Feedback as a result of my recent purple prose 2003 story on the Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards set me thinking about what I reckon constitutes an exceptionally good wine list. I note for example that most of those establishments given a Wine Spec Grand Award generally offer well over 1,000 different wines and, you know, I'm not at all sure that that's what I for one want.
As a serious wine lover, I want a wine list that genuinely represents selection rather than a telephone directory of great and familiar names in a dozen different vintages. It is actually a...