How many restaurant wine lists have you opened up and found yourself completely lost over? It has happened to us all, and for many of us it is a regular frustration. Poorly constructed wine lists are all too common, but worse than that are wine lists that are there not to add value, but to maximise profits.

It is not an easy business to succeed in, I have said that before. There are various aspects that need to come together. Good management and proper running of the business is even more important than what’s being sent out of the kitchen. Needless to say of course, people won’t tolerate bad value for money, especially as every penny is being scrutinised more and more by the day.

Incredibly, many restaurants, but particularly pubs, gastro pubs and hotels, are failing at one of the easiest hurdles. Consumers are much more savvy and confident about their wine choice than they were 15 years ago. Fewer will accept paint stripper as an accompaniment to their meal, simply because they know better.

Today, managers need to source good wines at good prices, whilst remaining commercially aware of what is going to sell. Then they need to know how to sell it. For example, I would never encourage a mid-market restaurant to offer too much choice. Clutter brings inevitable confusion from the customer and a headache when it comes to stock control.

I’m not trying to undermine the importance of a wine list from the business perspective, here. The revenue through the wine list can be the difference between profit and zero profit, or zero profit and business survival. Business is business. All I’m saying is that it is not a sustainable practice to use the wine list purely as a money earner, rather than adding value to the meal and the experience as a whole.

It was brought to my attention last week at the Bandon Wine Club that a very reputable restaurant in West Cork is failing to deliver value on its current wine list and I got the impression that some of the locals have become disheartened. I then heard the same thing from a few other sources. Whatever the reasons are for going with a list that customers deem as being weak, it will be interesting to see how it effects their trade. If I was the manager, I’d be losing sleep knowing that people weren’t going away entirely happy after a night out in my restaurant.

Here’s a few tips on choosing wine in a restaurant.

Communal tables are all the rage in Munich and Dusseldorf, particularly in the beer halls, with or without food. Even the beer tents in Belfast had them last Christmas. The banter was tremendous. But do we sociable Irish like them, or do we hate them? And if we are faced with an eatery of this type, what should the etiquette be? Ignore the people next to you, or let your guard down and have a laugh (or a cry)?

I’m the sort of person who feels less awkward by being sociable, so I’ll rarely ignore a stranger when I sit next to them. The same applies on long bus, train or plane journeys as it would in a restaurant with communal tables. Make eye contact, say hello, crack a friendly grin and get on with it. It’s only polite, I think. Most of the time, the person will reply with a friendly hello, then you may or may not breath another word to each other. The odd time they will go all shy and look the other direction. That’s totally cool with me, as I assure myself that I’m not the one who’s socially inept.

The Asian restaurant chain Wagamama is kitted out with communal tables. I like it. There’s a nice atmosphere and it’s even more enjoyable with a group of four people or more. In saying that, if I’m looking for some “us” time, my fiancee (it still gives me the shakes) and I will look for somewhere with the regular set-up. If it really isn’t your scene, just don’t go there, but I think the fact that Wagamama has been such a success in Ireland shows that most of us are very happy to be sat at communal tables most of the time. The fact that the chain has been so successful in transferring its model internationally might show we have something in common with the rest of the world, and as a whole we are a friendly people.

Zagat recently counted the communal table among the 10 most annoying restaurant trends. Other things that made the top 10 list were bread baskets you have to pay for, ice-less table water and mustachioed bartenders. Any restaurateurs want to throw in their tuppence worth? Is Ireland ready for widespread table sharing? Personally, as long as they don’t go for my food or wine (I growl and bite when feeding, especially over chocolate desserts), I love the idea. For further reading, see The Etiquette of Communal Tables and The 10 Most Annoying Restaurant Trends.

Credit and thanks to @enormous for tweeting the articles in the first place!

This weeks recipe (and intro below) comes from Denis Cotter, the ingenious chef behind not only a series of fab vegetarian cookbooks, but one of Ireland and Europe’s best restaurants. I’ve mentioned before how Cork makes for a great culinery scene with its many excellent restaurants. Well, you can add Cafe Paradiso to that list and stick it right at the top.

Here’s what Lonely Planet had to say:

Irish food critics have long tipped it for an elusive Michelin Star over the past 16 years, but Café Paradiso’s reputation is already so immense locally and nationally that any further accolades would be akin to nominating Meryl Streep for yet another Oscar. It’s a vegetarian menu the whole way, but head chef Denis Cotter infuses each dish with such imagination and flair that carnivores are always more than happy to go native. There’s a strong emphasis on locally-sourced vegetables and cheeses, with guest rooms available so that you then be conveniently rolled upstairs to your lodgings after an epic three-course dinner.

Declan Cashin, Lonely Planet Author.

Potato gnocchi in sage & hazelnut butter with chanterelles and sweetcorn

Denis: That summer just disappearing over the horizon may not have been one for the beaches but it was near-perfect for vegetables, and now it’s turning out an amazing crop of autumn fruit, certainly in the wild at least. Crab apples, damsons and sloes are dripping from the hedgerows. So it must be time for mushrooms, right?

Well, yes and no is the frustrating answer. Mushroom foragers are an optimistic lot – just one shower of rain or a brief spell of warmth is all they need to set of into the woods full of hope. This time round, however, it doesn’t look like much is going to happen, and our supply of chanterelles that has been so consistent for years is looking like hitting a bump.

We’re getting a few now and then, as the regulars in Cafe P will have spotted. Occasionally enough to feature on a main course, but mostly it is this gnocchi dish that we turn to, full of autumnal, comforting flavours.

One of the reasons for this is that the gnocchi are in the freezer waiting for the chanterelles. We make thousands of gnocchi once a week or so, and freeze them flat on trays, lightly dusted with rice flour. In a couple of hours, the frozen gnocchi can be packed into boxes and then cooked to order straight from the freezer. You can do the same at home. Make a bigger batch than this recipe and an hours work will give you back many easy to throw together meals.

If you can’t wait for the chanterelle fairy to show up, use cultivated oyster, shiitake or chestnut mushrooms will work.

What you’ll need & how to make it

350g potatoes, steamed, mashed and cooled
1 egg yolk
80g grated hard cheese, such as Gabriel or Cratloe Hills
80g flour

3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp chopped fresh sage leaves
1 tbsp hazelnuts, finely chopped

1 tablespoon butter
4 handfuls fresh chanterelles
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons sherry
1 sweetcorn, cooked

Add the egg yolk, cheese, salt and pepper to the mashed potato. Add some of the flour and work it in gently until you have a firm dough. Bring a pan of water to the boil. Cut off a small piece of dough, roll it into a ball and drop it into the water. If it holds together and floats to the top after a few minutes, the dough is ready to use. Roll a piece of the dough into a long roll and cut off small pieces. Roll each one into a ball, then make it slightly oval. Save the gnocchi on a lightly floured tray, or freeze to cook later.

Drop batches of gnocchi into the simmering water and cook them until they float to the top. While the gnocchi are cooking, melt the butter in a pan with one tablespoon of olive oil, and fry the sage, garlic and hazelnuts for a minute, then stir in the gnocchi as they cook. Keep warm over low heat.

Fry the chanterelles and garlic in a tablespoon of butter over medium heat for 5-7 minutes. Add the sherry and cook for one minute more. Cut the sweetcorn kernels from the stalk and add them to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Place some chanterelles on each plate and spoon some gnocchi and sauce around each portion.

For the perfect wines to match, check out Cafe Paradiso’s wines of the month… which just happen to be from yours truly. Thanks go to Denis for his salivating blog content.

With the surprise arrival of my girlfriend into Curious Wines on Saturday afternoon after a four hour drive from Armagh (she must love me), I decided a night out in Cork City was required. I called Fenns Quay restaurant to book a table for two. We needed a food and wine fix fast, and boy we got it.

I had confidence in this choice of restaurant because of the recommendations from previous clientèle and I knew Kevin at Fenns Quay is a passionate man for his wine. Too many restaurateurs can’t see anything past profit margins on a wine list, so it’s great to see someone making a name for themselves through their wine offering as well as their food.

I ordered a Clonakilty black pudding starters and Bronagh opted for mushroom-pastry-type dish. We were in a mood for a red meat main course, so I got Slaney Valley lamb chump and Bronagh went for the char-grilled 10oz sirloin steak. Both were cooked to perfection. Rare, not blue, but rare. I find when you ask for medium-rare in Ireland, you more than often get medium. Ask for rare on the continent, and you’ll get blue.

Everything was excellently presented, the seasoning and flavours were balanced, and the atmosphere was relaxed. The wine list certainly didn’t disappoint either, a good selection offering the usual suspects (Italian Pinot Grigio, Aussie Shiraz) as well as a number of wines that you won’t see everywhere, including an Austrian Grüner Veltliner and an Italian Grillo.

I needed something edging on big and bold for the main course, so my mind was made up (with the help of Kevin) by the Doña Paula Argentian Malbec. I understand we received one of the very last bottles. The back label would lead you to expect red fruit on the nose, and this might have been the case when young, but this ’07 was showing darker fruits on the nose (dark cherry, blackberry) and even a little licorice. The palate was beautifully rounded, medium-full bodied with melt-in-your month tannins and another good whack of blackberry. It just added that extra 20-30% to the whole experience.

Obviously the standard of the food is the most important thing when eating out, but the experience as a whole can be diminished by a poor value wine list. I recently went to a very popular Cork restaurant and the food was excellent but the wine disappointing. I believe Kevin and his team delivered excellent value on both fronts, as well as very attentive and friendly service. Cork has a brilliant culinary scene, but if you’re around the city any time soon, don’t miss out on a truly great dining experience at Fenns Quay.

Check out Paul Kieron’s (Grapes of Sloth) take on Fenns Quay here. More details available on menupages.ie

It’s one of my favourite things about eating out on the continent, yet not enough Irish restaurants are taking up the use of carafes. More than a glass, yet less than a bottle, these little vessels are the ideal choice for those who want that something in between. Sometimes ordering a half bottle just isn’t the same.

Any time I’ve come across a carafe in a restaurant, I’ve been on holidays in a state of unparalleled relaxation where my biggest concern is what book to read at the pool the next day.

For me, there’s a lot of nostalgia tied up in the old clay/glass jugs. Very drinkable wine, good food, excellent company and not a worry in the world. But that’s not the only reason I think more restaurants should be taking them on here in Ireland. I believe it could be another step towards responsible drinking.

It was a recent article by Kate Spicer in The Times that sparked my interest. Asking veteran Bristol restaurateur Arne Ringner of The Lido’s Restaurant about his love for the carafe, “It works for the customer,” he says. “It also takes away some of the preciousness — it’s easier, more casual. Carafes have a playfulness.” I agree, Mr Ringner.

That’s one of the big barriers we’re trying to break down on a daily basis. Wine can be a stuffy topic, so why not take more of a casual continental approach and start serving easy drinking wines straight from the barrel? Let’s face it, the house wines served in a lot restaurants (don’t get me started on hotels) are pretty grim, so it might be a good thing for carafes to replace the usual house grog.

As Spicer pointed out, more and more UK restaurants are taking the continental approach to serving wine in restaurants, and this is set to increase as a new law to take effect in October will allow customers to have the opportunity to choose small measures of beers, ciders, spirits and wine. As well as bringing in a ban on below-cost selling, the UK government might just be onto something good there.

Ironically, the professional picture above was taken in Crete, where I recently tried some pretty horrific white wine in carafes. Ummm… I still want to see more of them here! *Stamping my feet*

I was in two Cork hotels over the Christmas period for parties – the sit-down meals with crackers and hats varieties. In both, we indulged in some of the respective House Wines – you know, the stuff that smells of turps and takes the paint off skirting boards.

No, wait a minute, I’m thinking of actual turps – there must have been a mistake – surely the days of bad wine should be long gone, particularly when you’re paying €20 a bottle for it?

Well apparently not. Some hotels and restaurants still think it’s acceptable to select their house wine on the basis of maximum mark-up for the maximum prices people will bear before walking out on first sight of the wine list.

I won’t embarrass the hotels, or more importantly my company on the respective occasions, but the point does need to be considered generally. In one, a premium and fairly new Cork hotel, the house red was a Chilean Cabernet, at €23 a little on the steep side for house plonk but as it was a Christmas party we bit hard and ordered.

It wasn’t corked, it was just bad – harsh and tannic, little fruit, paint-strippingly astringent. We ended up drinking beer for the night.

This practice of profit over any semblance of quality vexes me greatly. As a business owner I am acutely aware of the need to make a margin, and I’m quite sure the aforementioned (otherwise very pleasant) hotels have considerable overheads, but this is ultimately self-defeating, and does neither the wine nor hospitality industries any favours at all. People just won’t continue accepting this level of bad value and poor attention to quality.

So my one big wish for 2009 is that hotels and restaurants, particularly the good ones, put a bit more effort into choosing their house wines, for their customers’ benefits as well as their margins. There is a happy middle ground, and a huge opportunity – make good wine a little more accessible and people will spend more, even in a recession.