Top Ten Reasons to Order a Bottle Over a Glass

In today's age of chain restaurants and flare ordering untainted wine can be a challenge. This isn't limited to just chains however, local bars, steak houses, diners and other eatery establishments have a difficult time maintaining freshness and quality in the wines they offer by the glass. When going out for a drink or dinner the odds of enjoying your wine increase exponentially if you order a bottle over a glass. Here are the top ten reasons why:

1. Selection

Many restaurants and wine bars have three times more wines available by the bottle when compared to the by the glass selection. In an attempt to maintain freshness many establishments only put a handful of wines by the glass. Ordering wine by the bottle allows you to choose from a much larger list.

2. The fourth glass is free

It's almost always a better deal to buy wine by bottle than to purchase it by the glass. Establishments that serve wine take less risk when customers order it by the bottle, and they reward us for it. If you really want a value (price vs quality) order the $100+ bottles. While that sounds crazy these wines usually have a flat fee added to wholesale price whereas many wines under $100 are based on a certain margin like 200% markup or something.

3. Quality

This is the single most important reason to order a bottle of wine over a glass. Many establishments who serve wines by the glass don't maintain a freshness quality policy. In other words, that Merlot behind the bar, that was closed by putting the cork back in to it, has been sitting back there for the last three weeks. A good wine bar or restaurant will have a three day freshness quality policy meaning that if it's opened on Monday it needs to be dumped down the drain at the end of the shift on Wednesday. A great establishment has a two freshness quality policy so that wine that was opened on Monday is dumped at the end of the shift the next day.

Spoilage and dumping wine can be a major cost issue for restaurants so many just choose to open it and leave it open until it's gone. I still don't understand the chain restaurants that serve their wines by the glass out of magnums (equates to two standard bottles). They have a tough enough time selling 4 glasses before it goes bad let alone 8. Ordering a bottle ensures that the juice inside is fresh and if it's tainted with any number of wine related faults you can send it back. Not that you can't send back a glass of wine but who's to say the situation is going to be any better?

4. Temperature

Optimal service for most red wines is between 60 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. However many red wines served by the glass are stored behind the hot bar on shelves (bar coolers emit a lot of heat so it gets very hot behind the bar, that's why a lot of bartenders wear shorts). For whites the optimal service temperature is between 45 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Yet many white wines are stored in the beer coolers that are usually set around a cool 32 degrees Fahrenheit, way too cool for even the coldest of whites.

If your order a glass of wine and it's served too warm the only ways to chill it down are to put ice in the glass or ask your server to put it in the freezer. Ice dilutes the wine and the freezer could take a while, neither option sounds good.

When you order a bottle of wine you can control the temperature better than if you order a glass. If the wine bottle brought to you is too warm, most likely because they store it in their kitchen, you can ask for an ice bucket to cool it down. If a white is too cold you can just let it sit for a moment with a towel or napkin around it or put your hand on the bowl of the glass to warm it up (you could do this for a wine by the glass that is too cold as well). People who say it's taboo to put your hand on the bowl of the glass are assuming that the wine is stored and served at the optimal temp. If it isn't, putting your hand on the bowl to warm it up is a must.

5. Brown bag it

Many states allow diners to take their open bottle of wine home with them if they don't finish. As I mentioned, many restaurants have a smaller selection of wines by the glass. By allowing people to put the cork back in the bottle and take it home states promote responsible drinking while allowing people to have any wine on the list without having to finish the whole bottle. If you don't know the laws of the state you are in ask a server for clarification.

6. Decanting

If you don't like chewing your red wine than you might want to order a bottle. Many reds have sediment or floating particles. Restaurants decant (pour the wine into another vessel) to remove these particles. If you order a glass of wine and that particular bottle has sediment odds are you are going to get some chewies. When ordering a bottle diners can request that the server decant the wine to remove the particles.

7. Sherlock Holmes

When you order a bottle of wine you get a number of clues as to the type of establishment you are dining at. The way a waiter holds, presents, opens and serves a bottle of wine can tell you a lot about the type, and amount, of training the staff received and ultimately the type of restaurant or wine bar you are in. If the server shakes the bottle, opens it by pulling off the foil (also called capsule), brings it to you after it has been opened at the bar, or any number of service faux pas you can rest assured, the establishment isn't up for a Michelin star.

I'm not implying you need to dine at a three star every night, I'm just saying that ordering a bottle and paying attention to the way it is handled can tell you a lot about an establishment, which can come in handy if you are not familiar with the restaurant. If they open the bottle behind the bar and bring it to you let me recommend ordering the fried chicken strips, not the steak and shrimp.

8. The cork

When you order a bottle of wine the server should open it in front of you and present you with the cork. While presenting the cork is mostly tradition it can serve a purpose. I have had plenty of wines that have been tainted or unhealthy and have a perfect cork. Inversely, I have had wines that are perfect and the cork looks like a disaster zone. The cork can be one of the many components a consumer uses to check for a wines health. When you order a bottle you get an extra clue as to how the wine was stored which can help determine if it's worthy of purchasing.

9. Verification

When ordering a glass of wine you don't usually get to see the bottle. A server or bartender may accidentally, or worse yet intentionally, pour you a glass of Kendall Jackson Chardonnay instead of Talley Chardonnay ($5 glass price difference) and if you don't pay attention you may not notice it. Ordering the bottle ensures you get the exact vintage, style and producer you intended.

10. Size matters

When you order a glass of wine the bartender determines the amount of wine you get, which can be good if they have a heavy hand. But if it is the last pour from a bottle and they don't want to open another you may get shorted. Ordering a bottle ensure you get the four glasses you paid for without discrepancy.

While I feel like I have made a compelling argument for why it's a safer bet to order a bottle of wine over a glass it can have its drawbacks, especially at a quality establishment. When ordering a bottle you are limited to just one type of wine whereas if you order wine by the glass you can try a number of different things. If the place has a fancy Enomatic wine dispenser they might have some really cool stuff available by the glass and odds are it's still pretty fresh. Also, places that have great reputation for wine are a green light to order by the glass. But the majority of restaurants don't pay enough attention to their glass pours and so most of the time I recommend going for the bottle.

The best case scenario when dining is to have a group of four. It makes it easier to order a bottle because everyone can have one glass and you can try a couple of different wines. Or if you dine with me, a dozen different wines.

Until next time thanks for reading and please pass this along to a friend if you liked it.

Salut,

Nicholas Barth

Certified Sommelier

Wine Director

Cru Wine Specialists

"Gather 'round the generic stuff"

In today's "Super-Sized" age of the dollar menus, buy-one-get-ones, and over sized portions, restaurants like Appelbee's, Olive Garden, and T.G.I.Fridays rule the roost. Being from sub-suburban Minnesota (not a typo) I'm no stranger to chain restaurants. The town I grew up in wants a $20 steak for $7 and restaurants like Ruby Tuesdays and Red Robin can offer it to them. In the mid 90's, with the rise of the "neighborhood" franchise restaurant, our town absorbed the trend like a sponge. Before I knew it the family owned and operated ma' and pop shop restaurants were replaced by chains offering loud music, drink specials, pre-packaged foods and flare. Unfortunately, Minnesota is NOT an exception to the rule.

I enjoy traveling, and when I do I love to try out the local fare. Whether it's the vinegar based North Carolina BBQ ribs or Old Bay seasoned Crab Cakes from Baltimore, I live for the adventure of trying the local cuisine. Last summer a good friend and I traveled to New York city to watch the Yankee's play the Minnesota Twins. I was excited try the regional cuisine, enjoy the fast paced culture, and explore the many grand attractions of the Big Apple.

On the plane my traveling partner and I decided we wouldn't eat or drink at the same place twice. We wanted to taste New York, nothing we could get back in MN. We had no problem getting a table at quaint little cafes, restaurants & bars. But every time we walked by a Red Lobster or McDonald's the line was snaked out the door. This wouldn't be so disturbing if the people of NYC just liked Red Lobster and McDonald's, but the lines weren't formed by locals, they were formed by tourists! Maybe you are asking yourself, "how do you know they were tourists?" If you have ever been to New York city you know a tourist when you see one, we stick out like a sore thumb: always looking up and bumping into people, taking pictures of street merchants, jumping on and off of the double-decker red tour bus.

When I saw what was going on I was shocked. I assume people travel to New York to see what all the fuss is about (or maybe just see Wicked), but rather than exploring the many local restaurants and cafes that that makes the city so great visitors found themselves dining in chains that they could have eaten in at home. I can identify with them to some degree, if you're going to spend money, you could argue that you would want to spend it on something you know you like. But at that rate you could have saved the money on the plane ticket and traveled to your nearest suburban city to enjoy the "local fare". I realize that food is not the focal point of everyones vacation, but it is a major part of the experience and after all, when in Rome...

This fast food/chain restaurant America that has taken over the US isn't only suffocating local cuisine, it also effects the wine industry. When we dine at chain restaurants we are at the mercy of the corporate wine list. A list that is built by the company's CEO, negotiated based on price and availability. You may have seen the list I'm talking about, without looking I can recite it: Cavit or Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio, Yellow Tail or Kendall Jackson Chardonnay, Barefoot or Blackstone Merlot, and the cherry on top, Sutter Home or Beringer White Zinfandel. Before I go any further I think I better clarify, I have nothing against some of these wines. While it's true I do prefer smaller, more artisan examples that showcase the region from which which the wine hails, I also think that there is a time and place for SOME of the large, commercial wineries that litter the chain restaurant wine list.

One of the most popular wines in the United States is the Kendall Jackson Chardonnay. It's also the most ordered wine in restaurants across the country. If you took it out of chain restaurants and only offered it in retail locations and independently owned restaurants you could cut their production in half. But with monsters like Applebee's, Chile's, Buffalo Wild Wings (etc, etc, etc) accounting for a large percentage of the domestic restaurant wine sales what do we expect? We have reduced our pleasure senses to where we don't even care about the producer or region, words like "Chardonnay" or "Pinot Noir" seems to suffice a wine order. Would you ever go to a grocery store and say "Banana" or "Pizza"? If we did, brands like Dole and DiGiorno would have wasted millions trying to get you hooked on their products.

So what can you do? Well, I supposed I could go all 'crusader' on you and preach to only support local restaurants and diners and to steer clear of the chains and fast food joints, but that's not realistic, and even local restaurants can fall short when it comes to wine list construction. My greatest suggestion is for you to ask questions. Ask your server for recommendations, ask them to tell you about the wine. Or tell them what you like, what producer, grape, region or style. Something like "I like Chardonnay but I prefer clean, crisp, refreshing Chards to the big, buttery and rich style." This will help send a message that people care about what they are drinking.

Is the restaurant going to change their wine list the next day? No. But it will assist in persuading restaurants to update their wine lists. After all, their primary focus is catering to the consumer. I mean, if we can get Walmart to carry an organic food line and milk made from cow's that aren't treated with artificial growth hormones we can do anything. Trends are set by the consumer, adaptation is a key component to business success.

Any good corporate executive knows when to change directions in order to stay ahead or get on top. There are over 200,000 full-service restaurants in the United States and over 250,000 limited-service fast food restaurants. Together their total annual sales exceed $550 billion. Remember, we are the consumer, they are the supplier, we don't have to patronize their establishment, we can spend our money elsewhere. As you can see, there is plenty of competition. Perhaps we will take our business to a different place, a place where our voice is heard and they serve good wine:)

Thanks as always for reading and make sure to check out the Cru Wine TV split on German Rieslings at www.cruwineonline.com.

The Phone Book Wine List

On Friday I posted a question on the Cru Facebook page inquiring if people felt overwhelmed when the server drops off a phone book sized wine list at their table. The answer was not a surprise, yes. So I decided today to post a solution to the question to try to help people navigate a wine list of that proportion.

The first thing that you need to know is there's a 99% chance that the server that dropped off that wine list knows as much or less about it than you do. I am not saying that servers are not intelligent, I was one, I married one. What I am saying is that there is a lot of turn over in the service industry and 'career servers' are becoming harder and harder to find in a place that the ticket price is under $50 a plate.

The reason servers are not totally in tune with the list is because of training. To understand training you need to understand how the wine list was constructed. Wine lists are put together three ways. The first way is by the wine sales rep. This is usually the very generic wine list. The sales rep often (but not always) selects the best sellers or selfishly, the wines THEY need to push to hit their sales goals. These circumstance are happening less and less but still certainly exist.

The second method is where a manager or owner who is not too familiar with wine puts it together. This is almost always based on margin and price point. When a manager or owner does not know about wine that usually translates in to the fact that they don't care about it either, they are putting one together to shut up one of their regulars. In this instance they usually do wines that are popular, conservatively priced and sometimes they purchase on sale price of the wine distributors are trying to get rid of.

The final way, my favorite way, is when they hire a sommelier or wine expert of some sort to build it. I use to do more of this, now I have two main accounts and I like that because it is easier to maintain and buy new, cool stuff. In this option the expert or aficionado usually selects wines from several wine distributors to accentuate the best or most unique wines from each portfolio. This is usually where the 'phone book wine list' comes in.

Personally I have two lists as I mentioned. The first is a monster, over 200 labels, ranging price points, values, grapes, regions and so forth. This isn't exactly 'phone book' but it can be overwhelming. This is my award winning list, it's comprehensive, it's unique, and it's my pet project. The second list I control is smaller, 25 or so wines. I dumbed it down and then I classed it up. I selected grapes and regions that people were familiar with, things that people could pronounce and things that sold well in the marketplace. Then I selected really classic examples so people felt secure with a sense of typicity in the style. Finally I selected producers that people were NOT familiar with. Super cool values and unique producers are a recipe for success because people are curious. Then when they decide they like it, they talk about it, buy it, and the place that introduced it to them is a hero.

The problem with all three methods of building a wine list is time and money. It costs money and takes time to train a staff, and wine is usually ranks behind company policy and food menu. This is a formula for an overwhelmed server and customer. Some restaurants go out of their way to make sure that their staff is well equipped to answer questions, make suggestions and ease the customer's anxiety about the list. Other places have a wine captain, sommelier or wine steward on hand. That persons job is to make recommendations, pair food and wine, and answer questions. The restaurants with this service usually fetch a higher ticket price.

When there isn't an expert on hand, there isn't enough money to train everyday and you have a big list, that's where we come in to the problem of how not to feel overwhelmed. So here are a few things to do. First, ALWAYS ask you server for a suggestion when you are completely lost. They may not know the whole list but they have a 'go-to' that either the bartender, wine expert or owner told them about. Or perhaps they have tried a bunch and they really like one. This 'go-to' is usually a good seller and it's probably because it's pretty good. So start by asking.

If you get questions like "what do you normally like?" Think about it. What do you like? Name a producer and style or two. "I usually like Kendall Jackson Chardonnay" or "I love the Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon". Try to select 'main-stream' labels, not that mailbox at the end of a gravel driveway you found last time you were on the wine trails in California. Think of things you like that have presence at a liquor store, this will ensure the server can find a base point in flavor or style to compare to one of the selections on their list.

If that doesn't work you can always point. That's right, point. When you open the list find a comfortable price point on the menu and when the server comes over, ask for a suggestion and point to a price on the menu you are comfortable with. Explain you are looking for something red, white, sweet or dry like this. Again, make sure you point directly to the price. This is NOT uncouth. I served for years and establishing a comfortable price point is a really important factor when trying to appropriately select a bottle of wine for a customer.

The last thing you can do is pull out your mobile device. There are plenty of online reviews of wine or trade magazine reviews to search through. Select a price and style you like (whether it be grape or region) and look it up. You will see the retail price and know if the place is price gouging. Remember though, almost every restaurant has higher priced than retail. Wine margins are what help keep the doors swinging. It's no different than rum, whiskey, or gin.

The worst thing that can happen in one of these experiences is you feel out of place. But you shouldn't. It's the restaurants responsibility to make your buying experience as pleasurable as possible. As of late 'standard tipping' and the job pool have resulted in some really poor service (you would think a high unemployment rate would give you a better pool to choose from, no. The really good ones are just doing it until they get a job in their field). To flip that though as a consumer do not assume that because we call them servers that they are servants. This is their job and they should be respected, if they give it.

So, now that you know how lists are put together and what to look or ask for I am sending you on a mission. I want you to go out to a place that you normally feel intimidated by the list, or where you normally just order the house wine, and give the wine list a whirl. There is so much cool stuff out there, I encourage you to explore. Ask your server, point to a price, use your phone, whatever, just love what you drink. Life is too short not to enjoy, as I always say, it's your glass, fill it with what you want.

Thanks for reading and as always please check out our website at www.cruwineonline.com. We also have a Facebook page, just click HERE to become a fan.

Salut,

Nicholas Barth

Certified Sommelier

Wine Director

Cru Wine Specialists