Need some advice on a restro wine list

I'm taking Gail out to eat next Friday for a (hopefully) celebration and an early VDay meal. She wants to try a new-to-Tulsa chain called Copeland's New Orleans, and they have their wine list on the menu, with prices. Could I perhaps get some recommendations on what are the good deals on this menu? Pretty much anything goes, except she doesn't generally like Cab Sauv, and neither of us cares much for most Chards. From a price standpoint, the Opus One and the Dom are non-starters (much as I'd love to try either, but she'd shoot me).

http://www.copelandsofneworleans.com/pdf_menus/OK_BA_menu.pdf

Sorry, Robert, I looked at the wine list and my advice is to find another restaurant. Want me to e-mail Gail and work on that??

Sorry, Robert, I looked at the wine list and my advice is to find another restaurant. Want me to e-mail Gail and work on that??

My first coice was this place, but she didn't want to spend that much. She said some folks she works with recommended Copeland.
http://www.michaelfuscosriversidegrill.com/index.html

Hope your meal is good, I've heard nice things re original Copelands.

Not a very original list, and pretty aggresive markups. If it were me, I'd probably order the Acacia PN.

You should go to your first choice. It's a celebration! (What are you celebrating?)

Robert,

I ate at the place linked below last year during a business trip. It was very good. We had wine, but I don't remember much about the selection. That chef did very nice work.

http://www.restauranteur.com/lavanoshery/

(What are you celebrating?)

Hopefully the closing on that 15 acres of woods we're trying to buy. (IF no other hitches come along, like the first lender deciding AFTER they've pre-approved the loan, that they really don't lend on land unless all utilities are already there. They had the info to determine that from day 1. Arrgh!!)

Anyway, you just helped me convince her that my first choice is the one! Will probably set a record for us for a single meal.
We've really got to curtail our dining out anyway after this, or we'll never save enough to build that house.

Excellent!

Congratulations on the land!!

Ouch. The food may be good but the lack of vintages next to the wines is one big sign that they don't take the wine program very seriously and the selection follows through on that impression.

Can you bring your own wine?

The Geyser Peak SB and the Acacia PN will at least be drinkable. Not much of a recommendation for a celebration.

Thanks for the feedback. I've now talked her into the other one (without prices listed on the menu - gulp!).

Pretty much agree with every one else. Most of those wines are every day drinkers at best and not really celebration level. Some of the per glass prices approach what I pay for the bottle here!

Good choice to go elsewhere.

I wish I could get 15 acres of woods, here in the desert

Not a very original list, and pretty aggresive markups. If it were me, I'd probably order the Acacia PN.

I had the same thoughts. There's a lot of what I call supermarket wines on the list and the markup is, as Dale says, aggressive. In my experience, shallow though it may be, the more expensive a wine is, the less the restaurant markup. (A $25 wine at a wine shop may sell at for $50 at a restaurant but a $100 wine generally does not sell for $200 at a restaurant.) Copeland’s seems to have thrown this idea out the window. I should add that I've eaten at a Copeland’s in Rockville, MD several years ago and enjoyed the food and atmosphere.

I've had one good experience at Copelands in Alexandria, VA followed by two very mediocre experiences and haven't been back in years.

I'm glad you chose the other place

Thanks for the feedback. I've now talked her into the other one (without prices listed on the menu - gulp!).

I suspect that is more a result of not wanting to pay for constant website updates, Robert. I'm sure if you phone them and ask them to fax you a menu with prices, they would be more than pleased to do so.

Get a Pina Colada!!!

Not a very original list, and pretty aggresive markups. If it were me, I'd probably order the Acacia PN.

I had the same thoughts. There's a lot of what I call supermarket wines on the list and the markup is, as Dale says, aggressive. In my experience, shallow though it may be, the more expensive a wine is, the less the restaurant markup. (A $25 wine at a wine shop may sell at for $50 at a restaurant but a $100 wine generally does not sell for $200 at a restaurant.) Copeland’s seems to have thrown this idea out the window. I should add that I've eaten at a Copeland’s in Rockville, MD several years ago and enjoyed the food and atmosphere.

Jon, based on the few prices I'm familiar with, what Copeland's doing here is, in fact, very consistent with your experience. The Geyser Peak SB, which in my experience is a good bet year-in and year-out for QPR lists for about $11 and is often discounted below $10. At $25 on the list, that's between 2 and 3x normal retail. The Acacia PN, is a $25 retail wine on Copeland's list for $39 - in other words a little over 1.5x. And the Opus 1 at $190 (I had to Google this one) is marked up only 20-30% over normal retail. So less expensive wines (based on this sample, anyway) *are* marked up more. Finally, on the "aggressive" mark-ups, you and Dale must live in favored places. In CA, these mark-ups would not be unusual at all.

Finally, on the "aggressive" mark-ups, you and Dale must live in favored places. In CA, these mark-ups would not be unusual at all.

A lot of people seem to know a lot about wine in DC so sellers, retail or on a restaurant wine list, often can't get away with too much.

[Jenise]

I had the same thoughts. There's a lot of what I call supermarket wines on the list and the markup is, as Dale says, aggressive.

Piling on: YES. Robert, good choice to go to the other restaurant. And here's something to comfort you: if the restaurant is as good as it looks, they WILL have some "price-sensitive" wine selections on the menu, and those will be wines that have been well-selected for quality and value--unlike the wine list at Copeland's.

Thanks for the feedback. I've now talked her into the other one (without prices listed on the menu - gulp!).

Glad you decided against Copeland's - I don't think New Orleans travels well.