Wine has
been an important aspect of human culture for thousands of years.
Archaeologists in Speyer, Germany discovered the oldest bottle of wine
in existence while excavating two Roman stone sarcophaguses in 1867. The
bottle dates back to at least 325 AD. It is now on display at the
History Museum of the Pfalz in Germany.
In spite
of wine's longevity as a worldwide cultural staple, one might think that
National Wine Day on May 25 was created with Benny's Chop House in
mind. Benny's, a modern and sophisticated take on the traditional
American steakhouse (444 N. Wabash, Chicago; 312-626-2444) has made its
wine program one of the finest in Chicago.
Many restaurants like to boast about their Wine Spectator
Award of Excellence. Yet Benny's Chop House surpasses them-it is one of
a select few restaurants in Chicago that has earned the Wine Spectator
"Best of" Award of Excellence.
According to Wine Spectator,
the "Best of" designation gives "special recognition to restaurants
that clearly exceed the requirements of the Award of Excellence. These
lists typically offer 400 or more selections, along with superior
presentation, and display either vintage depth, with several vertical
offerings of top wines, or excellent breadth across several wine
regions."
"We have
succeeded in creating an exceptional wine list that wine lovers will
truly appreciate," said Mitchell Schmieding, Benny's Director of
Operations. "Nothing makes a wonderful dining experience more memorable
than an excellent, enjoyable glass or bottle of wine. Since our menu
includes a great variety of dishes in addition to our USDA Prime Natural
steaks, Prime Dry-aged steaks and Prime Wet-aged steaks, we have built a
wine collection that complements many different foods while catering to
a wide range of wine preferences."
Benny's
also has a unique wine locker program that enables frequent guests to
purchase wines from the wine list by the case and store them on-premises
in climate controlled lockers.
Benny's
Wine List features many hard-to-find New World and Old World wines, by
the glass or bottle, at a variety of price points. "We search for wines
that are excellent values at whatever price level," said Schmieding.
"Quality and variety are our most important criteria, and we make sure
that all of our guests are given excellent guidance from one of our
Sommeliers in picking the wines that fit their mood and choice of meal."
Wines by
the glass range in price from $11 to $35. Benny's will also serve a
3-ounce "half pour" serving of any wine by the glass. The pinnacle of
the wines by the glass is the collection of Fine & Rare Selections,
stored using the EnoMatic® preservation system which keeps the wines in
their most pristine condition through the use of argon. Benny's also
offers two outstanding private label red house wines by the glass which
are delicious and exceptional values: Benny's Chop House 2006 Merlot and
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, both from Howell Mountain, California and
priced at $17 per glass.
Benny's wines by the bottle are extensive and wide
ranging-more than 1,200 labels are on hand. Bottles range in price from
$34 to an eye-popping $4,500 for the exceptionally rare and prized 2003
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti en Magnum, Èxchézeaux Grand Cru. Benny's
stocks more than 200 white wines by the bottle, covering numerous styles
and points of origin. Guests can choose from Champagnes and sparkling
wines, including the increasingly popular Brut Rosé. Other white wines
include Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Rhône Varietals, Chardonnay,
Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio, Gewürztraminer, Grüner Veltliner,
Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois,
Spanish Varietals, Mediterranean Varietals and Rosé.
In keeping
with its status as a top-tier steakhouse, Benny's stocks nearly 1,000
red wines that comprise a world-class collection from across the wine
spectrum. The Pinot Noirs emanate from the Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune
and Côte Chalonnaise regions of France but there are also selections
from Germany, Austria, Slovenia, South America, New Zealand, Oregon and
California.
Benny's
Rhône wines originate in the Northern and Southern Rhône Valley of
France as well as from the Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence regions,
plus Australia, Washington and California. The Bordeaux wines come
primarily from the Pauillac and Saint-Èstephe, Saint-Julien and Margaux
regions of France, but there are also Bordeaux-style wines from Italy,
New Zealand, Chile, South Africa and domestic versions from Washington
and California.
The
Cabernet Sauvignon collection comes primary from the United States,
including the Napa Valley region and Washington. Other excellent
selections originate in Australia, while there are some delicious
Cabernet Franc wines from the Loire Valley of France. Merlot selections
are domestic, from California and Washington, while the Malbec wines are
from France, Australia and Washington.
Benny's
wine list continues with an extensive collection of interesting Spanish
red wines. Tempranillos are primarily from the La Rioja and
Castilla-León regions, with a few domestic versions from Oregon and
Washington. Wines made from the Spanish Garnacha grape are from Priorat
and Catalonia regions of Spain.
Italian
wines are well represented as well, with Sangiovese wines from Toscana;
Barbera and Dolcetto wines from Piemonte; Nebbiolo wines from Piemonte
and California; numerous regional wines from Barbaresco, Amarone della
Valpolicella, Sicily, Umbria and Calabria.
Zinfandel
lovers will find a varied collection of wines from California and
Washington, and there are some interesting varietals including Lagrein,
Gamay, Syrah, Petite Sirah and Pinotage from both the Old and New World
that are not to be missed.
Of special
note is Benny's global and domestic collection of half bottles (375 ml)
including Champagnes, white and red wines, and dessert wines. Other
notable bottles include large format bottles from Burgundy, Bordeaux,
California and Italy. Benny's is home to the only magnum bottle of
Quinta do Crasto Vinha Maria Teresa, from Portugal, in the entire state
of Illinois.
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Photos courtesy of Benny's Chop House
