Curating the list
For The Sosta, a new fast-casual Italian spot in New York City, co-founder Ali LaRaia reached out to boutique wineries, convincing them to convert some of their wines into bag-in-box packaging for her tap system. They bought into the idea when LaRaia shared her plans to expand The Sosta and emphasized the opportunity to grow with the concept. Plastic and cardboard also is cheaper to ship than bottles. The result is a highly curated short list of food-friendly keg wines, says LaRaia, including a dry rose, a Barbera blend and organic whites, all $7 a glass. Beers also are available on tap. “If you have beer lines, it’s easy to switch over to wine, and vice versa,” says LaRaia. “We’ll see what sells best and swap things in and out.”
With The Sosta’s July opening, LaRaia added three summery spritzes to the menu, too, made by pulling prosecco or white wine from the tap and adding an aperitif, club soda, and mint or citrus juice.