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.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
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.”
-
Savages: a tragi-comedy set in a 'quirky handcrafted world'The Week Recommends This new animated film by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Claude Barras is undeniably political, but it has a hopeful message
-
Why 'faceless bots' are interviewing job huntersIn The Spotlight Artificial intelligence is taking over a crucial part of recruitment
-
Who will win the battle for the soul of the Green Party?An ideological divide is taking root among the environmentalists
