Lyle Fass is an almost ubiquitous personage in the New York wine world. Although he's just 34, he's been in wine retail since he was 19 and a student at my alma mater, Boston University. Until recently he worked for Chambers Street Wines, one of Manhattan's most prestigious wine stores, but the economy has taken its toll on many in the wine biz; Lyle's been out of CSW for a couple of weeks. Count him out but not down.
Last evening we met for a glass or two of wine at the bar in the prime Bastianich outpost of Felidia, which is located close to both our apartments. We talked about what was happening in general, both about trends and the usual industry dish. And I was struck by the fact that sometimes, if you're young and resilient enough -- and without a family to feed -- being let go from a job is the best thing that can happen to you. Being let go and maintaining mutual respect is even better, since Lyle and Chambers Street Wines continue to work on various projects together.
He's got some other interesting irons in the fire. He's reinventing himself or, should I say, he's reinventing his role in the wine business, which he clearly loves and is totally committed to. Shocked as he was by leaving CSW, it seems to me he's having a great time exploring, testing, creating.
Whenever you're tempted to get cynical, you need to sit down with an energetic, passionate guy like Lyle. You come away with a new set of ideas and plans, too.
Meanwhile, you can follow Lyle's blog, Rockss and Fruit. When you go through the archives you're struck by his absolute love of German wines, especially the noble Riesling in all its styles and subtleties.
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