli, Italy

If you like Pinot Noir try these:

Sattler St. Laurent, Burgenland, Austria
La Mano Mencia, Bierzo, Spain

If you like Cabernet Sauvignon try these:

Michele Torino Don David Tannat, Cafayate Valley, Argentina
Two Angeles Petite Sirah, High Valley, Lake County, California.

There are some explanations on the first page as to how to figure out what the grape is on the glass list and the categories are a bit more detailed. So if you are adventurous and want to try something completely different but in a familiar style, stop by and ask for me.

I have also put together a classic cocktail menu, these drinks are the rage all across the country, which is filled with stories about the origin of them. As an example did you know that during prohibition Gin was made with what are now called the “aromatics” to cover up the heinous nature of the beverage. Remember alcohol was prohibited and the methods used to make the stuff were less than ideal.

The creation of “bathtub gin”, literally made in a bathtub, was so bad that covering it up with tonic, lemon juice and orange juice was the only way it was in the very least palatable, thus creating the cocktail. I have so many more stories (that are definitely more raunchy, just ask me how the term graveyard shift came to be) so please stop by!

In addition I have put together a comprehensive scotch list that has almost all the distilling regions of Scotland represented, well my birth name is Fraser one of the largest and most powerful clans in Scotland, so I feel compelled to pay homage to the rich and fascinating history of the distillates of Scotland.

In these pages I will alternate between talking about our current promotions and whats new and exciting on the wine list. I will also write some fun and educational….. wait, fun articles on various wine topics so keep checking back.

I look forward to being your host and sommelier at Hotel Metro Milwaukee!

Toni Johnson, CSW
Certified Advanced Sommelier
Food and Beverage Director
Hotel Metro Milwaukee