I clearly struck a nerve when I wrote recently about ordering one wine while dining out and being served another. Seems many of our readers are touchy about sloppy restaurant wine service, too, and everyone has a horror story to share.
I don’t mean to beat up on the restaurant business. There are, after all, many excellent restaurants that get it, placing just as much effort, thought and training on wine service as they do the preparation and service of food.
We accept the cost of dining out because we appreciate the service and ambiance as much as the food and wine. Poor service can and does ruin an otherwise exceptional culinary experience.
It’s important in my view to remind restaurateurs that customers are paying attention and they care. I’ve had an outpouring of letters from readers on this subject, and though I’ve already shared a couple of them, there is obviously more that needs to be said. So the readers speak:
Reader Roger Roberts writes:
‘I am certainly not as knowledgeable as you, but understand the faux pas by the restaurant and all involved. When one is a novice, and this kind of ‘stuff’ is foisted off on the customer, the customer frequently does not know any better. I had a sommelier attempt to deliver a different vintage of a Patz & Hall Pinot several years ago, and while I might not be proficient enough to distinguish the difference if doing a blind tasting, I ordered what was on the wine list (because I read about it in Wine Spectator) and they tried to bring a different Patz & Hall vintage. They in fact did not have the vintage offered on the wine list.
‘I am guessing you are going to say no, but I would appreciate knowing the name of the WS award of excellence restaurant, so I can also avoid the place. I am ignorant enough to be taken advantage of, and would rather not wonder which one can’t be trusted to deliver honestly on their wine knowledge and service.’
Dear Roger, I will respond on the name of the restaurant privately. My goal is not to injure anyone’s business, but rather to call attention to the larger issue of poor wine service and maybe, just maybe, encourage more restaurateurs to take the matter seriously and implement training programs to correct deficiencies.
Reader Lee Galloway writes:
‘I had a very similar experience some time ago that I have never
forgotten. I had ordered a Raymond Napa Chardonnay from the menu (this shows you how long ago this was; it was when Raymond produced two Chardonnays: a Napa and a California). What came to the table was the Raymond California Chardonnay. When I tried to explain to the server that I had ordered the Napa, not the California, his condescending response was “Well, Napa Valley is in California!”
thinking that I stupidly did not realize this profundity.
Exasperatingly, I simply ordered another wine.’
Dear Lee:
Indeed, all Napa Valley wines are made from grapes grown in California. But not all California wines are made from Napa Valley grapes. And I wonder how much time it would take, really, for a restaurant wine consultant to teach this simple truth to any competent wait staff?
Reader LeRoy Wright writes:
‘Couldn’t agree more with your ‘Trust, but verify’ column. I hope you told those stupes that you were a wine expert, having written a wine column for the newspapers for years (not that I always agree with you). It’s bad enough that those dummies brought you the wrong wine, but argue about it? No, no, no. In addition to learning something about wine, they could have learned something about common courtesy.’
Dear LeRoy:
Nope, didn’t tell ’em who I am. Unless I already know a restaurant’s owner or chef, I dine out pretty much incognito because I’m not looking for special treatment. I do expect to get what I pay for and am not shy about speaking up when something doesn’t come out right. Isn’t that the larger point, after all? But you’re right about one thing: Arguing with a customer, especially when the customer is apparently somewhat knowledgeable, would seem to be against every rule in the restaurant service manual!
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