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Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/51774
and grape sources were introduced with lower cost winemaking methods and some have stuck." Field has 20 California wines by the glass, priced $9.75 to $24.95, and 149 bottles priced $34 to more than $1,000. Morton's "Well Done Whites" and "Rare Reds" sections by the glass highlight value brands. As an alternative California off ering, Field may recommend the fl oral Terra D'Oro Moscato from Amador County, or Napa's crisp J. Lohr "Carol's Vineyard" Sauvignon Blanc. California Sauvignon Blanc can either be stainless steel or barrel fermented, and the latter technique makes it akin to "Chardonnay light" with more tropical fruit and higher acidity. Sandy Block, vice president of beverage for Legal Sea Foods, the Boston-based, 33-unit seafood chain, believes the grape has made a comeback. Legal Sea Foods features fi ve California Sauvignon Blancs by the bottle, including the 2009 Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc for $45. FRENCH INSPIRATION Blends made from grapes native to France's Rhône region Eric Simonis at Lacroix Restaurant at The Rittenhouse Hotel, in Philadelphia, carries four California wines by the glass. are also gaining steam. Efron and her staff like to suggest cool climate California whites made with Rhône varietals, like the 2010 Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas Blanc for $38. "We look for California wines with a sense of place that demonstrate restraint and are less heavy handed," she explains. "Harmonious bottles where all elements are in balance." Demonstrating a greater acceptance of Old World winemaking diffi cult to pair it with dinner. At Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar, the 64-unit steakhouse chain, director of wine Maeve Pesquera believes California Chardonnay is losing ground slightly due to the popularity of some other white grapes. Since Fleming's is headquartered in California, in-state wines are well represented on menus nationally, with almost sixty off erings by the glass priced from $6 to $22, and bottles started at $65 and rising sharply for boutique bottles. "Fleming's 100," a list of 100 wines available by the glass, easily allows guest experimentation, as wine fl ights of two-ounce pours of by the glass off erings. Pesquera says this promotion allows guests to easily "step out of their comfort zone." AN EYE TO VALUE Lesser-known grapes and appellations can also provide operators with good deals in a tough economy. "It's a value economy right now—folks won't necessarily pay for the appellation," notes Tylor Field III, vice president of wine and spirits for the 77-unit Chicago-based Morton's the Steakhouse. Single vineyard designations and extended time spent in oak barrels can translate to high prices for oaked chardonnay, which Field cites as a reason for consumers to seek other options in this economy. He points to the increasing trend of releasing wines labeled with indications like "Central Coast," "Sonoma Coast" and the generic "California," whose grapes can be sourced from across the entire state."During the recession, a lot of other varietals 36 | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012 styles, blends are also taking off on many lists. On the red side, Cabernet Sauvignon is still king, but it's increasingly found in bottles with other varietals. "Many folks are blending, with their lead being cabernet, and then fi lling out the rest with other varietals," notes Field. "We are seeing an increase in good value blended reds using a variety of sourcing at good price points." Quality cabernet can add great tannic backbone, attractive notes of cedar and blackberry, and age-worthiness to a wine. Boosting it with merlot can soften it and ramp up fruit fl avors, while cabernet franc can add violet notes. Morton's off ers sixteen Bordeaux-inspired, Meritage (rhymes with heritage) bottles, including Rodney Strong "Symmetry," from the Alexander Valley, and Napa's Franciscan Estate "Magnifi cat" (prices vary depending on market). Meritage blends also have place on the wine list at Lacroix at Th e Rittenhouse Hotel, a progressive international 120-seat restaurant in Philadelphia. General manager and sommelier Eric Simonis carries selections like the Beaulieu Vineyards 2007 "Tapestry" ($150 a bottle), and the Trefethen 2006 "Double T" ($95 a bottle.) Lacroix has four California wines by the glass priced $8 to $19, and about 170 California bottles priced $35 to $520. Just as white Rhône varietals result in interesting California whites, operators are also serving up classic Rhône red blends, including syrah, grenache and mourvèdre for cuvées in which the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. Pesquera cites the Central Coast as a hotbed for quality red Rhône blends, like the Zaca Mesa 2007 Z Cuvée. www.cheersonline.com