94 Bodegas Monticello Gran Reserva

[toddabod]

I was wowed at this wine while dining out in Atlanta last weekend. I was going to eat a steak at the Blue Point restaurant and this wine was suggested. I was looking for a bordeaux or cab, and was glad I tried this one. The price at the restaurant was 69 dollars, and I got it at the package store for 19.99. What a bargain, so I bought two.

[wondersofwine]

That's quite a markup by the restaurant! Was the dinner that good?

[toddabod]

It is part of the Buckhead life group in Atlanta, Georgia. The bill for 3 or us was 300 dollars. A guy named Panos and his son Paul own 6 or 7 restaurants in Atlanta. They are all top notch and you can expect to spend 50-100 dollars per person depending on the wine. My company paid for the dinner, so I am not too upset and I found an excellent wine to go along with any steak.

[Thomas]

The last time I was in Buckhead (the capital of Atlanta I suppose) I was appalled at the restaurant mark ups on wine. That bottle likely cost the restaurant $13.00--good grief!

[toddabod]

With any restaurant, you are paying (wholesale)for the entire bottle when you order a glass. The margins on wines are ridiculous. I know I pay about 11 or 12 dollars for a kendall jackson chardonay at Sam's. When you go to a restaurant, you pay 7-8 dollars for a glass, so you figure the restaurant is paying that much for the bottle. What a racket. I rarely drink wine when we go out because it is too expensive. I would rather grill out or make some nice dish along with a nice bottle.
Just a side note, my wife and I learned recently that she is pregnant, which is good. The only bad thing is that we plan on moving to europe soon and have a few bottles of wine still. I guess we can take them along except for the White Star Champagne sitting in the fridge. I don't think you can take it out of the fridge and expect it to taste good. Let me know if I am mistaken. Thanks.

[This message has been edited by toddabod (edited 03-04-2002).]