Restaurant Wine List

[Randy Caparoso]

Mind if I weigh in, folks? Don't blame me, blame Jackie in Wine Board administration for pulling me in. This is a longtime restaurateur's opinion for those of you who don't know me.

Food should always be THE determining factor in decision as to what directions wine lists should go in.

If you eat in a restaurant in, say, Provence, that serves Provencal cooking, it's perfectly appropriate to expect strictly Provencal wines. It has as much to do with terroir as human responses and expectations. However, if that restaurant in Provence branches out to Italian, Greek or even Northern African influenced foods, it's no surprise if wines from other parts of the Mediterranean are to be found there. It's too be expected, and it's best for the food.

It only makes sense for our bourgeoning chef to appreciate regional Sonoma wines if their cooking style is focused on Sonoma foodstuffs, no matter what the cooking technique. However, if the kitchen starts to venture with, say, Indian seasonings, or Chinese spices, or strongly Italian herbs, oils and vinegars -- whatever -- it makes total sense to venture that wine list into wines from those regions. Or at least Sonoma grown wines that are geared towards those kind of foodstuffs.

People go to restaurants primarily to eat, and only incidentally to drink. So if the goal of every good restaurant is to create a harmonious overall experience -- tying decor, service, menu graphics, and of course, wine selections -- it only makes sense to start with the food, and build everything around it. I don't think anyone would disagree that their greatest restaurant experiences have been those with the greatest harmony of food and beverage -- whether in a country house in France, or in a three star temple in New York, London, Paris, Hong Kong, Tokyo, or Walla Walla, Washington.

[This message has been edited by Randy Caparoso (edited 11-18-2000).]