wine pairings are almost always a bad value.
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Are they always this bad? Even compared to their own by-the-glass list, I would say this is a bad value if the pairing cost $150…
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Little offense meant, but I’m not going to the Inn and paying their markups for Virginia wine. If they want to offer a taste as a service to the local industry that night make sense.
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Yes; I’d probably buy a bottle if you don’t have the connections to be able to bring stuff:
The pairings here are always over priced, but they are also always quite well thought out. List doesn’t have a ton of value, but range is great. You’ll be fine either way.
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Gavin is correct. Linden is actually a decent VA winery. Value proposition is not great, no - to those of us on this board.
It could be though that for people who are supermarket wine buyers who go to the Inn and do a tasting and get exposed to different wines there is value in that discovery.
When I was a somm I did pairings of exceptional value but my circumstances were unique (I had a free hand and my bev cost wasn’t too aggressive), and the situation at that property has since changed. Think Falkenstein at the equivalent of $20/glass, I even remember opening a 1971 Barolo for a pairing, a 1947 Casa de Sonoma, plenty of 70s era Napa Cabs, etc. My goal was to do well by the guest so the would become repeat customers - selling the overall experience rather than the ozs in the glass.
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No connections necessary. They’re a corkage-friendly restaurant. That’s what I’ve usually done.
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I heard they hadn’t it at some point but now I see it’s $200, I’d certainly bring wine.
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Corkage was illegal in Virginia until July 1, 2011. I remember going there with Jane (my now wife) in about 1999 with a bottle of 1988 AR CSJ excited to open it and was politely told that would be not possible.
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Corkage at $200 here is high but not horrible. I have a lot of older wines, and proportionate to cost, it is definitely worthwhile. I also would feel that the restaurant is getting a decent amount.
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How exactly can someone get traumatized by Disney. Esp. when you live in Orlando.
I’ve taken wine every time I have been since 2011. Never a problem.
We thought the pairings were so-so even when they were $160 or so. Last 2 times we bought off the list.
I will say I have been twice in about the last two years and the food is wonderful and the service pretty well on point. They care about what they do there.
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fify
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The point is that Disney has brought a lot of growth and development to the central Florida area. Given the type of work Robert does, I am sure that (indirectly at least) he has to be thankful for Disney bringing all that development to the area.
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Just mentioning that the relationship between Orlando and Disney can be complicated.
Meanwhile, veering somewhat back towards the topic, I have many memories of this establishment, all of them wonderful.
First memory: I lived in Warrenton, VA, 20 miles away. Somebody told me that a place had opened in Washington, VA that was really good. Sally and I went, and we were amazed. Quiche for lunch was $5, a real bargain.
Second memory: Twenty years later, I held my import company’s first national sales meeting in Washington, VA. The Inn was already in RAF (Rich and Famous) territory, but they agreed to put on a dinner for my group, 16 people.
Minds. Blown. A quarter of a century distant, I can’t remember the dishes, I just remember taking first bite after first bite and thinking ‘This can’t be real’.
That coincided with journalist Tony Horwitz being in town to write up the Inn for the New Yorker. He interviewed us, back at the B&B in town where most of my people were staying. He quoted my southwest rep, Crawford Malone, extensively.
I haven’t been back for over a decade, but am starting to plan to early next year.
I don’t remember the number (if any) of Michelin stars this has. I do know that chef Patrick O’Connell is stunningly brilliant and a very good guy as well.
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It looks reasonable compared to some of the markups on the bottles on the wine list.
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The way I look at these situations is to compare what it would cost to buy off the list vs. BYO and pay corkage for a similar quality wine. Then I ask myself if the lower of those two costs is worth it or if I should stick to water or maybe 1 or 2 cocktails or glasses of wine.
It’s tempting to treat what I initially paid for my own bottle as a sunk cost and count only the corkage fee. Even including the initial cost, the total for BYO is almost always way less than buying off the list for the wines I’m considering.
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Yeah, I was looking at some wines on the list that I have similar of - e.g., different vintage or different vineyard designation . . . and my cost + $200 was still well less. Perhaps I could sell the bottle I have for something higher than my cost, though after fees, etc. probably not.