mogsob

There is no one wine I need to have in my lifetime. I like to try new wines, but generally try to find the best value on the list. Often, that leads me to the Rhone or Alsalce or the Languedoc. Sometimes Australia, sometimes a good Russian River Pinot. Umbrian wines are also usually good value. I like to stay in the $30 to $80 range, depending on the restaurant and the wine, but in the end it is a judgment call.

Giving wine as a gift is always difficult. Table wines are obviously not appropriate, no matter what the cost as their image is not suitable for purpose. So no matter how good the wine, a Chianti is still a Chianti. Opus One, while not a personal favourite, is somewhat a cult California wine, so perfectly suitable to gift giving. Personally, I like to give a good Sauternes or vintage Champagne if I am giving wine as a gift.

John, there is no question that you should book your meal at D'Chez Eau. But, then again, you know all about D'Chez Eau (I've seen your website).

A claim for assault and battery!! This keeps getting better and better. Not only would I get a free meal, but a rather large cash settlement to boot. Why hasn't a smart London lawyer given GR the business?

I wonder what would happen if you made a few choice edits to the contract? Would they even notice? Moreover, what about showing up with an injunction motion (effectively staying GR's right to enforce his contractual rights until a court hearing)? The contract game is dangerous for non-lawyers to play.

Ayjay, you can certainly enjoy these wines now. Will Helburn of Rosenthal suggested the following approach to young Chambolle. Decant a few of hours before serving (you might want to taste a little for reference). Stopper the decanter and open before sitting down (I take the stopper out about 30 minutes prior to sitting). I have also had the Bea Sagrantinos and Rossos young (both at home and at restaurants -- Etats Unis, GT and Il Buco). The sommelier at GT insisted on decanting and he is right (although you need to wait only about 30 minutes before the wine opens). The Beas are really funky out of the bottle, but are incredible once open.

nestia, if you haven't tried Bouvier's Fixins, you really should. i had them for the first time at Alison on Dominick a year ago and they are really excellent for the price.

OH MY GOD. I can't believe what I just read. Dallas BBQ is among the nastiest of the nasty. Their burgers have freezer burn. I have seen roaches the size of my thumb running around. The onion loaf is a greasy beyond belief. It is about the worst place in NY. Reminds me of some of the worst greasy spoons in London. Steven, I'm just going to pretend I never read this.

My experience in France goes back only to 1984, so I do not have the benefit of historical perspective that others on the board can justly claim (that's a nice way of putting it, no?). That said, I don't see the sky falling on French cuisine any time soon, but the so-called "decline" I think is attributed to a few factors: 1. The decline of formal dining. French restaurants set the standard for formal dining -- at one time, formal dining in NY was exclusively French and for the most part, still is. Formal dining is where cuisine reaches its apex, perhaps due to the high prices such restaurants can command. But more and more, these temples of haute cuisine are being monopolized by the businessman, who cares less about the quality of the meal than he does about the atmosphere and the service (or indeed the conversation at the table). So quality inevitably slips. If the grand restaurants of France are not what they were, this may be the cause. 2. The world around France has grown up. Thirty years ago no one would suggest that the best restaurant in NY served "American" cuisine. Or that the best restaurants in London were not French. But just as France has assimilated many ingredients from the rest of the world, the rest of the world has assimilated French technique. What is Gramercy Tavern if not a restaurant that applies French cooking techniques to American ingredients and flavors. The greatness of French cuisine has always been the superiority of technique -- now that gap has been bridged. 3. Longing for the way things were. The book "The Elusive Truffle" summed it up best. French restaurants are changing. Family establishments are no longer the norm and restaurants are more and more a business focused on the bottom line. Profit maximizing will always hurt the consumer and the sheer generosity of French restaurants is on the decline, both in service and in terms of food. But that does not mean that the quality of the cooking is on the decline. The only thing I can say about France is this. There is still no country in the world equal in terms of being able to pop into a completely unknown restaurant -- anywhere -- an be totally blown away by the meal. Still happens in France to me -- all the time. And that's my measuring stick.

I would be greatly surprised if Hermitage and Cornas are really 100% syrah, although the balance of these wines when compared with their northern cousins may be explained by the relative age of the wine on consumption. Nestia, you are right about white wine grapes (I was really thinking more about red when I made that comment). I've had riesling and traminer blends, but have not been impressed. Ditto for chards, although not my favourite grape. There seems to be a bias in New World wines in favor of varietals, rather than blends. Perhaps that is due to the bad taste left by California "Burgundy", "Chianti" etc. in the 60s and 70s. Disclosure seems much more important in New World wines than in France, for example. Unfortunately, that has led (in my opinion) to the development of wines in the New World that are rather one dimensional when compared to the French or Italian peers. Now that should get the ball rolling quite nicely.

Well, it's fair to say that the price of a Rosenthal wine is best at Rosenthal, but whether that represents good value is an entirely different matter that I cannot comment on. They will email you their current price list (July email, so might be out of stock on some things). Some favourites from Burgundy: Ghislaine Barthod BACM991 Chambolle Musigny 1999 $40.25 BACH991 Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru "Chatelots" 1999 $61.25 BACH981 Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru "Chatelots" 1998 $57.50 BACR991 Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru "Les Cras" 1999 $72.00 Hubert Lignier LIGC991 Gevrey Chambertin 1999 $45.00 LIGC981 Gevrey Chambertin 1998 $43.25 LIMS991 Morey St. Denis 1999 $45.00 LIMC991 Morey St. Denis 1er Cru "Les Chaffots" 1999 $81.00 Bernard Bouvier BUFX991 Fixin "Les Crais de Chene" 1999 $28.75 BUFX981 Fixin "Les Crais de Chene" 1998 $27.00 BUGC981 Gevrey Chambertin 1998 $30.25 Domaine Fourrier FUCM981 Chambolle Musigny 1998 $39.50 FUCM971 Chambolle Musigny 1997 [ltd] $39.50 FUCM961 Chambolle Musigny 1996 $37.50 FUCG981 Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru "Les Gruenchers" 1998 $45.00 FUGC991 Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru "Cherbaudes" 1999 [ltd] $45.00 And some of my favourites from the south of France: Chateau Pradeaux PORF981 Bandol Rouge "La Rose Folle" 1998 $25.25 POLG981 Bandol Rouge "Cuvee Longue Garde" 1998 $36.00 POLG971 Bandol Rouge "Cuvee Longue Garde" 1997 $23.00 POLG961 Bandol Rouge "Cuvee Longue Garde" 1996 $28.75 Mas Jullien MJRG991 Coteaux du Languedoc Rouge 1999 $25.25 Mas Cal Demoura JULR991 Coteaux du Languedoc Rouge "Pierre d'Alipe" 1999 $16.50 JULR981 Coteaux du Languedoc Rouge 1998 $15.75 JUIF991 Coteaux du Languedoc Rouge "L'Infidele" 1999 $33.00 And Italy: Paolo Bea (hands down my wife's favourite wine in the world) BPSC011 "Santa Chiara", Vino da Tavola Bianco, 2001 $17.25 BPSS981 Sagrantino di Montefalco Secco "Pagliaro" 1998 $48.00 BPSM972 Sagrantino di Montefalco Passito 1997, 375ml [6/cs] $40.50 BPSM952 Sagrantino di Montefalco Passito 1995, 375ml [per bottle] $54.00

Perhaps its the 100% syrah that makes CH not to my taste. Outside of pinot, I can't think of a grape that is better as a single varietal than blended with other grapes. Of course, that's just my taste. And there are plenty of wines in the South that bear much of the Syrah character and fruit without the harsh bite I associate with pure varietals (affectionately known as "spice" to fans, I am sure). I've tried the Graillot and was not impressed. I like my wines lean and long, and it was neither, with fruit and bite way out of balance. I think there are much better choices in the $15-25 range.

sfroth -- couldn't agree more. CH is basically table wine that once got a 96 in the Spectator and now commands a $20 pricetag. Pay the extra $5 and get a decent CNP.

Rosenthal Wine Merchants, conveniently located a couple of blocks from my apartment, is quite simply the best place to buy wine in NY. While the bulk of their business is in wholesale/importing, they are (unlike most in their field), very willing to sell to individuals, even by the single bottle. They are open during normal business hours, but not late like most wine shops as they are primarily a business not a retail shop. There is no need for an appointment. Essentially, you buzz to be admitted and led downstairs to the cellar, where you can browse and discuss wine with their knowledgeable staff (most likely William Helburn). They can tell you everything you wanted to know about their producers and their wine -- even some interesting stories about how they discovered them! Again, there is no need to buy by the case, or even 12 bottles, unlike most wholesale establishments. Rosenthal's particular strenghts are in Burgundy and Italy, two of the most exciting wine regions around. Regional France is also becoming a strength.

Jason, do you recall the producer of the Sagrantino? Caprai? Bea? My wife loves these wines and I am always looking for new restaurants that stock them.

I ate about a year ago in a very fine French restaurant in Brussels right near the Petit Sablon. Can't remember the name of it to save me. Not cheap, but very good food and excellent service. Any ideas on the name?

Much like their dry relatives, New World sweet wines leave me rather unimpressed, including Dolce which is simply overpriced for what it is. The best value these days in sweet wines is southern France (as discussed above) and Austria. Here are a few Austrian producers to look out for, including the great Kracher who makes (IMHO) the best sweet wine in the world: Angerhof Tobias Friedrich Fritsch Gesellmann Goldenits Alois Kracher Kraft Lackner-Tinnacher Sepp Moser Josef Pockl Ernst Triebaumer Franz Wimmer Winkler-Hermaden Also, of course, are Sauternes. Here are the best of that, significantly more expensive, lot: Château Climens Château d'Yquem Château Fargues Château Gilette Château Raymond-Lafon Château Rieussec Château Suduiraut -- perhaps the best value.

Gavin, Alois Kracher is an Austrian winemaker. Despite the fact that his wines consistently outscore even the best of Sauternes (both WS and WA), his wines remain a remarkable, if rarely found, value. The exact composition of his wines varies, although riesling is a common component in many of them. He has even made some extraordinary sweet wines from chardonnay of all things and also uses muscat among other grapes. Kracher wines are graded in simple numbers starting from 1 and progressing based on the level of sweetness. The higher the number the more sweet and the more rare, as the sweetest wines are only made in excellent vintages. In great years, Kracher has turned out as many as 15 different wines. The TBA #2 we had at Ransome's Dock was 38 pounds. Kracher's wines are generally sold, as in this case, in a 2/3 size bottle only.

The Cloudy Bay is fine (and one of my dining companions is a NZer), but that was one of the few wines I thought a bit overpriced on the list. Magnolia, I can only strongly recommend the Kracher if you like sweet wine. Kracher is by far (IMHO) the best producer of sweet wine in the world and it is a great opportunity to sample such a great wine at such a low cost. These wines are notoriously difficult to store, so I appreciate the investment a restaurant makes in them. The bottle we had was pristine.

We ate at Ransome's Dock last Friday for the first time. Excellent meal. Starters: Leeks à la grecque with buffalo mozzarella & toasted foccacia bread; Seared Scottish scallops with baby spinach, verjus butter sauce & puff pastry scallop. I think the scallop dish was different than the version on the electronic menu, but the taste I had was excellent. Wine: 2000 JJ Prum WS Kabinett (17 pounds for half bottle). Very fine Kabinett in what was a difficult vintage. Mains: Grilled new season's English lamb with tapenade & peperonata; basil bread & rocket; Monkfish wrapped in pancetta with grilled vegetables (special). The lamb was a bit overdone, but the monkfish was a revelation. Wine: 1996 Clape Cornas (55 pounds). Good value for an excellent wine. Full and ripe (we gave it 30 minutes to open). Desserts: Sablé of English raspberries & clotted cream; Baked banana with dark rum, orange, cream & cardamon. Didn't like the banana much, but that's not really my thing. Loved the raspberries. Wine: 1999 Kracher TBA No.2 (38 pounds). Fabulous wine. In all, very good food and the best value wine list I have found in London. Combined with very good, but casual, service, a very nice night. BTW, the main dining room is no smoking (one month trial, I am told). An unexpected bonus.

Too loud, too trendy. Not my kind of place. Last time I was there it was full of IB-types and the anorexic women who lust after them.

Actually, I bought the wine in question (a 1994 Gran Reserva Rioja) at a wine store near my in-laws house. While I am by no means a regular there (we visit about 3 times a year), I do buy about $300 worth of wine annually from them. I know the Rioja very well, as I had a case of it myself and it is on the wine list at Etats Unis (at a very reasonable $34 I might add, for a 92 point wine). Upon opening, it was clear that the wine was corked -- very mildewy. Moreover, the cork was green and splotchy towards the bottom. When I returned the wine, the owner took a glass and pronounced it fantastic and proceeded to lecture me on how to taste wine. All over a $14 bottle. Needless to say, I lost it and, to make a long story short, I am no longer welcome back.

Wow -- score another for SL in the class front. I tried to return a corked wine once only to be yelled at by the owner and practically thrown out of the store - and I had a receipt.

Peter -- Why the venom? Contrary to your post, I do value a complete dining experience, just not in a steakhouse. There is only one measure of a great steakhouse and that is the quality of the beef and the correctness of the cooking. Nothing else matters. Don't like the salad? Eat more steak? Don't like the sides? Eat more steak? Dessert???? You obviously did not eat enough steak. That said, a great steakhouse must feature all of the following: (1) prime beef cooked on the bone -- porterhouse, T-Bone, Rib, bone-in-shell etc.; (2) beef aged correctly to the cut; (3) proper cooking technique to deliver a true black and blue. Time after time, Luger's delivers on all three. No other steakhouse I have ever been to has done even close to that, including Berne's which sent out a poor cut of beef at medium rare. Simon, thanks for the suggestions! I am hoping that I will be just as amazed as I was at Hunan, to which I am still grateful. BTW, Peter -- read the below as it no doubt applies here.

Macrosan -- I could not agree with you more. It makes economic sense to spend funds to help people overcome addictions rather than criminalize and have to spend money in enforcement, punsihment and health care down the road. But then, again, the American voter has always been in favor of passing the buck to the next generation. Nina -- your arguments are illogical. You must look at the derivative actions of alcohol (brawls, drunk driving, harassment etc.) -- all of which are criminal offenses, whereas the act of smoking, in and of itself, is harmful to others and remains legal. Glenn -- I do not own a car and do not drive, but rather rely exclusively on mass transportation. Smokers: I'm shocked that no one has come forward to defend the rudeness of the manner in which people smoke. Smokers as a rule exhale (and position their cigarette while not inhaling) away from themselves and their companions to avoid sending noxious smoke in their own or companions' faces and/or meals without regard for anyone else in their immediate vicinity. This practice is utterly indefensible and is tantamount to battery. The selfishness of the smoking minority is staggering. It can be generally admitted that smoking is a noxious habit. I have several myself, but I choose to engage in those. Smokers give you no choice, but to avoid them. Smoking should be banned in all public spaces: offices, streets, parks, restaurants, bars etc. If you must do it, do it at home. Perhaps such a law would give people an incentive to quit, which would be a good thing.