Best Seattle Restaurants 2011: How to Get the Best Value When Ordering Wine

How to get the best value when ordering wine Chris Horn, wine director at Purple Wine Bar.

By Allison Scheff, Lorna Yee, Sara Dickerman, Cynthia Nims March 18, 2011

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What’s typically the best value on a wine list?
Wines from Portugal. Regardless of what kinds of wine you like (red or white) you’ll find it in Portugal at a fraction of the cost anywhere else. The Portuguese wines that are being brought to the United States are coming here because of quality and passion. There’s more demand for Argentinean Malbec, but I’d take a stab at an obscure Portuguese any day.

What’s the best way to ask for a wine in a lower price range?
When I have a budget in mind, I simply find a bottle on the list that looks interesting at a price I’m comfortable paying, then ask for what else they might recommend in and around that price point. I think sommeliers are quite aware that we have a responsibility to meet the expectation of delivering the right bottle at the right price.  

What restaurant or bar in Seattle offers the best bang for your buck?
I think, without a shadow of a doubt, Brian Curry’s wine list at 10 Mercer [lower Queen Anne] is the most reasonably priced thing in the city.

 

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