Advice from a professional server in choosing a wine from a restaurant wine list.
CHOOSING A WINE
Lost in a sea of endless varietals. Page after page of Cabernets alone. Verticals of Caymus and Silver Oak from '83 to the present. While the average wine aficionado will concede that variety is the spice of life, navigating one's way through a restaurant wine list can prove the most stressful part of what should otherwise be a peaceful and relaxing dining experience. Some handle the stress by passing the wine list to a friend at the table. It's not unusual to see a full blown game of hot potato amidst a party of five. Others deal with the pressure by appealing to the server. But is that a wise decision? Why not just reach for a trusty name? Cakebread. Duckhorn. Opus. They couldn't possibly disappoint, could they? Perhaps, bringing a bottle from home makes the most sense. There are many methods to the madness of selecting the right wine, and many will be addressed in this article.
TYPES OF DINERS
As a side note, for the better part of ten years, I have served in several fine dining establishments: Twin Palms (Pasadena, CA), Mo's Steakhouse (Indianapolis, IN), The Madison (Long Beach, CA) to name a few. Currently, I'm at Morton's Steakhouse (Santa Ana, CA). In my various positions I have witnessed three types of diners: Those who pitch a tent; those who want the check dropped before the entrées; and everyone in between. In California, people dine fast. Even faster in L.A. And in Orange County, CA, where I work, the average table spends less than an hour and a half in my section. Long story short, whether you're a permanent fixture or the Tasmanian devil, you don't want to waste one second helplessly fumbling through the wine list.
As a server I've handed off the wine list more times than I can count. Leather-bound and laminated, it seems harmless to the host of a party at first glance, but when opened, the countenance begins to shift. With every tick of the clock, intense focus gives way to desperation. What to do?
HOT POTATO
Passing the wine list off to a friend is only recommended when the friend is a trustworthy authority. What defines a trustworthy authority? Someone who has an exhaustive knowledge of the wine market, i.e. a sommelier or other industry professional. As a general rule of thumb, if you're friend does not know the wine world intimately, he/she is probably not a trustworthy authority.
APPEALING TO THE SERVER
As a server, I rarely if ever solicit the advice of another server when I'm dining. If so, it's because I've built a serious rapport or knew them going in. Often the server will be in a better position than a friend at the table to select a wine, but that does not mean that he/she will draw upon that knowledge. Many servers are looking to contribute to the bottom line. I've seen billionaires refuse to come back to a restaurant because their server kept upselling the most expensive bottles on the list. Moral: Whether you're a starving college student or an oil tycoon, no one likes to be gouged. Not a practice I advocate, but in place nonetheless.
APPEALING TO THE SOMMELIER
Better than appealing to the server, but still dangerous. First of all, are you speaking with the sommelier? In many restaurants I frequent the sommelier is never around. Some are more hands on, but are they qualified? The sommeliers at some restaurants are not even certified. They often receive a core list of wines to buy, handed down from corporate. The bulk of their time and expertise is spent controlling inventory.
If you should come across a qualified sommelier, does that bode well? Maybe not. Sometimes sommeliers have a vested interest in unloading a certain wine. You may be their target. Hard to tell. But even if they have your best interest at heart, can they nail your palate? Many people have an impressive lexicon of wine knowledge, but cannot tailor that knowledge to fit a person's subjective expectations.
NAME RECOGNITION
What's in a name? In the world of wine, dollar signs. While many famous producers are by and large reliable, they are more often than not overvalued. 2001 Silver Oak Napa Cabernet and 2001 Etude Cabernet have very similar tasting notes. For many, they would be difficult to tell apart in a blind tasting. Both have been on our wine list. The major difference? Etude is $75 less per bottle. Incidentally, Wine Spectator gave the Etude 93 points, five points higher than Silver Oak.
Beyond price, there are off-vintages. Winemakers come and go. Unless you are well-informed it's hard to know if a famous winery is still putting out a quality product.
Read our next article for more restaurant wine list advice. We will discuss corkage (bringing your own bottle) and insider tips on saving money when you order from the wine list.
