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earth2table: "Wino Forever"
August 6, 2007

Volumes have been written, and many a fistfight has broken out, over the topic of what makes a great—or even good—restaurant wine list. When Cole Danehower (l. in photo) and I were putting together the original wine list for Terroir, we had many a drink and visited many restaurants in the Portland area and beyond.

We both agreed on Terroir’s overall food and wine philosophy, but how does that translate into a wine list? An article in the Boston Phoenix by Thor Iverson once listed six key criteria in deciding what makes a great wine list: originality, compatibility with the menu, depth in appellations and vintages, length, appealing prices and restaurant support.

These were and are the factors that we banter around. It is a very good list of criteria, but what needs to be added to that list is that wine is a sales, marketing and (hopefully) revenue-generating tool. Once again, how does that specifically translate into Terroir’s wine list?

First and foremost, Terroir is a Pacific Northwest restaurant, so we wanted an exclusively Pacific Northwest wine-and-beverage list. That didn’t mean strewing some great regional wines among the same old American and European wines that every other restaurant in town is offering. It did mean searching out what truly represents our region and, at the same time, seeking coexistence among food, beverage, place and season. It also meant making the effort to find wines that would be exclusive to Terroir.

Second, we wanted a list that has a little something for every wine drinker, but that felt neither condescending to those who only occasionally drink wine nor indifferent to those “inspired imbibers.” It was to be a list that shows, according to Cole, “that the Pacific Northwest is a world leader in craft-oriented wine, spirits, beer and even hard-cider production—there’s more of all that good stuff going on here than anywhere else in the U.S.” And thanks to our varied micro climates, you don’t need to go outside this region—it’s all here!

Third, we wanted a list that makes sense to a consumer’s wallet. Even being in the business, I constantly am appalled at prices on wine lists and food menus, especially here in my town. I don’t think that charging more makes mediocrity and a lack of ingenuity OK. As a chef that has run financially successful restaurants, I don’t buy the argument that extreme markups on beverages keep food prices down. One restaurant in town charges $13 for a cauliflower-and-endive salad and more than $5 for each small piece on its cheese plate. Its wine list is far from outstanding and extremely overpriced. Where are the savings, deals, love and respect for the customer? For that same $18, Terroir diners can get two of our small plates and a glass of wine of the same quality, all representing local artisan producers. I didn’t want Terroir to fall into that overpriced category, so we worked hard to make our pricing structure a good deal for our guests.

Last, if I was going to put “wine bar” in the name of my restaurant, it meant we were going to be serious about how we treat the wine. We constantly evaluate, compare, taste, teach and learn, as we do with the food menu. Just as importantly, we have a wine-preservation system for our wines by the glass (which include Oregon-made sake) and the proper refrigeration and storage for our wine and beer bottles. I have Cole solely dedicated to the wine-and-beverage list and Mark Jacobsmeyer, my front-of-the-house manager, spending a good portion of his time maintaining the list, training the staff and being on the floor.

Am I presuming to say we have a great wine list? By no means. A very good Pacific Northwest wine list? Well, our local newspaper, The Oregonian, included Terroir in a recent article about the best Northwest wine lists in Portland, but you be the judge:

Terroir Wine List

And the journey continues.

Cheers!

Stu

Comments or questions? E-mail Chef Stu at StuStein@rimag.com.

Posted by Stu Stein on August 6, 2007 | Comments (0)