In my humble estimation, few aspects of the restaurant experience are as misunderstood as the glass pour. Despite being a powerful and versatile tool at the guest’s disposal, it often gets misused and maligned unfairly.
There are of course an almost infinite number of uses for a glass pour, but here are a few of the most common:
-As a way to taste a variety of different wines and styles. At Cicchetti in particular, this is a strong application of the glass pour. With a large number of unusual and esoteric grapes and blends on display, ordering several different glasses allows you to experiment with lesser known varietals, and maybe even pick up a new favorite or two. Additionally, since the food is more free-flowing, wine flexibility is a big plus. The same principle can of course apply at Serafina, but the glass pour list there has a few more recognizable names.
-To please different palates. While of course our bottled wine list offers far more variety, getting the entire table to agree on a bottle or two can sometimes be a hassle. The glass pour list gives each guest more room for individual preference. Additionally, it can often be nice to start with round of glass pours, then move into a bottle of wine. This allows those who enjoy sparkling wines, whites, roses, and lighter bodied reds a chance to indulge that preference, while bringing in the heavy hitters later in the meal when the food starts ramping up.
-Along those lines, a glass pour can also serve as a nice transition. Say you started your meal with a beautiful aperitif cocktail, but don’t necessarily want to jump right into that 1999 Produttori Barbaresco. A nice glass of wine with your antipasti can warm the palate up properly, allowing you to coax every last enjoyment out of your bottle of wine.
The glass pour is your friend
There are also a few differences between the glass pour lists at Serafina and Cicchetti. The Cicchetti list, as mentioned above, features some fairly unknown wines and tends to play a bit lighter across the board. The Serafina list is exclusively Italian, and offers a bit more body, especially in the realm of reds. It also leans a bit more towards the more well-known Italian varietals (Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese, Barbera), though there’s of course room for some funky favorites (Pinot Nero, Nero d’Avola).
In short, the glass pour is a surprisingly powerful tool, and far more versatile than many give it credit for. However, they generally come up a bit short when it comes to full-bodied and complex red wines. Because a high-quality aged red is generally a bit temperamental, they just don’t hold well in the glass pour format. If you’re craving a big-boned Brunello, Barolo, Barbaresco, or a complex Cabernet Sauvignon, you’ll have to turn to the bottled list. The one exception is the Wine of the Week, which can often be a slightly more powerful wine.
So hopefully you’ll now be able to approach the Serafina and Cicchetti glass pour lists with more confidence and a better understanding what their functions are. Good luck, and good drinking!
