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+--- Thread: Worst Wine List in USA re appropriateness? (/thread-12821.html)
- Botafogo - 07-27-2001
Last night I had one of the great meals of my life (from a food point of view) at world famous Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills. I was the guest of two visiting wineery owners from Oltrepo Pavese who are avid followers of the Zagat Guide which has rated Matsuhisa #1 in food for LA too many times to count. We let the chefs cook, never looked at a menu, ate everything from baby lobster ceviche to Kobe Beef in 13 courses, spent $485 on food for three and it was WORTH IT. Hell, the chef's selection dessert platter was worth half that!
But, for a restaurant acclaimed to the stars for the delicacy of its mostly seafood based cuisine, the wine list was HORRID! You had your choice of fifteen completely over oaked Chardonnays or thirty nearly current vintage California Cult Cabs, Super Pomerols, Gaja Barbarescos or the now ubiquitous Sassicaia for reds, NONE of which was remotely appropriate with the food.
The only solace was the sparkling wines which consisted of the following:
Bellavista Franciacorta
NV Veuve
Dom Perignon
Cristal
We took the Bellavista and later some lackluster Pinot Noir by the glass with the Kobe Beef.
Yes, this is a place mostly inhabited by rich people (and mostly Japanese) who don't actually know anything about wine as opposed to "brands" but, between Nobu and his Iron Chef buddy, these guys could go on TV (or in the dining room) and declare Spanish Muscat or South African Verdelho to be THE SHIT and it would be so....they got JUICE!
Shame, shame, shame.....Roberto
- winoweenie - 07-28-2001
Looks like the perfect opportunity for one good consultants job. Jes' thunk, you could advise them and they could feed you FREE!!!. WW
- Botafogo - 07-28-2001
Nah, Verne, I think the brutal reality is that 90% of their customers don't care about anything but "blue chip" labels and the concept of food and wine actually improving each other is lost on them.
Roberto
- winoweenie - 07-29-2001
I'm positive that you, you " Silver-Tongued Devil " could show them the error of their ways. WW
- Thomas - 07-29-2001
WW, I used to try to enlighten such restaurants about the possibility of selecting wines that pair with their menu rather than wines that are nationally advertised or plain over-priced/over-rated stars; results were dismal.
I ain't as silver-tongued as Roberto, but I sure as hell think he is correct with his assessment of the situation.
- winoweenie - 07-29-2001
Sobrietaly, Sadly, systimatically true. I've also had very lil' luck in helping dummies. WW
- cpurvis - 07-30-2001
Alas, another case to file & forget under Lifestyles of the Rich & Tasteless...
- hotwine - 07-30-2001
As we say in these parts, ignorance is curable, but stupid goes clear to the bone.