Making Waves
Sweetness, weight, acidity, tannin level, and silkiness are all terms often associated with wine tasting. They are now being applied to water. Balance, minerals, regional characteristics, flavor and bubble size (in the case of sparkling water), are also considerations. The process of identifying and classifying these elements in expensive, and most likely imported, water has become a phenomenon, even spawning a tasting service it seems that the privileged are even willing to pay for.
Most of the truly high end-waters like Iskilde or Antipodes are (to the best of my knowledge) not currently found in the Queen City. Most of our fine dining restaurants offer Pellegrino (sparkling) or the increasingly popular, acclaimed and relatively inexpensive Fiji (still). Perhaps the demand for presumably outstanding water is just not here- yet.
What we do have easy access to is VOSS, a Norwegian artesian water said to come from “a virgin aquifer under ice and rock in the wilderness of Norway”. The sleek bottle, expertly designed by Neil Kraft of Calvin Klein, may be the most appealing aspect of this beverage. Who wouldn't want to try a bottled water that, at a glance, connotes taste, class and money- though at only $1.99 for 12 oz. it is a bit misleading.
The water of choice in many of the fine restaurants in Toronto, LA, and New York City, VOSS has also made appearances at the extravagant parties held after The Golden Globes, Sundance and other star-studded events. I guess this makes sense as it is more likely to compliment the your haute couture than one of those ugly Poland Springs vessels.
Though not classified as one of the more elite waters on the market, VOSS is a clear, clean and smooth with little or no aftertaste. The sparkling version, generally available alongside its quieter counterpart, is reminiscent of prosecco, its bubble size small and delicate.
For the last few years VOSS has been carried in select stores around the city, and was even briefly sold by Wegmans. Washington Market was where I purchased a bottle today, though I generally buy it at one of my favorite on-the-way-to-work stops, Delta Sonic. The broad selection of funky sodas, microbrews and bottled waters that line the tidy shelves in this “convenience” store is really quite impressive. Premier Gourmet, another retail store with a comprehensive beverage section, also carries VOSS.
Food for thought:
In New York State, only 1 in 6 non-deposit bottles are recycled, and it is estimated that U.S. citizens spend over 9 billion dollars on bottled water every year.
Washington Market
461 Ellicott Street, Buffalo, NY 14203
716.362.3181
www.thewashingtonmarket.com
Delta Sonic
Delta Sonic, Sonic Cafe, 264 Main Street, Buffalo 14202
716.883.0711, call for hours
www.deltasoniccarwash.com
Premier Gourmet
3465 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14217
716.877.3574
www.premiergourmet.com
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Comment Options
Buffalopundit
That bottle of water costs $21.12 per gallon. Erie County Water costs .003 cents per gallon for the first 300,000 gallons. And a Brita filter system costs about ten bucks and lasts a long time.
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Sundial
Many restaurants in larger cities are moving to filtered tap water instead of selling them bottled water. Trucking in bottled water and the impact of un-recycled bottles doesn't make sense.
The Economist article likens most bottled water to snake oil: http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9569968
Aquafina and Dasani and many others are essentially filtered water from municipal water sources.
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BuffedOut
Alice Waters of Chez Panisse in one of many leading restauranteurs in California who no longer serves bottled water in her restaurants. She offers fine-tasting local tap water. It's embarrassing that dining establishments in Buffalo think they're chic by selling bottled waters. Of course, the profit margins are huge, but the negative impact on the environment is unnecessary.
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porter
just plain stupid to be out looking for boutique water.
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porter
Did this come right out of a press release for VOSS H2O? I mean shit if they serve it at the Golden Globes I definitely need to get my hands on some. I know Buffalo can roll as mad as LA.
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BuffedOut
On my kitchen counter next to my glass of filtered tap water is the magazine Fast Company. In it is this article: http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/117/features-message-in-a-bottle.html. I am going to send this link to the three businesses listed at the end of Ms. seychew's article. My mantra is always, "Do your homework."
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Sundial
The NYT has an editorial titled In Praise of Tap Water: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/01/opinion/01wed2.html?em&ex=1186200000&en=aa975564bbc776f5&ei=5087%0A
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Auburner
Aquafina Rules! Oh, wait, let me read the label... Same stuff that I bruch my teeth with at the bathroom sink every morning... Still must rule, made by Coke, bottled by Coke, tap water from, who knows... Brooklyn?
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Auburner
Aquafina Rules! Oh, wait, let me read the label... Same stuff that I bruch my teeth with at the bathroom sink every morning... Still must rule, made by Coke, bottled by Coke, tap water from, who knows... Brooklyn?
Lets take our plastic bottled water and pay attention to exactly what it is, and replace it with fine, natural, tap water... It seems like a scam to me...
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kelly
I really wonder if so many of my friends have massive issues with their teeth because they grew up on, and continue to drink, bottled water without any fluoride.
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