WOT is Wine on Tap?!

Ever hear of wine on tap (WOT)? It's a relatively new alternative to wine by the glass programs in restaurants and bars. The New York Times covered this trend in 2009 when it started taking off. WOT makes a lot of sense, benefiting both the restaurant and the producer:

• Wine on tap stays fresh because it resides in an air-tight container. No more half-drunk, oxidized bottles. 
• Bottles and corks are eliminated, which saves on costs for the producer and waste for the restaurant. 
• The risk of cork taint from natural corks is eliminated. 
• It is considered eco-friendly.

Logistically, the winery controls the storage of the wine and refilling the kegs, making sure to keg a finished, filtered wine. The retailer must have a special WOT system for storage and serving, separate from beer taps. This system by nature is airtight; WOT systems must be equipped with nitrogen to replace the air space left by the wine served.

When I worked at Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard they had just started a keg program with some local restaurants, and I cleaned, filled, delivered and sampled my fair share. Wiemer's wine tasted the same or better coming out of the keg compared to the bottle; it really did taste "fresh."

I'm intrigued by the WOT concept and I try a keg wine whenever I see one.  Here in San Francisco, you can find WOT at The Slanted Door's sister restaurant, OTD in Pacific Heights, or at Barrique in Jackson Square, to name just a couple.

One issue with keg wine is the perception of quality. Is it cheaper wine if it doesn't come in a bottle with a cork? Is it not worthy of aging, and does this make it seem lower-quality? Is this what winemakers want when they keg a wine or is this what they are getting?

At the same time, wouldn't it be a good idea for wineries to use kegs for their tasting samples, instead of opening bottles all the time? Is anyone doing this? The tap dance continues...