I’ve always been kind of into wine, so I like to read a restaurant’s wine list/menu and choose something specific. But I’ve noticed that some people will just say something like “I’ll have a merlot” without looking at the menu. Assuming the restaurant has more than one merlot, what should you expect in that case? The cheapest one? The most expensive one? The server’s favorite? A random selection of what’s already open?
Generally speaking, if one is not asked ‘which merlot?’, the establishment has decided upon a generic brand to be its ‘house merlot’, a bottle which they’ll be willing to open and pour from. I’d expect something inexpensive and unobtrusive. Some places will have a number of labels per variety they’ll serve by the glass, but most (that I visit) don’t.
If they have a house red/house white and you ask for a “red wine” or “white wine”, that’s what you’ll get. Ditto if they have house merlot, house cab, etc.
If they don’t have a house wine of that particular style, they will pick the wine of that style that is available by the glass. If there is more than one wine of that style available by the glass… I don’t know how they would pick one. Maybe they would ask the customer.
I only eat at places so snotty that they have a sommelier to choose all the wines for me.
I assume that’s so you don’t have to ask about wine.
Restaurants where I have worked, if there was more than one of a particular style available by the glass, I would have a standard favorite for each style.
We’d punch all orders into a computer, and a ticket would print out at the bar. A specific wine would have to be chosen, and we were never instructed that a particular one was our house variety (at the places where I worked), although sometimes we’d be told to push a particular wine.
If I wanted the bartender’s advice, we would consult before I punched in the order.
My chosen favorite, if it were for a kind of wine that I enjoy, was always chosen based on my actual favorite- unless my actual favorite was among the most expensive. Really, if the guest were concerned about price s/he would look at the list and make an informed choice. Still, I never felt right sticking the most expensive glass on the check if it wasn’t specifically requested.
If it were a kind of wine that I don’t enjoy, my chosen “favorite” would be one from the same label as my favorite from a style that I do enjoy (I don’t like Chardonnay, but if I liked Large Marge’s Merlot I would serve Large Marge’s Chardonnay) or I if I had noticed a popular favorite among other guests I would chose that one, or sometimes I would chose something just because I liked the name or artwork on the label.
I agree with the others that many places will have a house choice, it just wasn’t the case in the places I worked.
Whenever I order a glass of wine at a restaurant (which isn’t often, I’ll admit) I just ask if they have a White Zinfandel. Sometimes they’ll mention several brands (and I’ll pick one at random), sometimes they just say “yes” and bring me one.
In case it’s not glaringly obvious, I’m not exactly a wine expert and I don’t go to expensive restaurants.
In general, if you order wine without specifying it, you get the house wine. In the US, this is usually a cheap but adequate wine. In France, it’s usually a first-class wine and something the restaurant is proud of. French restaurants make their reputation on the quality of their house wine; if it’s bad, they go out of business. US consumers are less picky (and drink far less wine).
We got that point when you mentioned that you order white Zinfandel. 