House Wine

A "house" wine, perhaps more than anything else, defines the caliber of a wine bar (or wine focused restaurant) and the perspective of its proprietor(s). What a house wine should never be is a compromise. But too often I have found this to be the case, to my astonishment.

I have been conducting this experiment for the last few months: wherever I find myself eating, ordering the house wine, and paying attention to what I am drinking. Now, I usually do this with the food, because, after all, restaurants don't usually offer you a choice of where your fish comes from, or which purveyor of micro-greens you prefer. The food is the "house" food and that is that. But with the wine list there are choices. Domestic or import, and usually at least one or two examples of most of the required varietals. So, if I don't prefer Napa Sauvignon blanc with my sole, I can order a glass of Sancerre.

The results confirm that one can learn an awful lot about the overall quality of things by ordering the house selection.

That's not to say that if you like the house red or white that you've necessarily found a place that prides itself on quality. The process, and the judgment, should never end with personal taste preference. That would be like the man who says he does not care for sushi, so therefore everyplace serving sushi is equally horrid (or delicious).

There's more to it, like:

Have I seen this wine all over town? (this is a good indicator that the wine is large-production or the winery is blowing it out for a special deal)
If it's imported, is the varietal (or blend) typical of the region? If so, this is usually a good thing.

What kind of stemware are they serving their wine in? Is it thick-lipped and heavy? No bueno. I can even forgive water spots on a nice glass, and prefer a nice, thin-lipped, crystal glass with spots to an immaculately cleaned and buffed clinker.

At what temperature was the wine served (yes, red wine has it's proper serving temp as well)? If your house red is room-temp or warmer you're in trouble.

Are there any signs of oxidation? A good place will check the bottle pretty much every time a glass is poured. Who wants to drink a wine that has been open and neglected for a few days (Unless it's on your own kitchen counter!)?

Where did the bottle come from? This is much easier to discern at a wine bar than at a restaurant. If a restaurant has a bar, I usually sit there, in order to better inspect what's going on behind the scenes. If the bottle came from a messy group of open bottles either on top of the reach-in fridges or from the top shelf in an obviously warm room, or if there is a candle behind it for ambience, beware.

These are all very easy things to fix, and any proprietor who cares at all about the wine (s)he serves will be aware of these things.

Finally, serving bad wine is ignorant...but to serve good wine improperly is a cardinal sin.

Why so picky? Because when you pay for a glass of house wine at a wine bar or restaurant, in the majority of cases your glass price is equivalent to or greater than the price your friendly proprietor paid for it. So he has recouped his cost for the bottle, and has possibly made a buck or two, on your single glass. I am picky and insist upon proper service, not because I'm a dick, but because I know that by ordering my glass of wine, I am doing a great service to the service industry, the Lords work if you will. I am sacrificing for the good and health of the establishment...so that glass better meet some minimum requirements.

A Successful Trial Run

 
Great trial run at The Shop this past weekend. Candles and low lighting set the mood. As did the epic dance party.

Here We Go!!!!!

First post. Status report. We're looking good for a December opening...mid to late December. I'll just be happy if I can put up on the website "ESTABLISHED 2010!" It is what it is. Much more to come, including tasting notes for all wines available in the shop...weekly suggestions...random ruminations, fulminations...etc.

Over and Out