Andreawine

It's tough to give set rules by wine type because it also depends at on which stage in the wine's life you've opened it (young, medium, or older), and the wine itself. One Chateauneuf may be much different from another. Sorry - I wish I could give more firm info!

I feel the best way to learn about wine is by tasting. It doesn't have to be expensive. You can: Volunteer at a wine school. Our FCI wine courses are set up and broken down by volunteers, who attend for free. They get the whole deal in exchange for a little elbow grease. That's how I did it at Windows on the World, Int'l wine center and other places. Go to free tastings at wine shops Put a tasting/eating group together so everyone shares the cost and impressions. It is fun. You can get 10 pours on a bottle for an ample tasting, with food.

I think washing soda is the best thing for wine glasses, but in truth I don't take the time to separate them - I put them in the dishwasher. So when they get the film (which they often do), I rinse the glass with a little wine before using it, like they do in Italy.

I think a welcoming corkage policy is totally sensible. I also think just charging better prices could be just as good. Add the corkage to retail prices and charge that - same thing and you don't make the guest schlep the bottle from home! A

I think there may be a good bit of inertia on the price point issue. The $50-60 figure is applicable to major metro areas and maybe big steakhouse menus. I'd like to think most restaurants have a big selection in what I call the "sweet spot" price point: The entree price times 1.5 - so if it's Del Frisco's and their sirloin is 39.95, the sweet spot would be $60 or so (ouch). If it's Olive Garden where the top entree is 17.95, the sweet spot should be around $27 or so. That seems like a comfort zone. Though I just wish all the markups on restaurant wine would go down.