Glasses with different wine in a row, isolated on white
By Gina Trippi
Restaurants are focused on the bottom line, but you have the luxury of tailoring your house wine to your visitors. Even so, you never know who might show up so you do need to choose house wines that appeal to most people and can be paired with most of your recipes.
“House wine” is a familiar term to anyone who has been to a restaurant that has a wine list. The house wine is generally a more affordable option by the glass than the named bottles on the list and is chosen for its appeal to most customers and its ability to pair—what is called “approachability”—with the restaurant’s menu.
You can feel confident serving Hugues Beaulieu Picpoul de Pinet in your house. This bottle has been the best-selling wine in our shop since we opened the doors in 2013. We at Metro Wines have never known anyone to dislike Picpoul! The grapes that make this bottle are 15-20 years old, grown on sun-drenched hillsides along the coast of the Mediterranean together with juniper, broom, rosemary, thyme and sage sharing the soil.
Picpoul, aka Piquepoul, is an ancient white wine grape, proving its usefulness since the 16th century, from the Languedoc Roussillon region of France. The name translates to “stings the lips,” a reference to the grape’s intense acidity. The color is pale straw, and there are aromas of fresh fruit, citrus and a hint of grapefruit. Hugues Beaulieu Picpoul is well-balanced, with zesty acidity making it a pleasing alternative for those who enjoy Sauvignon Blanc, Verdejo and Soave.
The king of all grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon, is beautifully and affordably expressed by Cult Wine Company. Cabernet Sauvignon is king for a reason: the grape is constantly and consistently requested, and this bottle, Cult, is on the shelf for the very reasonable price of $14.99. Cult says: “Wine doesn’t always need to be taken so seriously. Taste leads the way. Not the price tag on the bottle.”
The grapes are sourced from the Lodi region of California’s Central Valley. Cult is a lighter, fruiter Cabernet Sauvignon suitable for guests all year round and can roam seamlessly from party to porch to table. Cult presents flavors of boysenberry and red currant surrounded in cedarwood and plum. Aged in 20 percent new oak, Cult offers a smooth palate with a light vanilla finish.
Both bottles have screw tops. Screw tops are preferable over corks for your everyday house wines. A screw top bottle is convenient, cost-effective and, most importantly, eliminates the possibility of cork taint and oxidation. While screw tops were once associated with lower quality, that is no longer the case. Screw tops are often chosen for premium wines to preserve freshness, and customers are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits.
Tailor your house wines to your specific guests. If most of them only like white wines, or Malbec, or whatever, we can help you select a stash!
Gina Trippi is the co-owner of Metro Wines, 169 Charlotte Street, in Asheville.
