Happy Winesday!!!

As many of you know, I LOVE wine! When a report came out that stated a glass or two a day is actually GOOD for your, I was leaping with joy!!

However, I get really frustrated when ordering wine at restaurants. I do not make a lot of money and now that I am a student, I am not making any money, so I of course don't want to spend a wad of cash on a nice bottle of wine at the restaurant. What really puts a fire under me, is when I see several bottles of wine on the list that I purchase at the grocery store often. I know for a fact these bottles retail for around $10 at the store, but in the restaurant they are charging $10 for a glass and $35 for the bottle. It drives me crazy! So, how do you find a good value when perusing a wine list that might as well be written in code. I consider my self a connoisseur, but there are so many varietals out there that it can sometimes make my head spin.

I came across this article on Salon regarding this very subject. In this article you can even find a link to a one-page (front and back) document that you can print out to put in your purse. This way you have it on hand to help you decipher a wine list whenever you go to a restaurant. Of course, I would just print out the second page that is all about Red wines. This document details the varietals that are very distinct and are usually not dependent on the vineyard/brand the restaurant carries. For example, I really like Cabernet. This document lets me know to look for Cabs that are from Mendocino or the Sierra Foothills if from California, Long Island if from NY (getting a wine made in New York scares me in general though), or from a single vineyard if getting one from Chile.

I thought this was really helpful and wanted to pass it along! Enjoy your Winesday. :)