I see your point that these are not everyday meals.
But the counterargument is that you might want some individual chef-driven specificity from the experience, which includes the thoughtful selection of wines. As opposed to a generic ‘high-level’ sameness with the same names and the same food preps.
As someone who eats at Michelin starred places relatively regularly, I can say that the diversity of the wine list isn’t the issue, it’s the pricing. If they offered cheap Rousseau, drc, Leflaive, Krug, and dom Perignon I’d be perfectly happy. As it is, I’ll almost always bring my own wine, typically aged grande marque champagne and grand cru burgundy.
That’s a reasonable perspective. It goes to the depth of the lists, which was addressed in the article.
As others have said, there’s nothing wrong with offering what the public wants in mainstream, high-level food/wine pairings. I also agree that there is something to be said for offering more individuality beyond that.
However, I think you would need to visit the restaurants to see what wine pairings are available or recommended and try a few of them before passing judgment on whether there are worthy individualistic chef-driven (or wine-driven) pairings in addition to the generic high-level options. I don’t think you can make that judgment based on the wine lists alone. Maybe if you also analyzed the menus, assuming they contained enough details about prep.
I still come away feeling the article is more about the data analysis than reality for the consumer. I don’t question the findings or their interest as commentary on the industry, only their practical relevance. If I’m planning a visit to a top-end restaurant I’m going to do a little research on the menu and wine offerings beforehand.
Aren’t you the guy who said that he enjoys eating the exact same dish every day and drinks a narrow set of wines. Others may operate differently.
I don’t think the goal was to help consumers decide where to eat dinner!
It’s an analysis of the industry. Personally, I think it would be fascinating to extend to menu items and to include an over-time comparison of how food/wine offerings have evolved over time across different restaurants (Michelin starred and beyond). You could track network and contagion dynamics.
But, as alluded to in this piece, data availability is the first challenge.
If you’re bored by this wine list you have serious first world problems.
Not bored, but the prices are so ridiculous that it completely turns me off.
Yeah and I think the biggest problem with it is price. If it was 2x retail markup or less it’d be more interesting.
Unclear how Per Se fits into her larger dataset.
I’m not defending her conclusions as Truth, and clearly she is a bit overblown with some statements for the purposes of click bait.
But, the idea that globalized culture is leading to (an unfortunate) convergence on some dimensions is hardly new, and I think there is something to the general complaint. Of course there’s also a lot more nuance to the story. (Hence my interest in a more ambitious study!)
It’s a Michelin 3 star restaurant is it not? I’m saying I can always find something to drink at a Michelin star wine list but wish it were less expensive and you were trying to make the argument that many people might not be able to…
how about a Michelin 1 star wine list?
It’s an absurd article. Even the most discerning of drinkers will find something they like on any of these lists. Whether the wines will be affordable is another issue.
You have damned Las Vegas dining with very faint praise.
Michelin is meaningless and valueless in the US to me.
She analyzed 1,000 of the almost 4K Michelin-starred restaurants. 2 restaurants are not enough to observe patterns.
I don’t think the issue is “finding something to drink”. It’s a broader analysis of trends, not the drinking behavior of an individual at any given restaurant.
These prices are insane 
I was looking at some recent release things I happen to own, and in some cases it was 5X retail. Freaking insane.
That “expensive restaurants have expensive wine” brilliant analysis 
The list I posted from Austin is pretty reasonable albeit with some high prices. I don’t think this place is starred but this may be the best wine list in America.
this feels pretty poorly done imo, how can you even compare wine lists seriously without at least attempting to measure markups in some way? aside from this, there is no apparent normalization for restaurant geography. surely many of the most stacked wine lists in europe are not available for viewing outside of the restaurant, yet making the list available online is ubiquitous in the states.
It’s the commonalities between lists that seem to be the “news” in this report, not the prices. Like you, I personally don’t find “sameness” to be problematic - never had a problem finding something I would like to drink at a starred restaurant.
The problem is that most of those are above a price I am willing to pay. As Rahsaan pointed out, that isn’t the focus of the article. It is the focus of most consumers.
While we’re on tangents, this is fun for me to see. Me and my wife eloped to Vegas nearly 17 years ago, ate at Joel Robuchon (great, and great fun) and Picasso (pretty crap). Had the pairings at Joel Robuchon and that included Krug Rose, Chave Blanc, Burgundy 1er Crus and Cos D’Estournel. I bet they don’t quite do that anymore :)! I had no trouble finding a couple of wines to order off the Picasso list, but I did have to get up from the table to get them to finally bring one of the bottles back over …
I literally spit out my water when I saw the Screaming Eagle Sauvignon Blanc prices!