Have you ever walked into a restaurant and looked at the wine list only to find that the wines you just tasted at local vineyards are not listed on their wine list. Then let’s say you go to a very nice restaurant that has a wine list the size of a New York City telephone book, and a sommelier who is some middle aged man with this superior sneer and the only advice he gives you comes with a snooty attitude. It's no wonder that many Americans choose a glass of White Zinfandel; however, have you ever just said to this snooty old fart "just leave me the wine list." When you look at the wine list you may find wines from all over the world, such places as France, Italy, California, and may be a South American country. What you do not find is wines that are locally made in the very state you are visiting or from.
I grew up in the Finger Lakes of Upstate New York. A place I call home; to my surprise when visiting a local restaurant in Upstate New York, I was shocked that this restaurant that is linked to a very well known store and got its start in the Rochester NY did not feature any local wines. I visited Wegman's Tastings (great restaurant by the way, I was sad to see it closed). I ordered the Seasonal Tasting Menu with the Tasting Wine Pour. At each course I was served a wine from Spain, CA, Argentina, France, and Portugal. I am not saying that every wine pour needed to be from the Finger Lakes, but it would have been nice to see some wines featured from the area. Wegman's has closed Tastings and moved the restaurant across the street and renamed it Next Door Bar and Grill. When looking at their wine menu they have 18 wines from the Finger Lakes and from only a handful of wineries. In an area that is largely populated with wineries, I would have thought that there would be more local wineries listed.
I now live in New York City and have visited many well known restaurants and some have since closed their doors because of the recent economic downturn. Two places that I absolutely loved was Tavern on the Green and the Rainbow Room. Their departure saddens me; however, their wine lists did not feature any wines from New York. Other restaurants I have visited are the 21 Club and The Four Seasons. The Four Seasons wine list features wines from France and Italy and they have two sections: one section is labeled American wines and the second is labeled Great American Estate Wines. Not one wine in these sections is from the Great State of New York. If you want to talk about your snooty sommelier and wait staff this can easily be found at the Four Seasons. At the 21 Club our wait staff and sommelier were nice and I can honestly say that they were not pretentious pricks at all. This is why my husband and I now frequent there and we always tip them very well. They seem to always add a little extra and not over charge you. The 21 Club has a very large wine list and they do feature wines from California and other states. They also have wines on their list from New York but only from 2 wineries.
New York State has over 200 wineries, some are smaller than others and each has their own distinct favor. While we can debate the individual merits of each winery, restaurants should feature wines that are produced in their home state. I am not saying that they should list only New York wines and I am not saying that they should list all 200+ NY wineries on their wine list. What I am saying is that these restaurants and other restaurants could put more than just 2 wines or list more than 3 different wineries from their home state on their menu. So I invite you to visit your favorite restaurant and ask them to see their wine list, and if you have visited a winery in New York State and love a particular wine ask that restaurant to put it on the list. Tell that snooty wine sommelier to stop with the attitude and say no I do not want a white Zinfandel, give me something good.
