I’ll Have a Glass of Chardonnay, please. 
Even if it doesn’t go with Mexican Seafood ***

While a Cosmo or a dry Martini may have taken over the trendy circuit, preference for wine as an aperitif still continues at a high level. Many people like to start off a meal with a glass of white wine even if others at the table don’t want a full bottle.

Restaurants have jumped on the wine by the glass idea, recognizing a big profit center. New equipment enables wine to retain freshness after the bottle is opened. Many restaurants thus offer patrons the opportunity to try different wines without ordering the entire bottle or paying a premium. That is an offer you can’t resist. But you have to do a little work.

Ask for the list of wines by the glass. If the waiter can’t tell you what is being served for $4 or $5 ask him if that is the price for the glass or the entire gallon jug. Unchecked a restaurant could be pouring  5-oz.  of a jug wine that costs them 35 cents a glass.

At $4-5 you are entitled to a lot more. Expect wines that are at least in the Lindemans, Columbia Crest or Napa Ridge category.  You can turn this crisis into a tasting opportunity by asking for and looking closely at the wine by the glass list and trading up. If you want to educate your palate without paying for a whole bottle consider paying a couple of bucks more. Look for excellent mid-priced Chardonnay producers like Chateau St. Jean, Gallo of Sonoma*, Kenwood and Berringer.  While you may spend 2 or 3 dollars more, you will enjoy the wine and perhaps learn more about what you like.

A fine restaurant may offer wines all the way up the scale to great Chardonnay like a vintage Chateau Montelena, Grgich Hills, Trefethen or Far Niente. Wines in that category could be in the $15- 20 range.  A glass of Marcassin, considered by many to be the premier California Chardonnay, could go for $30 a glass but it might create a memory that will linger on your palate for a long time.

It also might be a good time to get a feel for "the other white wine," Sauvignon Blanc.   It doesn’t have the glamour of Chardonnay and therefore doesn’t command the big price. There is a sense in the wine industry that the quality of Chardonnay has gone down in the last few years as demand for grapes has intensified. Thus, today many people feel that Sauvignon Blanc is a better value and provides a greater taste pleasure for the money.  Australia produces excellent Sauvignon Blanc and the familiar names as Lindeman, Rosemount, Penfolds and Wolf Blass along with California Central Valley R.H. Phillips**, all offer a Sauvignon that could go for about $5 per glass. Chateau St. Jean, Berringer and Chateau St. Michelle have steadily delivered excellent values. Robert Mondavi calls his Fume Blanc and gets a couple of dollars extra per bottle for his name but it is a consistent product.

The punch line is that if you go out to dine and plan to order a glass of wine, turn it into a taste adventure that will enable you to enjoy future wine experiences.  That extra $3 may give you pleasure for the rest of your life. It certainly will put you in control of your destiny for that meal.   

*     Gallo at $11 per bottle or less retail is worth buying on your own

**    R.H Phillips is in wide supply and can be found for under $8 per bottle retail