Bringing a really special bottle to a really special restaurant?

[DErlinger]

On of our favorite ways to enjoy a great Champagne is with a bowl of popcorn and a movie. The popcorn is a great foil. The other (and this is especially good for BdB Champagnes) is just steamed lobster and lemon. Simple matches that are ideal for wonderful Champagnes.

I thought the trend was to eat fried chicken with champagne these days?

[David_Bu3ker]

On of our favorite ways to enjoy a great Champagne is with a bowl of popcorn and a movie. The popcorn is a great foil. The other (and this is especially good for BdB Champagnes) is just steamed lobster and lemon. Simple matches that are ideal for wonderful Champagnes.

I thought the trend was to eat fried chicken with champagne these days?

Yes, but I eat a lot more popcorn.

[RichardFlack]

I do not combine very special restaurants (talking tasting menu type places here, mostly) with very special bottles. To me, they rarely marry well in practice, though I totally understand why the combination makes sense intellectually. I’ve done it myself in the past for sure, and usually have wished I’d done things differently.

I deeply believe that the most complex and exquisite food is best accompanied by high quality, but more straight forward, wines. Similarly, I strongly feel the most complex and important bottles are best complemented by (again) high quality, but simpler food. As an example, one of the best Burgundies I have ever had, an '86 Leroy Musigny, was lifted to stunning heights by a perfectly seared duck breast, potatoes roasted in the fat, and haricots verts with a little butter.

To the question of “what would be the occasion,” well, I don’t really think you need one.

Yes. Decide which is the star of the show.

The calc is a bit different if you are doing a tasting menu vs a three or four course standard menu. For tasting menus you probably want their parings especially if it’s a top restaurant or, in the alternative, champagne.

[DErlinger]

On of our favorite ways to enjoy a great Champagne is with a bowl of popcorn and a movie. The popcorn is a great foil. The other (and this is especially good for BdB Champagnes) is just steamed lobster and lemon. Simple matches that are ideal for wonderful Champagnes.

I thought the trend was to eat fried chicken with champagne these days?

Yes, but I eat a lot more popcorn.

My man

[Neal.Mollen]

It depends on the restaurant. At the Inn, we’ve generally brought wines; the menu lends itself to what we have at home. At a 12-dishes-of-one-bite-each type tasting menu places, there’s no way to plan ahead enough to make that work. We rarely go to such places but when we do I usually will buy a meatier champagne and then BTG after that.

I never, ever buy wine pairings. They are never a good value in my experience, and are likely to include at least one wine that is simply not to my taste. Fine, of course, if others like them but I am not inclined tp pay an exorbitant price for a glass of a wine I wouldn’t buy at retail when the bottle costs as much as the glass at the restaurant.

[Sarah_Kirschbaum]

I do not combine very special restaurants (talking tasting menu type places here, mostly) with very special bottles. To me, they rarely marry well in practice, though I totally understand why the combination makes sense intellectually. I’ve done it myself in the past for sure, and usually have wished I’d done things differently.

I deeply believe that the most complex and exquisite food is best accompanied by high quality, but more straight forward, wines. Similarly, I strongly feel the most complex and important bottles are best complemented by (again) high quality, but simpler food. As an example, one of the best Burgundies I have ever had, an '86 Leroy Musigny, was lifted to stunning heights by a perfectly seared duck breast, potatoes roasted in the fat, and haricots verts with a little butter.

To the question of “what would be the occasion,” well, I don’t really think you need one.

Yes. Decide which is the star of the show.

The calc is a bit different if you are doing a tasting menu vs a three or four course standard menu. For tasting menus you probably want their parings especially if it’s a top restaurant or, in the alternative, champagne.

I most certainly do not.

[P_L_owet]

I love bringing nice bottles to high end restaurants. I will never spend money on the pairing; it’s almost never worth it.

+1. Ok, maybe don’t bring THE MOST SENTIMENTAL bottle, but definitely one or more of our best mature wines. It adds to the special occasion feel. One example is bringing a special birth-year or other vintage-relevant wine to a special restaurant. That’s more memorable to me than the perfect food-wine pairing or a focus only on the food. If I owned “historically important” special bottles, then maybe I’d feel like some of the other posters about avoiding a clash of focus.

Last couple bottles I’ve brought to restaurants were 07 LT, 07 Clos de Tart, and 17 Rousseau CSJ and they all showed well.

The last wines we brought were not at that level either.

Regards,
Peter

[Neal.Mollen]

I love bringing nice bottles to high end restaurants. I will never spend money on the pairing; it’s almost never worth it. The only exception was last year at Mccradys because they knew they were closing the next day so opened up the cellar.

Last couple bottles I’ve brought to restaurants were 07 LT, 07 Clos de Tart, and 17 Rousseau CSJ and they all showed well. In the future for tasting menus with only two diners I’d probably bring a really nice champagne and get reds btg for the meat course assuming they have something good.

Did you post a note on the 07 Clos de Tart? If not, what are you waiting for?!

[MChang]

I love bringing nice bottles to high end restaurants. I will never spend money on the pairing; it’s almost never worth it. The only exception was last year at Mccradys because they knew they were closing the next day so opened up the cellar.

Last couple bottles I’ve brought to restaurants were 07 LT, 07 Clos de Tart, and 17 Rousseau CSJ and they all showed well. In the future for tasting menus with only two diners I’d probably bring a really nice champagne and get reds btg for the meat course assuming they have something good.

Did you post a note on the 07 Clos de Tart? If not, what are you waiting for?!

I did! And you replied

2007 Clos de Tart

At Oriole, immediately extremely fragrant with lots of earth and savory elements on the nose, continued to build in power throughout the night and was clearly grand cru, with excellent elegance and focus. Lovely.

[MChang]

Next time we go to oriole in November hopefully we’ll have a bigger group so I’ll bring a couple bottles. Mag check out smyth too. I think the combination of aged grand cru burgundy and top level champagne, especially with a bit of age is a good pairing for most tasting menus. Thinking maybe 07 RB and 96 Salon.

[Barry_L_i_p_t_o_n]

I usually will pull my upper tier wines for top restaurants. (But I’m not a DRC baller).

I find Champagne or Burgundy goes with whatever I’m likely to order (I rarely order meat).

Never saw a wine pairing for a tasting menu that was both of interest to me and not overpriced.

In general, I find the food/wine pairing issue induces much overthinking of the situation. I almost always have fish when I bring red wine.

Maybe if I ate and drank a broader variety of stuff, it might be an issue, but what I like to drink almost always goes with what I like to drink.

[Chris_Seiber]

I think it depends on how many people are going and what the “special wine” is. There’s a fair amount of variation - some dishes can overshadow or clash with an 86 Leroy Musigny (not that I’ve had one), but I’d be less concerned about an 89 Haut Brion. As for the number of people - if you’re going with 4 people and bring 4 bottles, you can control the pairings much better so don’t run into this issue. I’ve done higher end BYOB at higher end restaurants and thought it has been perfectly fine, though again - with a group of 4 people who are into wine.

Personally, I think restaurant wine pairings are a poor choice. I’d much rather get a solid bottle than leave the choice up to someone who doesn’t know my palate. Also, wine pairings tends to be the highest margin points for restaurants, which often doesn’t fill me with confidence.

I’m with you.

I think part of the difference may be that some people prioritize the wine itself, while others prioritize the matching. And neither thing is right or wrong, it’s just what matters more to you. I’d rather have bottle of wine I really like, even if it may take me through a salad, soup or appetizer course where it’s not technically a match, than some just okay wines by the glass that more correctly pair with each course.

One other thing - I think the comments by Sarah and others about a great bottle being more able to be appreciated in a quieter simpler setting are great ones. But it may also depend on where a given person is on “really special bottles” in their collection. If this is one of just a few such bottles you get to have in a year, then I would lean Sarah’s way. But if you’re someone who has a larger stash of “really special bottles” and don’t seem to be finding occasions to open them, then using a fine dining experience as an occasion to open one could make more sense.

[Neal.Mollen]

Next time we go to oriole in November hopefully we’ll have a bigger group so I’ll bring a couple bottles. Mag check out smyth too. I think the combination of aged grand cru burgundy and top level champagne, especially with a bit of age is a good pairing for most tasting menus. Thinking maybe 07 RB and 96 Salon.

Next time you go there you can tell them that there is not one single aspect of their website that is ADA compliant. You could not possibly design a less compliant website. Bravo for no half measures

[B_Stewart]

Yes! It’s not just about pairing your wine with their food, it’s also pairing your wine with their dining experience. I once brought a pair of DRC’s - 85 GE and 80 LT - to NYC for a dinner at Jean-Georges. We bought Champagne, white Burg, and dessert wine off their list to round it out. They couldn’t have been nicer and helped us build the perfect 4-hour meal around the wines. Spectacular!

1. Check out their list:
   The “don’t bring it if it’s on our list” is entirely fair, IMO. Check for overlap. Also, I always order wines off their list, so I save myself some time and look for the wines might want to order. Typically, that’s Champagne, whites, and/or dessert wine. But I’ve also found “companion” reds to augment what I’ve brought.

2. Consider the schlep:
   You mentioned bringing them on a trip. The NYC example above was a fight and two cab rides. And the wines had two days in a hotel room standing upright. The more travel you do - car rides, multiple stops, etc. - the more hassle for you and harder it is on the wines.

3. Communicate with the restaurant:
   I always contact them ahead of time. Connect with their sommelier/wine director via phone or email. First, I let them know what wine(s) I’m bringing. I’ve never been told I can’t bring a specific bottle, but this would be the time to deal with that. Second, I’ll ask for their help and expertise to put together a great dinner around my wines. They know their list better than I do, so I want their opinion on wines that look interesting, their suggestions on what I’ve missed, etc. They’re extremely helpful. I’ve had a couple of times where a Som has put aside a stellar bottle that’s almost sold out. Finally, if I have any specific requests (stemware, decanters, early drop off), I arrange them here.

4. Be generous
   With your wine and the tip!

Count me as not a fan of the wine pairings. I’d much rather go after the gems - hidden and otherwise - on their list that are exciting to me.

[David_Bu3ker]

Been thinking about wine/food matching a lot this afternoon. First off, I am now really hungry.

But anyway, when I’ve done the whole bring bottles to match exercise, it’s almost always been more humble matches that created the most memorable results. Way back there was a 1995 Guigal Cote Rotie and a braised pork chop with bacon cream. Lights out fantastic!

[Yao_C]

I like bringing really special bottles to really special restaurants, but they are mostly Champagne, versatile whites, or Sauternes. Once in a while I’ll break that rule (recently: Rayas at Lazy Bear). I love experiencing a great wine next to all different kinds of food, and the unexpected accords that creates. I also find that the excellent service at these restaurants helps me keep my focus on the wine

If I am going to splurge $300+ per person for a tasting menu, I would usually just go all in and get the wine pairings. Often bring nice/special wines to restaurants with more traditional menus that I can control the pairing with.

I find pairings almost universally underwhelming.

Agreed

[Tom_R_W]

When I bring a special bottle to a special restaurant, it’s most often a high-end steak place where there’s no question as to what we’ll be ordering.
The one outlier was a kitchen-table meal where the chef and sous chef took turns making our courses. I wanted to bring an '87 Ch. Montelena but called ahead to make sure it was ok and they knew it was coming.

My nicest bottles are Cabernet based, so this really isn’t a problem. I suspect those with special Burgs run into it more often.

[M.Kaplan]

Complex food, simple wine. Simple food, complex wine.

[Sherr1_Shap1r0]

I have done this on several occasions, but the best was El Ideas in Chicago in 2013, which is BYO. I was taking a colleague and her husband to dinner, and they said they would bring the wine. I brought a LdH and they surprised me with some really nice bottles from their cellar, including a 1990 Ch. Margaux. It was a very special experience.

Incidentally, I am celebrating a birthday this Thursday, and headed to a local nice restaurant, Jont. Corkage is $75, two bottle max. Bringing a bottle of 2004 Dom Ruinart Rose and a 1972 Joe Swan Zinfandel (my birth year.) I’m hoping that will cover the bases for most of the courses. The regular pairing is $195; the “iconic” pairing is $395…and I think we will be more than happy with the two wines. And we won’t drink the entirety of both bottles, so it will be lovely to share some with the staff as well.

Here’s a shot of the bottles we opened in 2013, for fun.

Happy birthday! I am celebrating one this week too, and also bringing my own bottle.

[Scot_H]

All the time. I thought this was one of the benefits of collecting wine? And I’ve brought wine to the Inn at Little Washington many times.

You can always balance - buy some Champagne off the list or similar. Give the staff an extra tip to accommodate. Etc.

I bring wine everywhere and I never have a problem, and not just the special places. On a place like Per Se - the prices on the wine list will quickly eliminate any reticence you would have about paying for corkage.