Let’s say you’re going out with some friends for a few drinks. Wine lover that you are, you tell your friends that you’d like to go somewhere where they have some nice wines by the glass, rather than to one of the cocktail bars that seem to be springing up everywhere. So where should you go?
Photo courtesy of Time Out New York.
For the most part, neighborhood bars have two kinds of wine: red and white. These wines come in large bottles or jugs and are often the cheapest of the cheap, although the bartender will still charge a premium price. Fortunately, there are some bars – even some old-time Irish saloons like the ones we have around our home – that are adding a few interesting wines by the glass. This may be because they have come to realize that there is customer demand for better wines or because they can get an even higher premium price for them.
If you want a broad selection of wines to try, a wine bar is the place for you. For you, yes, but maybe some of your friends would prefer a beer or a glass of whiskey. They would be left out at a spot that only serves wine.
But let’s assume that they’re okay with a wine bar as the destination for the evening, or one of them. Instead of having too few choices at your local tavern, you can find yourself with too many at a wine bar. There are many that offer flights of several small pours of a variety of wines, usually stylistically similar. That turns a drinking evening into a wine tasting one. If four people, say, choose four different flights and you don’t mind sharing glasses, you will have quite the wine tasting experience.
Some restaurants have a good selection of wines by the glass. If it’s a restaurant with an extensive wine list, there should be quite a few to choose among. “Should be” is the operative term. Restaurants make their money selling bottles of wine to accompany meals. It’s rare that the wines you’d really like to have just a glass of is available. All too often, the wines that can be bought a glass at a time are limited in number and are taken from the bottom of the restaurant’s list.
There are some exceptions to this pattern. The bars at steak houses, for example, often feature big red wines that go well with the food they serve. They often sell good-quality Cabernet Sauvignons or Merlots by the glass. If you’re in the mood for some delicate Chablis, you’ll probably be out of luck. Of course, the reverse is true at a seafood restaurant. The point is that you can experience an interesting selection of wines at a variety of locations…if you know what they serve. This is where the internet comes into play. Take a look at the wines they offer before you go out for the evening and you’re less likely to be dis