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Restaurant Wine Service

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Andrew Mellman

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Restaurant Wine Service

by Andrew Mellman » Fri Mar 09, 2007 10:08 am

The WSJ has had two articles recently criticizing restaurant wine service:

http://online.wsj.com/article_print/SB1 ... 31647.html

http://online.wsj.com/article_print/SB1 ... 02794.html

Don't know if you need to register to see these, or not, but in brief they had 10 complaints/suggestions:

1) Ask us if we want our wine decanted before you do it. (first, some wines don’t benefit from decanting; second, if you decant, do it at the table so we can see it’s the same wine we ordered; third, offer the taste from the bottle, NOT after decanting)
2) Don't overchill. (and don’t serve reds too warm)
3) Offer more half bottles.
4) Keep open bottles well. (for wines by the glass)
5) Show me the bottle. (for wines by the glass – if possible)
6) Offer "wine doggie bags" and know the laws.
7) Stop abusing the wine. (store in fridges, not “on display” near ceiling so wine cooks)
8) Offer more-interesting stuff. (does not have to be expensive – just to go with food – example was an Indian restaurant that had some Indian wines, or a Mid-Eastern restaurant with Lebanese wine)
9) Don't overpour. (let wine breathe, and don’t “push” for another bottle)
10) Get better glasses. (it was mentioned that in NYC if one orders a less expensive wine (in, say, the $70 range) the Reidel glasses are taken away and dime store glasses used for the wine)

Also, there was mention that wait staff always ask before removing an obviously empty dish, but will take glasses away with a sip or so left in the bottom.

Actually, I think Louisville is getting better with most of these . . . any thoughts?
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Deb Hall

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Wine Service

by Deb Hall » Fri Mar 09, 2007 12:21 pm

Regarding the last point : (asking before clearing wine glasses with a little wine in them), I actually had a server at a higher end restaurant take away THE BOTTLE without asking when it still had 1/2 -1 glass of wine in it....But I assume it was that server as all of the service was awful that night.

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TP Lowe

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by TP Lowe » Fri Mar 09, 2007 1:32 pm

Amen on better glasses. Also, stop plopping the cork down beside my plate and then let it sit there for the rest of dinner. I really don't care to see it at all, much less have to look at it for the remainder of my meal. (Boy, that sounded snippy ... sorry!)
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Robin Garr

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Re: Restaurant Wine Service

by Robin Garr » Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:03 pm

andrew mellman wrote:The WSJ has had two articles recently criticizing restaurant wine service: . . . any thoughts?


I think there are at least some places around town that still do a lot of them, frankly. One possible exception is No. 1 - I can't recall the last time I saw a wine decanted in restaurant service here. But then, I rarely if ever buy the kind of older wine that needs decanting on a restaurant list, and if I did, I would <i>certainly</i> expect to discuss the issue with the wine server before decanting was done.

Our better wine programs - L&N of course being a key example - wins on just about all of these.

And the one about over-filling is a real challenge for the restaurateur in by-the-glass service. For every one wine geek who wants to swirl and sniff, there'll be 99 non-geeks who feel shorted if they don't get a full glass. (I love the way Proof handles this with "quartinos," though, even if they did borrow the idea from Mario Batali: It's really nice to get a table flask and pour your own the way you want it.)

Which reminds me, No. 11: Please do NOT come around and top off my glass. I would just as soon do that myself, when *I* decide that I want to.

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