Wine & Dine

by Mark R. Vogel

If the list omits the producer's name your ability to make an informed decision has been curtailed. This is assuming of course, that you are knowledgeable about some of the more reliable producers.

I've never encountered a wine list that did not have prices, but it's amazing how many times I've seen them without vintages. I find this unfathomable.

The year the wine was made is one of the fundamental elements in discerning its quality, especially for European wines.

There can be significant differences in quality from one year to the next. If you're interested in learning more about wine it will behoove you to know the recent vintages.

The last aspect of the wine list is price. Expect to pay two to three times the store price for a bottle of wine in a restaurant. Dissolve yourself of the fear of looking cheap.

Never succumb to spending more than you planned due to the staff's persuasions. If you ask the server for a recommendation, inform him or her of your price range.

If you're lucky, the wine list may contain a small description of each wine but this is not standard practice.

Thus, if you desire more information about a specific wine, you are unfamiliar with the good producers or vintages, or you're trying to choose from one of those seven Chiantis, you are now at the mercy of the restaurant staff.

Top of the line restaurants will have a sommelier(saw-muh-LYAY), the resident wine expert. If you're dining at such an establishment, then you'll be in good hands.