- You are in the mood for a big, full-bodied cabernet or shiraz to go with your ribeye steak, but your dining companion prefers a glass of white wine, a cold beer or an iced tea;
- A single diner would enjoy a glass of Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay with a few appetizers, but opts for another ho-hum beverage because it is too extravagant to buy a full bottle when he only wishes to have a glass;
- A couple would like a little wine with dinner but they wish to moderate their consumption because they have to drive home.
The list of situations could go on to include diners who wish to pair each course — appetizer, entrée, and even dessert — to an appropriate wine by the glass. And finally, it is not uncommon for a group of friends dining out to simply wish to order a different glass of wine so they can sample and compare the different wine and food flavors amongst themselves. While wines by the glass DO offer the simplest and most cost effective solution to the most typical wine emergencies, if two or more in your party decide to order the same glass of wine, it is almost always more economical to buy the bottle.
Thankfully, today even most of the more casual dining restaurants offer a decent selection of white wines, reds, and even sparkling wines by the glass. Diners appreciate having a choice even if it is as simple as a Pinot Grigio or a Chardonnay for whites, and a Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot for reds. Regardless of whether the restaurant is casual or trendy, the wines by the glass list offers the perfect opportunity to try new wines from unusual grape varieties and countries such as grüner Veltliner (Austria) and Pinotage (South Africa) or to simply try different wine producers’ expression of your favorite cabernet.
The good news is that wines by the glass DO not have to be expensive. Restaurateurs create a list with entry level, mid-priced, and higher-end price points in order to offer something for everyone. The better values are usually found in the middle range and even higher-priced wines by the glass, just as it is by the bottle. More expensive wines on the wine list receive a gentler markup than the lower priced wines typically DO. A current trend is to feature some higher end wines as part of the wines by the glass list. Though these superpremium wines can easily run in the range of $25 per glass, it is a relative bargain for both experienced wine lovers and those who are interested to taste special wines that they may not be able to find otherwise. It may appear to be expensive for a glass of wine, but it is still considerably less than buying the bottle.
Little wine emergencies come up regularly but they don’t have to ruin your day, and in fact you can use them as an opportunity to experiment. Just check out the wines by the glass list and have a little fun.
Courtesy of wine Market Council. For more information, visit www.wineanswers.com.
Photo courtesy of wine Market Council.