Chain restaurants are a whole different ball game. Often you'll get the corporate approved wine list. This means that there may be some treasures and interesting wines, but more often the larger wineries that bulk produce will be show cased. They want to insure availability for an extended period of time. Many restaurants generate lists on their own computers and have the flexibility to change the list as often as needed. These are the people that are striving to give you wines that work well with their food as well as meet your needs. Availability of wines has become an issue for all of us. Which leads to the next question:

Why can't I find the wines that the "Spectator " rates so highly?

All too frequently the wines that get the superior scores come from a very small producer. His or her focus is on quality and not mass production. It all comes down to a very easy economic rule of supply and demand. Most of the time these wines are called "limited or exclusives." I deal with a market in the Midwest, so by nature of our demand for the wine, we get a smaller percentage than either the west or east coast. Often the wineries themselves dictate how much wine we will get, which is usually based on how much of all their wine we sold the previous year. Just because their Chardonnay got 90 pts. doesn't necessarily mean their Cabernet or Pinot Noir will be rated as highly. Does that mean it's not as good? You need to be the judge.

Then we have the horrible task of trying to be fair as to who gets what precious little allocated wine there is. Here is where another strategy comes into play. Wineries will often insist that a certain percentage of their wine is put on restaurant lists. This enables the consumer to access wines that are otherwise gobbled up by a lucky few. This does not make the retail stores happy.

How to get these wines? I would suggest you become a loyal patron of a good wine shop. Support their efforts and let them know what you are interested in. Support a winery across the board. In this business, relationships are important. We all want to be fair, but frankly, it's always much easier to take care of customers that reciprocate the efforts. Nobody likes a cherry picker ( those who will only buy the top scoring wines and nothing else).

Yes, we all like to have some of those treats set aside for that special occasion, but I think its more fun to find the great values and surprises that often go unnoticed. Just because a wine did not garner high points does not necessarily mean its a poor bottle of wine. If you find a winemaker you like or a particular vintage ask how long they will have access to this wine. Because of the high demand for wine these days, you will often get only one chance to purchase. Buy a few extra bottles. And don't get angry when your restaurant or store says they don't have any more. By the nature of business these days, it is virtually impossible to make any promises or guarantees.

Remember there is still a tremendous amount of wine out there. Try something new, you may surprise yourself in something you would have never thought could tickle your tastebuds may become a new favorite.

About the Author
Kate Burmeister
After a long stint in the restaurant business building wine programs and selecting wines for clientele, I switched careers and became a Wine Merchant (fancy name for sales representative) with Left Bank Wine Company, a fine wine distributor that covers the state of Wisconsin . I am so lucky to have found this group of passionate, dedicated people to work with. We all share the same priorities--love of wine, travel, good food and learning. It has all meshed in this job. I am a very lucky girl. I have always said that wines speak for themselves, but I find it fascinating to get behind the scenes and see the interesting people that make up this industry. It's the personal relationships I enjoy the most.