would you order the house wine?

In the past I've been about 50-50, ordering the house wine versus a glass of wine off the menu. But after four or five disappointing and/or irritating experiences in a row with house wines, I decided recently to steer clear of house wines and order wines off the menu. The idea that a restaurant serving abundant good-quality food would be pleased to serve a quality red or white with it seems to me lately to be the stuff of stories of travellers' experiences in France or Italy, while here in Chicago and its burbs, restaurant owners only seem interested in maximizing their profit off of a glass of wine.

My resolve was tested one day last week by a local restaurant, a nice but not fancy place, that wanted $8.50 for the cheapest glass of white wine on their menu (compared to $5.50 for the house white). I couldn't help feeling that the big price differential was intended to encourage customers to order the house wine, which, given its mediocrity, I can only imagine leads to a bigger profit for the restaurant than a glass of the $8.50 wine does.

Then today I was watching the Fine Living channel on TV, and one of those tips-for-fine-living snippets came on, in which a sommelier commented that (a) there are no bad wines (any more) and (b) house wines are usually a good safe bet.

What do you think -- is he right? Or are house wines a rip-off? Or is a glass of Kendall Jackson priced $3 more than a glass of the house wine a rip-off?

It depends on the occasion or my mood (or that of my dining companion), but I'll order the house wine more often if:

1. there's a large price difference between the house and other by-the-glass selections
2. the house wine is identified as a brand I know and trust
3. the selection of house wines goes beyond the usual Chardonnay, Cab, Merlot ("Yes, I'll try a glass of the house Mourvedre, please.")

Hmm, with the exception of our favorite Greek place, I've never considered ordering a house wine. I'm a major fan of Merlot, so I usually just look for a good label on the wine-by-the-glass list. When it comes to white wine I'm even more finicky, so I always order off the list.

I often order the house wine, if it's offered. (In a lot of the nicer places, they may have a default wine if you just order generically, but when Carlos pops the cork on a Veuve Cliquot, even though all I said was "champagne please," I don't think that's probably a "house wine.")

Sometimes it depends on my finances, sometimes my mood, and sometimes the cuisine -- I ask a lot less from a wine if I'm having pasta with tomato sauce than I do if I'm having blanquette de veau.

One thing you might want to do, if you don't like surprises, is ask if you can have a taste of the house wine. A lot of places are willing to give you a little sample, especially if they think the choice is between house wine and a glass of water.

Here's the inside scoop on the house wine. I've been a wine buyer at a few places, and house wine exists for one reason alone: some people will drink anything, as long as you don't have to think about it. It generates big profits.

House wine is the cheapest crap you can find. While you may be paying from $75-$150 for a case of wine by the glass (figure at $6 a bottle cost, $72 a case, you charge $19 for a customer, $5 a glass), you can buy a wine that sells for $45 a case or less (or per box! Gasp), and sell it for $4 a glass or more. Pure profit. People that are serious wine drinkers never order house wine, and so never complain about its quality.

Now, this only applies to house wine in Chicago. When you're in Europe, it's a different story. The house wine in a bistro in the south of France is probably made in the restaurant, and very well may be great. House wine in Chicago? Made in a giant industrial winery.

However, if you're not snobby about your booze, drink up and enjoy. Me? I'll check out the by-the-glass list.

I think the last response is true enough for a certain demographic of restaurant, but there are also a vast number of variables and scenarios, and you don't know which you're in for without just asking.

Your avg. bar will probably have inexpensive house wine that's undistinguished at best because they and their clientele are focused more on liquor and beer.

An inexpensive neighborhood pizza joint that focuses on food and doesn't have a sommelier or even a bartender, or much space for storing wine likewise will probably just get something inexpensive and mass produced to satisfy customers who just want a glass of anything.

Beyond that, a little more upscale and anything is possible. If the person in charge (chef, owner, bartender) has any interest in wine, the house wine could well be both decent and decently priced. I think one sees a bit more of this lately because of the rise of wine bars.

It is also true, as mentioned, that between technology and global warming, there is much less truly awful wine out there. (And much more bland but but sound wine.)

Back in the day, when I was working in restaurants, popular house wines were Sangre de Toro, simple chiantis, and various cotes du rhones (red and white). These were all good choices for accompanying hearty food, and good value to boot.

I've always found that if asked, staff will tell you what their house pour is and you can decide for yourself. Many places have even offered me a tasting when I show enough interest to ask. (The Mia Francesca restaurants have always been very friendly about both offering a short but interesting and rotating by-the-glass list, as well as having a decent house pour.)

So, bottom line is, if I'm just having a non-special meal and feel like a glass of wine, I ask what the house pour is, and then decide. What I don't do is just order "house" wine blind, without knowing or asking.

My wife and I once ordered "a glass of Champagne" [we didn't specify anything] at the outdoor bar of a nice hotel in Paris. We were amazed at the quality of the wine and assumed that they had found some obscure producer.

We asked what we had been served. Turns out the house Champagne was Dom.

It was a nice way to start a vacation.

In Paris I will drink what they want to serve me.