624402 Mon Jun 01 21:58:12 -0700 2009 16 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 4734628 We have a lunch reservation at the French Laundry and I have a question about the wine pairings. I have heard they are quite good there (I have enjoyed pairing at Quince but was dissapointed at Gary Danko) and would be interested in other thoughts. Also, thoughts on whether the reserve pairing is worthwhile would be appreciated. In addition, I have a question about quantity. My SO will be driving us back to San Francisco and is worried that after 12 course and multiple tastes of wine, she might be a bit overwhelmed. On the other hand, there is the concern that sharing a single tasting might be insufficient. We plan on walking around (or just lounging) for at least an hour or so after the meal. Just for calibration, we will typically share a single bottle of wine with a restaurant dinner and only on occassion will we do a cocktail or glass of champagne before that. For nice dinners we will often order bottles that approach, but do not exceed the $100 price point. Any thoughts on the best strategy would be appreciated. Cheers, Mon Jun 01 21:58:12 -0700 2009 129506 SFDude 1 4734720 TFL hasn't done wine pairings in years. It's a true pity. I can't see anything on their web site that suggests otherwise. A common strategy is two half bottles - their half bottle list is extensive, interesting, and one-of-a-kind. As you know how a single bottle effects you, you should be able to calibrate your personal comfort level. Mon Jun 01 23:28:26 -0700 2009 4734628 54804 bbulkow 2 4745511 I agree--I think that the half-bottle strategy works best. Glass of champagne, then a white half, then a red half, maybe an espresso instead of a glass of dessert wine? It's a lot, but a half bottle is about 2ish glasses? So you end up having ~3 glasses of wine at lunch. Hmm. Sort of like a 2-martini lunch, right? Walk down the street to the Bouchon bakery and get a double espresso. It's better to drive out either after 5 or before 3. 3-4 is when all of the vineyard workers are getting off work and the second honeymooners are racing to get to one last place before it closes, so there's a lot of traffic and you're more likely to get into a fender bender if you're in traffic. You want smooth sailing. You could go south into Napa proper and do a little window shopping or go to the outlets. Don't go north on 29 to kill time. The traffic after a boozy lunch will drain the life out of you. Fri Jun 05 10:29:08 -0700 2009 4734720 39731 Sallie 1 4734785 Since you're having lunch, you can hang out in Yountville until you're ready to drive and you'd still be able to drive back during daylight. Not a huge numbers of places to hang but there's enough within walking distance. Tue Jun 02 01:48:54 -0700 2009 4734628 27275 ML8000 1 4735399 I think your bigger problem will be that you may be in a food coma from all the rich food and just you will just want to take a nap. Add in wine and it could spell trouble. I would stay in the area for a bit after your lunch (which will be Friday, Saturday or Sunday as these are the only days TFL does lnuch). You can hang out at Vintage 1870 and browse the shops. Bring some shoes for walking around. I've only done the wine pairing once and that was years ago (now days I bring some wine in and buy some off the list). I actually drove back to SF after that meal and it wasn't too bad. From what I recall they didn't pair with every course and the pours were not huge. The problem (from The French Laundry's perspective) is that dinner is not the same for all diners. Thus pairings can be difficult as one dinner may need a pairing which is totally different from the other dinner at the same table. I will agree with bbulkow that you might want to try getting a half bottle or two. Also you can always call and inquire as to The French Laundry's wine pairing program and what they can do for you. Calling them ahead to ask about this sort of thing will be highly appreciated by the Restaurant. The might be able to accomodate you with something. Tue Jun 02 08:12:29 -0700 2009 4734628 280762 skwid 2 4736118 I would suggest that you spend the night - rooms are not that expensive and the experience will be so much more enjoyable. Also, you can get some coffee and pastry the next morning at Bouchon Bakery for the ride home. Tue Jun 02 11:28:10 -0700 2009 4735399 11756 lizziee 3 4737044 Since the OP will be having lunch I don't know that staying the night would be necessary. Driving right after the meal is suboptimal by all means (at least for me). Walking around for a bit would be a good idea. Tue Jun 02 16:00:57 -0700 2009 4736118 280762 skwid 1 4735922 Was just at the Laundry for dinner a couple nights ago. We didn't see any wine pairings on the menu, but noticed the table next to us had the sommelier select by-the-glass choices to go with the courses. The food amount is not excessive -- we weren't overly full after our dinner, nor overly tipsy. We drink about the same as you, and we brought a bottle of red (corkage is $50) and purchased a glass of white. You can also walk around the vegetable gardens across the street either during or after your meal, or travel a couple blocks downtown to browse some of the nearby stores/restaurants like the V Marketplace or Bouchon Bakery. The super-buttery brioche from Bouchon Bakery was one of the best things I had that night, so it might be worth taking a loaf home. Tue Jun 02 10:32:27 -0700 2009 4734628 13179 PekoePeony 1 4736953 French Laundry doesn't do wine pairings (but I suspect they will be happy to help you pick out wines by the glass). On driving, I went for dinner a few weeks ago, and while there was a lot of food, it was spaced well enough that you walked out satisfied but not food-coma-full. Tue Jun 02 15:27:04 -0700 2009 4734628 341643 kloh 2 4737885 Oddly friends have told me that they have done wine pairings; maybe it is something that TFL does sometimes not others. In any case, the half bottle selection does appear extensive, so with a little bit of help from the sommelier, I am sure we will have a wonderful meal. Thanks to everyone who provided their thoughts. Tue Jun 02 22:15:46 -0700 2009 4736953 129506 SFDude 3 4738998 I called them about about it before going, and the lady who answered the phone told me that they didn't do wine pairings. But you never know! Enjoy your meal! Wed Jun 03 10:05:17 -0700 2009 4737885 341643 kloh 3 4741085 They used to do wine pairings. I forget when the stopped - it was a number of years ago. Wed Jun 03 21:25:30 -0700 2009 4737885 54804 bbulkow 4 4741174 I was there in January and the somm was more than happy to pair wines for us...we went through several half-bottles and some by-the-glass stuff. There were three of us, and when we chose different options for a particular course, the somm chose appropriate wines for each dish. It's probably not the cheapest way to do it, but totally worth it, imo. Wed Jun 03 22:45:25 -0700 2009 4741085 461898 beerandpork 5 4742483 When I think of a wine-pairing tasting menu, I think of all the tasting menus where the paired wine is on the menu, and presumably the chef has put some consideration of the pairing into the creation of the dish. Thu Jun 04 11:14:50 -0700 2009 4741174 54804 bbulkow 6 4743342 Sure, in that sense they are no longer doing set wine pairings, but you can still have the somm create wine pairings for you on the fly (something i prefer anyway as it allows personal preference to come into play) Thu Jun 04 16:11:45 -0700 2009 4742483 461898 beerandpork 6 4744988 the problem with the set pairings is that the menu is not set in stone. Frequently if you have four at your table two people will get a preparation of something one way and the other two folks will get a different preparation (one savoy, one salty for instance) so different wines may be required. Thus having a set wine pairing really would not give the experience that The French Laundry wants you to have. Fri Jun 05 08:14:11 -0700 2009 4742483 280762 skwid 1 4737981 it's a great opportunity to splurge on a glass or half bottle of great Champagne (on my last few visits it's been vintage Krug, talk about indulgent) the bubbles work well for the 3 or 4 canape courses to start. The half bottle list is set up well for a table of two. I have always found the food very subtle and stick to a 1/2 bottle of white Burgundy or Riesling and a 1/2 bottle of Pinot Noir. I ask to have them both served ight after the Champagne so that no matters what comes up on the next course, you have a wine that will work. Oh yeah, don't forget to drink lots of water. Happy Dining! Wed Jun 03 00:05:42 -0700 2009 4734628 240253 jaimecouchon