Wine Programs

[P Ward]

Dear Sir,

Having been a chef for 10 years and now in the wine business for over 15 years, I have been totally dismayed how little time is spent on what many consumers consider an integral part of the "dining experience", wines.

I am curious to know if this is due to the limited space given to reviews and if the editors of these reviews cut out wine as a general rule. Personally, I have not had a meal at home or in a restaurant without wine in years and feel it is an absolutley essential part of any fine dining experience.

Thank you in advance for your thoughtful consideration of this topic.

Phil ward

[David Corcoran]

You make an excellent point. We do comment on the wine list in the summary box that contains the overall rating. And I always try to expand on that comment in the body of my review, though usually in no more than a sentence or two.

The reason I seldom say more is that I usually visit a restaurant only twice. Typically, that allows me to taste no more than two or three wines on a list that may number in the hundreds -- hardly a representative sample. So my comments tend to be rather general, based on the interest level of the list and the fairness of the prices.

That said, I agree that wine is a fundamental ingredient of the dining experience and I promise to give it more thought in the future. Thanks.