How to read a restaurant wine list
A restaurant wine list can look intimidating if you do not know what you are looking at. Dozens of unfamiliar names, regions you cannot place, and prices that vary enormously for no obvious reason. Once you understand how lists are structured, the intimidation disappears.
How lists are organised
Most wine lists follow the same structure: sparkling, white, rose, red, then dessert wine. Within each section, wines are grouped by country or region, and within that by producer. The list is almost never organised by what the wine actually tastes like, which is the thing you actually want to know.
What to look at first
Look for the grape variety. Most modern lists include it somewhere in the description. The grape variety tells you more about what the wine will taste and feel like than the producer name or the region, unless you know those regions well.
Finding the value
The best value on most lists is in the lesser-known appellations. A Cotes du Rhone instead of a Chateauneuf, a Menetou-Salon instead of a Sancerre. These wines cost the restaurant less to buy and are marked up less aggressively. Look for the regions you do not recognise.
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