Opening up a wine list and seeing a plethora of new or unfamiliar bottles can be an equally exciting and formidable experience. With so many options on the menu, though, it can be tempting to gravitate toward bottles or regions that are more within our comfort zones. In the process, grapes and styles of wine often get overlooked, but wine professionals are eager to change that.
We asked 11 sommeliers and other wine professionals from across the country to share the wines they wished people ordered more. From complex, aromatic white wine varieties to hybrid grapes hailing from the East Coast, here are the wines the pros want to see more of on your table.
The wines people should order more often, according to sommeliers:
- Georgian, Spanish, and Sicilian orange wines
- Original natural wines
- Riesling
- Northern Rhône Syrah
- Hybrid varietals
- Champagne
- Aromatic white wines
- Wines based on taste profile, not grape or region
- Sweet wine
- Native Italian grapes
“Orange wine, made by fermenting white grapes on their skins, is one of the most misunderstood but exciting categories in the wine world. I love it for its texture, grip, and array of flavors — dried apricots, tea, nuts, and wild herbs — but many guests shy away because of its unusual color and cloudy look. While Georgia is the spiritual home of skin-contact wines, regions like Spain’s Ribera del Duero and Sicily are crafting bold, savory versions that surprise even seasoned drinkers. California winemakers, especially in Sonoma and Mendocino, have embraced the style as well, producing fresher, fruit-driven orange wines with a more modern spin. The best examples are versatile at the table, pairing with everything from tapas to roasted poultry to mezze spreads. I see orange wine as a conversation starter and wish guests would order it with the same confidence they bring to rosé or sparkling.” —Christopher Roaché, wine professional & director of restaurants, RMD Group
“I wish that more wine drinkers who say they are into natural wine would explore some of the OG natural wines, from regions and winemakers where low-intervention wines have been made for decades or even centuries. For example, the orange wines of Friuli-Venezia Giulia and their nearby Balkan neighbors of Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia, to name a few. The orange wines from this region, called ‘ramato,’ go back thousands of years, when white wines and red wines were both made in a similar fashion, starting with foot-stomping of grapes. The skins of the grapes, no matter what grape variety was being used, were part of the process. Certain grapes, like Pinot Grigio, for example, express an orange or even reddish tint when the skins of the grapes are part of the process. It turns out that the skins contain natural preservatives that help to stabilize the wines and protect them from bacteria, oxidation, and other deleterious effects. This was especially helpful after WWII when the vineyards were shorthanded from wartime casualties and the wine sometimes sat in vessels for a longer time than normal before the crew could get them into bottles. It wasn’t until the 1960s when Santa Margherita started clarifying their Pinot Grigio that this ramato style fell out of favor. Thankfully, there are still some fantastic producers of traditional ramato wines out there — Gravner, Radikon, Movia, and Vodopivec are dedicated to this Old-World and very ‘natural’ method.” —Mark Censits, managing partner, Maxwell Alley, Jersey City, N.J.
“I wish more people would order Riesling. Riesling is more than the sweet, entry-level wine many people make it out to be; it’s one of the more complex and versatile grapes out there. Whether sweet (Süß) or dry (Trocken), it has the acid, energy, and layered flavors to pair beautifully with dishes from a wide range of cuisines, especially those with spice or richness like you’ll find at Kann. It’s a wine that can complement flavors from around the world while still being elegant enough to enjoy on its own at any point in a meal.” —Elishca Charles, general manager, Kann, Portland, Ore.
“That’s an easy one: Northern Rhône Syrah. It’s one of the greatest terroirs in the world, with some of the most dedicated growers producing wines that are among the most compelling, age-worthy, and purely delicious you’ll find anywhere.” —Cedric Nicaise, co-owner & sommelier, The Noortwyck, New York City
“I wish guests were more open to hybrid varietals, especially wines from the East Coast. Impressive wines are being made in Virginia, Maryland, New York, and Vermont. Even my home state of Pennsylvania is producing standout bottles from varietals like Vidal Blanc, La Crescent, and Chambourcin. The techniques being used to make these wines have really excelled in the past few years, making complex wines that have evolved away from the ‘foxy’ wines of the past. Winemakers that come to mind are Iapetus in Vermont (their wine made from Marquette called Subduction is a rocker), Chepika (Nathan Kendall and Pascaline Lepeltier) in the Finger Lakes, and Wild Arc based in the Hudson Valley. There are also a whole slew of socioeconomic and environmental reasons you should drink more hybrids, but that’s a conversation for another time while you’re enjoying a bottle of Catawba.” —Frank Kinyon, wine director, High Street Hospitality Group
“This is one of my favorite questions, because the answer is simply Champagne! Not only does Champagne have the wonderful ability to turn a normal event into a celebration, it also provides incredible depth and versatility for pairing with food. We are talking about a product that has spanned several cultures, been referenced in music and literature, and been housed in the fridges of the working class to the wealthy. This is the perfect aperitif and my go-to for sparking the appetite.” —Daniel Cools, sommelier and beverage director, Juniper and Ivy, San Diego
“I wish that more guests in the restaurant would be open to the sensory experience that aromatic white wines can offer. From precise expressions of fruit such as peach, apricot, pear, grapefruit, lychee, candied lime, and Meyer lemon; to more fragrant aromas like complex peppery notes, lemongrass, honeysuckle, sweet spice, and tons of minerality. In addition to the ability to offer aromatic complexity, these wines have the ability to pair with robust flavors and spice. My go-to pick for an aromatic white wine would be Riesling with all its versatility and depth, but Gewürztraminer, Grüner Veltliner, and Albariño are all fantastic options, too!” —Nikki Ledbetter, wine director, 53, NYC
“I wish people learned how to order less particularly. People ask things like, ‘Do you have Sancerre?’ Many don’t even know Sancerre is Sauvignon Blanc. I’d rather hear people give sommeliers and waiters more specific taste profiles that allow the staff to turn guests on to something they might like. For instance, I was in NYC a couple of weeks back and got to go to Le Bernardin for the first time for lunch. The sommelier came over and I said, ‘I’d like a crisp white that is under $150 that focuses on texture more than aromatics. Can you give me a couple of options?’ The first suggestion was Savennières, which I passed on. Then he suggested a Grüner from Knoll. We said, ‘Perfect, we’ll take that.’” —Anthony Anselmi, master sommelier & director of global wholesale, Lumen Wines, Los Alamos, Calif.
“At Saint Urban, what excites us most is when guests are open to discovery. Instead of reaching for the same familiar labels, we love when people trust us to pour something they may not have tried before. One category we wish people would order more is sweet wine. These wines are among the most complex, age-worthy, and soulful bottles in the world, yet are too often overlooked. From great Sauternes and Tokaji to late-harvest Rieslings, they show how sweetness can be balanced by elegance, acidity, and terroir. The wine I wish people would order more isn’t just a single bottle — it’s the sweet wine they didn’t expect to love until they tasted it.” —Jared Ian Stafford-Hill, chef & sommelier, Saint Urban, NYC
“I wish more guests ordered Champagne. Sure, it’s popular on New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day, or when there’s a big celebration at the table. But Champagne is so much more than a party wine. It’s truly an incredible gastronomic wine. There’s a style of Champagne to pair with nearly every dish we serve, and I’d love for more guests to discover how versatile and delicious it can be at the table.” —Jeff Cleveland, general manager, sommelier, & partner, Birch, Milwaukee
“I wish people would order more native Italian grapes outside of their comfort zone. A trove of extraordinary value, unique flavors, and food-friendly wines eagerly await those with the curiosity to discover, alongside memorable stories, wonderful small families who make these wines, connections to regional histories, and cuisine. Moreover, these grapes need our support, without which many are in danger of lapsing into obscurity or disappearing altogether, which would be a shame. The world does not need more wine that tastes, walks, and talks like it could come from anywhere.” —Josh Nadel, master sommelier & beverage director, NoHo Hospitality Group / Bar Primi Penn District
