Letters

Wine pricing is a funny thing in an upscale restaurant. If you, as the manager, find a terrific value wine that you can offer at $5 per glass (assuming a $5 bottle cost), you'll likely find you can sell more glasses if you price it around $8 or $9, or in the neighborhood of your premium offerings. This especially applies in Scottsdale. Many wine buyers don't want "value" -- they want a good product and the prestige that comes with it. Many other French champagnes in blind tastings consistently outscore Dom Perignon, but what is the bottle you see at every celebration, or in any scene on television, live or scripted?

So what's a wine lover to do? Patronize restaurants like Tempe's House of Tricks with an extensive wine list of reasonably marked-up wines. Or clear out your Amex Gold before you visit Morton's class restaurants.

What do I do? I live with the facts. I enjoy finer wines and pay the accompanying price. It's just a game, the way that restaurant business is done. And if I choose Ruth's or Roy's, I'm not going to sit there and enjoy water with lemon (by the way, if you're enjoying wine, skip that lemon in the water. It'll skewer the flavors). I'll pay the price. But I'll also be longing for House of Tricks.

Alex Neville
Scottsdale