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Per Se's Wine List

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    The last time I was at Per Se I was a little disappointed at how the wine was handled. I was handed an enormous bible-sized list and after finally deciding on a bottle, the sommelier attempted to suggest something even more pricey that what I had chosen.

    It was challenging enough to find a wine on the list with good value. And I thought all of the Champagnes were marked up way to high.

    It kind of felt like a car dealership, albeit a very nice car dealership with the world's most amazing food. The whole thing struck me as odd. Has anyone had a similar experience there?

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    I've never had that experience at Per Se since, fortunately, when I've dined there, I was a guest and didn't have to choose the wine or pay the bill. However, over the past year or so, in a number of highly-regarded restaurants, I've had an increasing amount of difficulty in finding a good wine at a reasonable price. It seems that such restaurants (saddled, admittedly, with very high operating costs) are turning towards their wine list as a major source of income and profits. Recently, I've found it not uncommon for some of these up-scale dining establishments to charge about four to five times the price of what a wine might be selling at in your neighborhood liquor or wine store. The better the wine, the higher the price is in the store and, consequently, when mutlipled by the factor of four or five, the more outrageous the price is at the restaurant. It's actually gotten to the point where, when dining with friends last year at a fine restaurant in Canada, having been given the responsibility of finding a wine for the table for the evening, I asked to be relieved of that responsibility, exclaiming that "I just can't find any wine at a price that makes any sense."

    Over the past thirty or forty years, wine has clearly become the alcoholic beverage of choice at social engagements. But, in view of what is discussed above, it may be time for the pendulum to swing back in the other direction. It may not be long before, at Per Se or some other comparable establishment, when asked if I'd like to see the wine list, I might reply: "No thanks, but I'll have a Jack Daniel's on the rocks." (Which leads me to ask, how much is a Jack Daniel's on the rocks at Per Se? Perhaps you can't win....)

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    Before describing my experience at Per Se, I must comment on the issue in regards to the cost of wines at restaurants vs. their price at your local store (not to mention the quality of the wine vs. the price).

    Many dining establishments (not just high end ones) do not make the bulk of their earnings on the food. Wine and liquor is what keeps them in business and profitable. As to the actual cost of the wine vs. quality (or enjoyment), well that is probably best left for another discussion area, but in short here are some very important things to remember.

    1: Most restaurants can only stock so many bottles and holding onto inventory costs $$$. The hope here is that at least three will be purchased and thus paying for the entire case.

    2:The extremely expensive wines that are 3 to 4 (or even 6) times the cost at your local store are (most of the time) specifically priced to attract the group on an expense account, not to mention their intent to impress their clients. This is where the restaurant is going to make a nice profit.

    3:For the individual who is truly versed in wine, there are always great buys on the wine lists of many of these restaurants (Per Se included). But finding them can be a challenge for many. As one of my friends who is on the level of some of the best sommeliers in the business noted to me a long time ago "Anyone can pick a great wine based upon a high price. However, finding a great wine for less is the true mark of a person who is knowledgeable about wine."

    Unfortunately there are some restaurants that don't have anything that is affordable. If you are unsure of what to order and don't want to pay top dollar, the best option is to talk with the sommelier and let him (or her) know the price range that you would like to work with. Remember, the last thing a restaurant wants to do is sell you a wine that is going to ruin your meal and their reputation.

    With that said, my first experience at Per Se yielded us two wines that were quite good and modestly priced. The first wine was from New Zealand, which was a Sauvignon Blanc (about $30). It had a screw cap (which is just about the standard for these wines from New Zealand ) and was perfect for the fish & seafood dishes (we actually had a good laugh about watching the wine steward remove the cap). The 2nd wine was a Rhone from France and again not too expensive (under $60). Again, was a great match for the meat courses.

    My second experience at Per Se was a bit of a challenge since I was given the responsibility for choosing the wine. However, since I knew this was being given to me in advance, I contacted the restaurant and requested a current copy of the wine list (which was fwd to me within 1 hr). Knowing the group that I would be dining with, I did some basic research and was able to find four (4) wines that were $50 or less. When the sommelier brought in the wine, he inquired as to how I located the hidden gems in the list. I answered truthfully that a bit of research brought them to light. The wines that generated the most dialogue that evening were two Piedmont wines. Both were from the same year and were considered to be top tier. I requested to have them served at the same time so that they could be compared side by side (which some people found very educational). In the end the evening was superb with great wine, food and friends.

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