I wonder if this is true elsewhere? Apparently, recession mentality bottomed out for NYC fine dining customers in the 4th quarter of 2009. Now diners are not afraid to show off anymore, if they have money.
Last week, Wine + Spirits’ Joshua Greene moderated a panel with top NYC restaurant sommeliers Levi Dalton of Alto, Beverage Director Juliette Pope of Gramercy Tavern and Head Sommelier Rajeev Vaidya of Restaurant Daniel.
High-end sommeliers are busy rearranging their winelists and letting some of the less expensive wines fall off. That’s not to say everything is sky-high: summer is coming, and typically people want lighter wines which are often less expensive. Vaidya will be looking toward Chablis, Riesling and other German whites, Italian whites and Rhone reds and whites. Dalton and Pope are expressing seasonality in their wine lists with moderately priced wines, too.
