Bistro Wine by the Glass: How to Pick the Winner

Story by Susan J. Barbour

You’re at a bistro or bar by yourself. There could be many reasons for this. You’re on a business trip or a layover. Your date stood you up. You’re working on an epic poem or a wineblog. The waitress approaches your table. The sun is transforming the empty chair across from you into a glowing throne of indescribable beauty. A moment seems to crack open on its hinge; the Universe invites you to leave your worries and start living again. Obviously you have to have a glass of wine. You shield your eyes to peruse the menu. It’s a familiar story: five reds and four whites–with suspect descriptions in italics. It’s at times like this that you fear you’ll end up quoting Evelyn Waugh: ‘A domestic red, of no lineage…but I think you’ll be amused by its presumption.’ No, you think. Let that not be my fate. Let this wine resemble the beautiful moment I am in.

Let’s get one thing straight: Unless you are at a wine-bar, gastro-pub, or michelin-starred restaurant, wines sold by-the-glass are not going to be interesting or complex. This does not mean that you can’t enjoy them. It just means that you have to use your savvy discretion to find the wine that will deliver what its modest price demands. You don’t order a filet mignon from the Holiday Inn, do you? No, you get the ground chuck burger, because it is less difficult to eff that up and can be found at good quality for that price.

Here are major points to consider when looking to find something quaffable:

1. When in Rome

When possible, drink locally. Small producers who make decent wines but lack the volume and agents necessary to export their wine often sell to nearby establishments. More competition means a greater selection and higher quality. Also, it’s just plain good taste to seek to experience the land and culture through its grapes!

2. Low Tanins

Tanins take time and a deft winemaker to mature properly. So, even though Bordeaux blend may look fetching, at this price range they will more than likely be bitter. When choosing a red, stick to varietals that have soft tanins, like Cabernet Franc, Gamay, Grenache, and Pinot Noir (this last one is a testy buggar so refer to rule number 3.)

3. Hot and Cold

The most essential and difficult basic component for a good white is acidity. For a good red it is ripe tanins. When you aren’t familiar with the wines on a bistro menu, follow this basic rule: COLD CLIMATES FOR WHITES and WARM CLIMATES FOR REDS.

Follow this advice, and you’ll be very pleased with the way you managed to actualize your golden afternoon.

Susan J. Barbour is a Paris-based poet/sommelier. She has studied and worked in France, Italy, Cyprus, Malawi and Japan. Susan received her B.A. in English Literature from Dartmouth University and attended the Writing Program at Johns Hopkins University where she met and worked with the poet-scholar Allen Grossman, who had a profound impact on her work and thinking. Susan currently lives in Paris where she is working toward a doctorate in English at the University of Oxford. Her first book, Metaxu, a unique pastiche of prose poetry, memoir, literary essay, and lyric fragments is forthcoming next spring. Learn more about Susan and wine at her blog, Savvy Sippers.