Expensive Wine and Cheap Food?

I always am surprised at the BYOB folks who crack some insanely good wine with their cheap dinners. Not because good wine is too good for cheap food but shouldn't the quest for good cheap eats should go hand in hand with good cheap wine?

Portfolio.com has an interesting article on this topic though I'm not sure I agree completely with his conclusion. I'm assuming by palaver he means hype... (and yes, I had to look that up)

Interestingly, it's the grander, more high-theater holdouts which still tend to have the magnificent wine lists full of really expensive bottles. Maybe the more casual places know that without the accompanying palaver, a great wine won't seem quite as magnificent.

He also references a NYT article highlighting the woes of the dollar's exchange rate.

Cost-wise, it’s the mid-range restaurants in Rome that are the most rewarding, though they’re slightly less rewarding than they were before the dollar’s seemingly never-ending plunge.

Comments

[Brian Z.]

Josh, this is an interesting topic with different points of view.

Unfortunately wine markups in U.S. restaurants at 2-1/2 to 3 times cost make it difficult to order a very good bottle of wine off the list. For me, it makes little sense to spend more than $40 or $50 when ordering a bottle, and I'd argue even that price is a waste. Going to a BYO, especially a reputable one, lends one the occasion to bring a good bottle. Unless you're an investment banker with lots of expense account lattitude or have enough wealth, the top wines on the list are sadly off-limits for most people.

Second, I think you can appreciate a very good bottle if it does not get in the way of food, especially if bringing a fruit-forward New World wine or a wine with a long finish to be savored. Or there may be some good BYOs where a great bottle will complement a great meal. Take the Argentinian steak place Tango Sur on Southport--what better place to bring a steak-friendly Cabernet, Bordeaux, or Rioja? Or how about a nice Chateauneuf du Pape for the Edgewater BYO restaurant Cotes du Rhone?