I was reviewing a classic Mandarin restaurant some years ago and was amazed at what I saw. The restaurant's food was made to go with aromatic white wines, but 13 of the 14 tables had chardonnays.
Even though this was a truly upscale restaurant in a supposedly savvy wine town, chardonnay isn't the best match for this kind of food. Gewurztraminer is. And the wine list had a superb dry gewurztraminer, which is a classic match with Asian food.
I can't blame the restaurant for the mindlessness of its patrons in ordering yet another boring chardonnay. But I can blame most restaurants for not helping diners with their choices.
Updated: Tue Apr 30, 2024