To find out my wine list ordering strategy for The French Laundry, check out the following video: kzitem.info/news/bejne/w3t8p6epsWmjdJg
@thecanuck11
6 ай бұрын
Finding the low mark up gems is always fun. At a retirement party at a local steakhouse last year, I found a bottle of 2015 Lynch Bages at only 40% mark up. I had bought a bottle after watching one of your videos that I had not yet opened so I was quite happy to get to taste it without opening my own bottle.
@AttorneySomm
6 ай бұрын
Thank you! Agreed. Very nice find! 👍🍷
@winebytheBayTV
Жыл бұрын
Wine lists can be tough … learning to read the labels is key….especially in France or Italy
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
Agreed. That definitely helps a lot.
@denisdonohue1863
Жыл бұрын
I also stay away form Napa Cabs at the SH. Restaurants know that normies think that's the "best wine" and the price reflects. I've seen some wines that are ~$100 at total going for 400+. I usually look for the wine lists varietal value play. Merlot, Zinfandel or Petite Syrah. Then I go location. Argentina, Central Coast, & Chile. Then I'll see if they have a red wine from a location that's not known for red wine, like Provence, Oregon, or Sicily. Ask the somm to carafe it up and you'll never hear a complaint.
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
Thanks very much for weighing in! Agree with you re Napa markups. Cheers!
@denisdonohue1863
Жыл бұрын
@@AttorneySomm obviously there’s a time and place for everything, but my days of immediately ordering a stags leap Cabernet are over.
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
@@denisdonohue1863 Completely agree.
@edmaryellenkmiec9171
Жыл бұрын
Thank you John. I would have never thought to ask for a "tasting" of a wine sold by the glass. And having a "reference" wine is a great tip to understand the restaurant's markups. Over at Ruth's Chris a Somm told me that their bottle pricing never changes once they are placed on the wine list. He introduced me to a fairly priced Saxum for our 40th wedding anniversary. I'm now on the winery's seven year wait list. Lastly, I believe that Matthiasson white wines are also a great choice. The styles are quirky but very interesting and affordable. Thank you for another excellent and informative video. - Ed
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
Thanks very much, Ed! Glad the tips were useful. Good to know re Ruth’s Chris. A good place to check for older vintages! Cheers!
@numanuma20
Жыл бұрын
I tell everyone to check out Matthiasson wines. Best in Napa I have had.
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
@@numanuma20 Definitely an excellent producers! Cheers!
@rjo8500
Жыл бұрын
Possibly my favorite video from you. Very informative and educational. A well structured wine list absolutely fascinates me. I liked how you broke down and cherry picked from this one.
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
Thanks very much! Glad that it was useful. Appreciate the kind feedback.
@golfben86
Жыл бұрын
The tip about a prioritized backup is spot on. I keep running into the same situation, and especially on business you don’t want to delay the whole meal making multiple selections and making a rushed choice is a sure fire way to accidentally exceed budget or pay a less desirable choice.
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! Completely agree. Seems like it happens so regularly now.
@jameswingad3212
Жыл бұрын
Chile and Spain are great shouts for value with Don Melchior being just unbelivably good for the money. Le Volte is also good by the glass as when freshly opened I find it slightly reduced. If ordering a whole bottle of that I even call ahead so the can aerate it first. Not sure whether it´s on this list but I find Australia also offers some really reliable choices for a new client when you´re unsure of the guest´s preferences and they just suggest red and nothing else.
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
Thanks very much! Agree with your comments.
@lees5761
Жыл бұрын
Great video!! I usually gravitate to Italian wines on the menu. They seem to always have good value to me.
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
Thanks very much!
@carlhornberger1839
Жыл бұрын
Love his summarise..about juice..total respect
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
Thanks very much! Appreciate the kind feedback!
@carlhornberger1839
Жыл бұрын
Andronicus is a super good wine...I took your advice with Titus 😎🛡👊🍷
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
@@carlhornberger1839 Excellent! Hope you enjoy it! 👍🍷
@gustavomgomes
Жыл бұрын
Great tip about the wine by the glass sample ! And about the 3 options ! It’s really annoying when the waiter comes back saying they don’t have the wine . Cheers !!!
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! Glad the tips were helpful! Cheers!
@drmatthewhorkey
Жыл бұрын
Great call on the MC riesling I absolutely love that producer. For Value red wine and steakhouse is I don’t know why more people were looking at syrah or even Australian Shiraz. Excellent wines that pair great with meat
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
Thanks! Agree re MC! I’m a huge Syrah fan too. Unfortunately, I think the word is out on Shiraz and Syrah in Dallas at least. They have just a few big names (Guigal, SQN, Penfolds) and all are quite costly. They can also take longer to open up, especially since few restaurants here have wines with appreciable bottle age.
@petemccutchen3266
2 ай бұрын
I'd have considered going with the Rhone Blend. I know it's from California, but I really like Rhone wines. Also, the Coravin selection of the white Burgundy might be worth the splurge.
@AttorneySomm
2 ай бұрын
Thanks very much for weighing in! 👍🍷
@petemccutchen3266
2 ай бұрын
@@AttorneySomm just to be clear, I wasn't criticizing your choices. Just opining! I really did like the idea of going with countries like Spain or Chile, and also grapes other than Cabs. My go-to restaurant purchase is Rioja, though some are getting pricey.
@AttorneySomm
2 ай бұрын
@@petemccutchen3266 Thanks! I did not interpret it as a criticism, but do appreciate the clarification. I'm a big fan of Rhone varietals and white Burgundy too. Cheers!
@df71091
Жыл бұрын
merlot from washington, i found the velvet devil is really nice , also for the price tag of just 15€ here in europe :D
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
Thanks! Yes, Washington Merlot offers lots of compelling value. A terrific buy! 👍🍷
@John-sg9fz
Жыл бұрын
I enjoy your videos. Thanks for your efforts. How about a review of white rioja’s such as Vina Tondonia Blanco Reserva? They are pretty unique and cool. Or maybe a broader video on niche collectible wines that collectors go crazy for beyond high end Burg and left bank i.e. Musar, Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva Blanco, Soldera (know you covered that one before).
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
Thanks! Appreciate the kind feedback and suggestion. Just making sure you saw my Rioja video. I did this right after my Rioja visit and cover the whites with Tondonia and also feature Castillo Ygay Blanco. kzitem.info/news/bejne/jo-ix4KZjKp1oHY
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
Also I did an video on underrated collectible wines that features Musar and seems to be one you would enjoy too. kzitem.info/news/bejne/z2uv0HmiiIaEq3o
@John-sg9fz
Жыл бұрын
Thanks John. Appreciated. I missed the last video you flagged. Keep up the great work. I am based in Asia but always follow your videos with interest.
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
@@John-sg9fz Thanks very much! We are on the same page. Both were excellent topics that I'm very interested in as well. Appreciate the support!
@jonathandavis9507
Жыл бұрын
Unfortunately, I don’t have an expense account, but great recommendations. 👍
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! Very glad they were useful. 👍🍷
@flysky679
Жыл бұрын
Very useful, thanks for sharing. I usually bring my own wine, and if the market price is over $200, I'd rather pay a $30 corkage fee.
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
That is a good approach where it is available. Unfortunately, it is largely not permitted in Texas. Here if the restaurant has a full bar, they are not supposed to allow BYO.
@sokarita0528
Жыл бұрын
Amazing! 🍷👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 I really needed an informative video like this. I was wondering the other day about the prices of wine 🍷 for bottle . You gave us great ideas and good recommendations. As a new person enjoying wine’s🍷 world, your videos are really helpful! Thank You 🙏🏻 Thank You 🙏🏻 Thank You 🙏🏻 Dear John!🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🔝🔝🔝 Happy Easter ! 🍷🌷💝✨
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
Happy Easter my friend! Thanks very much! Appreciate the kind feedback! Cheers!
@user-vu7om6hp2s
Жыл бұрын
Great video, very informative. These days I have moved away from buying wine at restaurants. I almost always bring my own wine and pay a corkage fee. Usually between $15-$30. However recently some higher end restaurants have been inching closer to $50. 😮 BTW, I live in that expensive city you referenced “Miami”.
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! Makes sense re corkage. Sadly we can’t do that in Texas as it is largely prohibited. Otherwise I would do that frequently too. I do it often when traveling. Glad you enjoyed the video! 👍🍷
@angusmcmillan8981
Жыл бұрын
Excellent video, thank you. I agree Flor de Pingus is great value and lovely second wine, but I recently discovered PSI, another Ribera del Duero wine by Pingus winemaker Peter Sisseck, absolutely delicious and even better value.
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! Yes that one is phenomenal! Just wasn’t on this list. Cheers! 👍🍷
@Paula-io9er
Жыл бұрын
Thank you John, we enjoy all your videos. Could you please do one on ordering from an Italian wine list. Thank you.
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
Thanks very much! Appreciate the suggestion! I’ll definitely see what I can do! Just need to find a place with a good list that has prices on the website too.
@Paula-io9er
Жыл бұрын
@@AttorneySomm I live in the Denver area and there is a restaurant in Denver called Tavernetta that has a good Italian wine list. Maybe you could use it.
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
@@Paula-io9er thanks! Appreciate the suggestion.
@milosbozilovic7843
Жыл бұрын
Great tips. I would have to disagree on " Le Volte" . It is very good wine to drink when between 4-6 aged, not so great when it is young. Cheers
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
Thanks! We just had the 2020 and everyone was quite pleased. It showed well for us, but I have no doubts it may get better.
@milosbozilovic7843
Жыл бұрын
@@AttorneySomm great wine, great value if you let it sit few years, wich i know you have a practice to do :) melows down and shows quite a few layers. Northstar is also great choice for me to. Easy drinking , excellent balance and acidity
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
@@milosbozilovic7843 Thanks! I'll have to pick a few up and give them some time. I don't recall tasting it before, but it is definitely an excellent value. Completely agree re: Northstar. Appreciate your thoughts!
@Alexander-dt8sk
Жыл бұрын
I've had waiters at better restaurants OFFER small tastes of both wines whose choice I'm debating. I tend to shy away from wine by the glasses at lesser restaurants as I've found that these wines may have sat around for a while. Under those circumstances, I've asked the waiter to inquire as to which bottles have just been opened are will be opened if I chose that selection. Lastly, I've had one waiter make the case that if one is willing to spend the money, some higher priced wines are a better value for the money as they simply can't be marked up to the same extent as the less expensive ones.
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for weighing in. That is great the restaurants offered you that chance to try both wines. Definitely agree that markups are lower on higher-priced bottles (in most instances; French Laundry still has some 10x multiples on bottles over $100). When ordering by the glass, I have also requested that they open a bottle. Since they often recoup the bottle price for each glass or two, I don't feel bad about doing that and they have always agreed to do so. Cheers!
@Alexander-dt8sk
Жыл бұрын
@@AttorneySomm Thanks for the latter tip. I'll ask them to open a new bottle next time. And 100x markup on bottle under $100!? With that practice, they would have no excuse for failing to generously stock many different wines. Great channel. Learning a lot.
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
@@Alexander-dt8sk Very glad to hear it! Thanks for letting me know. Agreed!
@margauxml
Жыл бұрын
So many good recommendations and pieces of advice! I’m not yet done watching but I’d like to say that this video is really quite impressive. You always do the research for us, and it’s so amazing how you very expertly put all the elements together to create outstanding content like this. Thank you for mentioning Le Volte. It reminded me that I have a bottle of the 2019 and that I must open it soon. Santé, John!
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
Santé, Margaux! Very glad you enjoyed it! I can be pretty analytical so these end up being quite long. 😂 Very glad you are enjoying it! Merci beaucoup!
@margauxml
Жыл бұрын
@@AttorneySomm I was, actually, supposed to say that I always immensely enjoy and appreciate your detailed comparative analyses.😂
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
@@margauxml Ha! Very glad to hear that. Thank you!
@margauxml
Жыл бұрын
@@AttorneySomm You’re welcome! Regarding the high markups in high-end restaurants and hotels, the 300% to 400% markup is also true here. The most expensive corkage fee I’ve ever paid here is $30, the lowest $10. Recently heard that one of my old favorite Spanish restaurants charges only $7 so I’m hoping to dine there soon.😂
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
@@margauxml Thanks for sharing that information! $7 is a treat deal!
@stevenholt4936
Жыл бұрын
Crikey, wine is expensive in the US, at least compared with here in the UK. Do you know why this is the case? You pay for a glass what we would pay for a bottle.
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
I think much of it is due to the protectionist 3-tier system that was implemented about 100 years ago and has not been repealed. There are typically importers, distributors and retailers each of whom tack on a percentage. And if the point of sale is a restaurant, they mark it up 300-400% or more as they typically view wine as a profit center. I definitely get much better value on wine in Europe and greatly prefer that model.
@whisk-e-y_problems9075
Жыл бұрын
Hi John. I just recently found your channel, and I am really enjoying your content. This video was particularly informative, as restaurant wine lists can be challenging to navigate (and frustrating when they don't have what you order). I have a follow-up question to your comment about 2000 Bordeaux being in a "shut down" phase currently. Is this something you have noticed across all appellations and producers or just a few? I have a 2000 Brane-Cantenac that I was planning to open for my anniversary in a couple months, but now I'm wondering if I should hold onto it longer and open a 2004 Brunello Riserva instead (not one from a famous producer). Your thoughts? Thanks again for the information!
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
Thanks very much! Glad you enjoy the videos! Yes I might go with the 04 Brunello and wait a bit longer on the Brane Cantenac. Cheers!
@adamj2562
Жыл бұрын
This is a great series! The reference wine tip is a great one
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! Yes, that has worked very well for me over the years. Glad you enjoyed it!
@adamj2562
Жыл бұрын
@Attorney Somm much easier than having to pull out the phone for some frantic googling
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
@@adamj2562 Absolutely. Time with the list is so limited at the restaurant, especially in a business setting. I wish more places would post their lists with pricing information on line so we could have a better game plan going in, but very few do it these days.
@carlcadregari7768
Жыл бұрын
Always great to hear options. Many times I’ll grab the wine list before getting to a restaurant to see what choices there are too. And do you normally see a 6oz pour for BTG options? Cheers and thanks.
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
Thanks! Yes, unfortunately it seems that very few restaurants post their list with pricing information on their website these days. I always prefer to study it before I go when possible. I don't typically see lists that specify a 6 oz pour. Here they may do it because they sell Coravin pours at 3 oz. and so they want to be precise to avoid confusion. Cheers!
@matts9034
Жыл бұрын
Great ideas, John! I also look at the corkage fee and bring a bottle from my collection. Tough to expense, but for special occasions with customers or friends, it’s a good option. Especially with some of those ridiculous markups …
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
Thanks very much! Yes, I understand. I would do that too but it is largely not allowed in Texas.
@powdork
Жыл бұрын
Hopefully the corkage fees are $50+. Also tip an extra $20 if you ever pull the weak ass move of asking for tastes of two different wines by the glass. That's the weakest shit I've ever hear from someone who supposedly understands the business. Lawyer at heart i guess...
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
@@powdork I disagree. It’s a small taste and they make their money back for an entire bottle in the US from selling 1 glass. Wine pricing at restaurants in the US is insane so I stand by that tip.
@powdork
Жыл бұрын
@@AttorneySomm sure from a restaurant owner's perspective it's limited amount of free stuff to give away. Servers otoh don't so much love the extra trip for you to impress someone with your wine knowledge. If you want to do it that's fine, but don't recommend it to the general public like it's the cool thing to do in a busy restaurant. It's not. It means we have to interrupt the flow of a very busy bartender to get something without an order ticket. That means instead of ringing it in we have to stand there to get their attention and wait to receive it (without a ticket we have no way to know which chardonnay is which without a handoff). Will we do it. Of course, happily. Will it interrupt the flow of business? Definitely. With respect to the insane markup. True, in many cases they will make an entire bottle back in one glass (but mostly with multi-case incentives for having it on the pour menu). And even if their pour is only 150mm (pretty much the minimum) that leaves them with a 20% pour cost (without any waste) which is fairly standard for a bar. Most reataurants are closer to 4 glasses per bottle than to 5, especially after wastage and overpours. Bottles usually cost you much less (quite often a 2.5-3X markup vs 5X) and as always, bottles of wine avoid the line. Some restaurants, especially out of the major metro markets, will also have a much much lower markup for more expensive bottles.
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
@@powdork I appreciate you weighing in from a restaurant owner’s perspective.
@danielplainview4778
Жыл бұрын
These are interesting videos, thanks!
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
My pleasure! Glad you enjoy them. Appreciate the kind feedback. Wish more places posted wine lists with pricing information. That is quite rare these days, unfortunately.
@df71091
Жыл бұрын
do you plan strategies for people that only have 10-15k for long term investment aswell or is that not enough?
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
It depends on your objectives, but plenty start with less than that.
@lees5761
Жыл бұрын
Are you talking about wine? Or is Attorney Som also a financial advisor?😀
@AttorneySomm
Жыл бұрын
@@lees5761 Ha! Still wine, but collectible wine is rallying in price and going up in value and I do recommend collectible wines.
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