Four exceptional house wines

House wines served in restaurants are not what they used to be, said Lettie Teague in Food & Wine. That’s a good thing. In the old days, the formula used by proprietors was simple: “Find the cheapest wine possible; charge the highest price possible.” But for a new generation of restaurateurs, serving a good house wine has become “a source of personal pride.” These are my favorite house wines from first-rate New York restaurants. All are available in better wine shops:

2005 Orsay Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc Les Figuières ($15) A lush, somewhat acidic white that is the house white at Orsay on the Upper East Side.

2006 Cuvée Daniel Au Bon Climat Chardonnay ($17) “A big, opulent Chardonnay” that is the house white of New York City’s Daniel.

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2005 III Somms Amitié ($22) Jean Georges serves this “easy-drinking Cabernet Franc–dominant blend” as its house white.

Champagne Chapuy Cuvée Aquavit ($38) The house Champagne served at New York’s “highly regarded Aquavit.”