So, the many Wine Spectator survey participants have spoken! And they say, according to the cover of the magazine, that wine service in the US is "not good enough." Well, let's see what they really mean.
As a former restaurant sommelier and manager myself, and as current Chairman of the Court of Master Sommeliers, American Chapter, my first reaction is defensive and ultimately dismissive. I would argue that wine service in the US is better than ever--mostly, because the wines are, and the breadth of their origins is as well. And of course the sommeliers and waiters are better trained, more knowledgeable, and more involved in the experience of the diner. What once seemed a rarity, like a wine list of vertical selections from many key regions like Bordeaux and California and Tuscany and Rioja, or a range of aromatic, unoaked, corkless fresh wines, is now rather commonplace. What once seemed impossible, the adoption of quality glassware and cellar conditions by even chain restaurants, is a norm. And what once seemed elitist and classist, a tuxedoed servant acting as butler in a darkly draped parlor, has morphed into the very democratic, and well-informed, up-to-the-minute expert on wine in the restaurant. The modern, business suited, tastevin-less sommelier who also knows food, has traveled extensively, and acts as a customer's ally, is now expected at fine restaurants. So who could complain?
Well, the bottom line on complaints is just that: what we pay for wine in restaurants can be exorbitant. Well, at least relative to the "retail" price. Indeed, many restaurants mark up wine noticeably high--although the markup on wine is nowhere near as high percentage-wise as it is on beer, liquor, or coffee. After all, there are the aforementioned enhancements to pay for, not to mention energy, linen, labor, and decor. But I'm sorry, I have no sympathy for the diner who imposes a BYO bottle on a restaurant staff or chef without warning; I don't believe in shorting a tip because wine service is somehow not equivalent to food service; and I don't believe that sommeliers who know what they're doing give bad advice.
Wine is a highly charged subject in restaurants precisely because there is so much of it to be chosen--an aesthetic, economic, and even political choice, at the very least. And many wine-savvy diners are also smart shoppers. But I would hope they would be loathe to be considered cheapskates. The best way to object is to support only restaurants that you trust, and avoid cynical chains; support chefs who involve savvy staff members in their service; and, once in a while, to splurge, and see what kind of respect you'll get from the service team. That experience feels grand, and everyone shares in it. In fact, it's part of why we go out to dine.
