Have back to back reservations Friday, Saturday mid September. My wine buddy and I. Advice on whom to talk to appreciated. Whats a good budget to give the somm each day? Any approach tips would be helpful.
Just 2 of you? How many bottles can you drink3 or 4 total each night?
Talk to Eric or Brad.
They’ll do whatever you want in terms of budget, your question is too wide open for a specific answer.
I’ve had great nights at $$$ (just wine) per person in large groups where we drank trophy and museum wines, nights of $200 per person at a table of four, and $100 per sitting in the bar area with my brother. You can take the trip any way you wish. Ballers will tell you, correctly, a lot of the good stuff (Burgundy, Bordeaux) has been picked pretty clean. My first trip was eight years ago, and I think that decline is mostly true.
That being said, I’ve never had a bad time in what is probably 15 or so different nights at Bern’s. And I have, every single visit, been blown away by something unexpected, like 35 year old Beaujolais for $30 that rocked all night, or last year’s 1981 “white Riesling” from Stag’s Leap that was an incredible blind experience. Same with old Ridge wines from the '70s.
There’s fun to be had at any price point. Depends on what you are looking for.
Thats pretty much what I wanted to know. Thank you Dennis. And yeah Suzanne, that is why we are going both nights. No real hurry and no real numbers in mind other than we figured 750 to 800 per night wine budget but that was out of thin air. I was there one years ago by myself at the bar. Im not a trophy hunter but looking for unusual experiences I guess. Looking forward to it.
Plenty of fun to be had with that budget and two people. Enjoy!
Specific question. How much in advance is it prudent to call to speak to the somms?
As early as they will listen, I say. They’ll tell you if you call them.
In the meantime, you can practice/prep at one of Erie’s prime restaurants. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist). Let me know if you find one.
What Dennis said.
Those guys know their inventory and can pick out gems that you never heard of that will be astonishing, especially in the Italian section.
Best, jim
You can reach either Brad or Eric using bshsommelier@bernssteakhouse.com. Just let them know what you’re looking for and your budget. When I’ve done this, they’ve come back with several options. We were able to narrow the choices down to a few bottles and then make the final selections when we arrived for dinner.
Go with some Madeira!
That last comment rings true… the dessert wine (and spirits) list is off the charts. Madeira, old TBA, crazy Scotch, etc. If you’re into any of those things, save some room and some $$$ for the amazing experience upstairs in the dessert room. Maybe not quite the bargains as the main wine list, but still unparalleled selection.