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The next time you casually glance at a restaurant's list of wines by the glass, don't just skim it in search of the house Chardonnay. Consider all that went into crafting the usually tight selection. At 1808 Grille inside the Hutton Hotel, wine director Lou Vargo offers around 22 to 24 wines by the glass.
He changes the options frequentlyyou'll see a handful of new labels starting this monthand every time he adds a varietal or takes one off, he's weighing everything from what will sell to the list's overall variety. And though all wine directors approach the process differently, Vargo has to keep in mind an ever-changing audience, from the visitors who fill the hotel rooms upstairs to the consistently loyal local diners. Here, he walks us through four key elements to getting the mix just right.
Focus on value:
'I think the sophistication of the Nashville palate is increasing,” Vargo says. 'But at the same time, this is not New York. People want value, especially by the glass.” The list at 1808 ranges from $9 to $16but even on the low end, he's choosing wines that will wow his guests: 'I want somebody to say, ‘I had the best $12 glass of wineand it tasted like it should have been $20.'”
Select wines that are easy to pronounce:
'I try to make it as easy on the guest as possible so they can order with confidence,” Vargo explains. That approachability also means offering recognizable varietals, which is why he usually has two different styles of both cabernet sauvignon and chardonnayand keeps them around the same price point and value. Right now, you'll find a high-altitude cabernet from Chile by Manos Negras (think good balance, feminine, lighter in style) as well as a Frei Brothers wine from California's Alexander Valley (full-bodied with dark fruit). 'I like to cover as many palates as I can,” he adds.
Give them something they can't find anywhere else:
'I want our guests to say, ‘Man, I've never had this before,' and ‘Where can I get it?'” Vargo says. 'We recently had a white Bordeaux by Château Ducasse on the by-the-glass list, and the closest anyone could find it in a retailer was Murfreesboro.”
Include a few unexpected options:
'I like to have one left-of-center or off-the-beaten-path wine where, for $10 or $11, someone can try something they've never heard ofor a region they've never heard ofbefore,” Vargo says. This month, look for the Torres Viña Sol, a Spanish white made with the same blend of grapes used to produce cava (macabeo, parellada, xarel-lo), plus the addition of grenache blanc. 'I want them to have the option to taste something that's really cool and funky,” he adds.