Should a Wine Bar Be First About the Food or the Wine?

Suppose you go into a wine bar with a kitchen. What should that establishment be?

I'm going to answer that question first. It's up to the proprietor. The proprietor sets the theme and if they want to be sucessful makes sure that said them appeals to their guests. Where I am less flexible though is in how the menus should be put together.

Suppose the proprietor chooses to make this a restaurant that happens to be a wine bar. That's okay. But, if that is the case, the wines should complement the food. So, for example, if the food is Italian, perhaps the wine should be as well. And, even if it's not, it should be wine that can work foods and seasonings that are quintessentially Italian. So, make sure you have wines that go with things like olive oil, tomatoes and tomato sauces, oregano for starters. You get the picture. There are things that go in Italian foods and your guests who care should be able to find wines that complement those foods well.

Now, let's switch it up. Let's make this a wine bar that happens to serve food. Well, if that's the case, then the wine list should be curated first and it is up to the establishment to develop a food program that complements the wine. Frankly, I was motivated to comment on this by a recent episode of the TV show, "Bar Rescue," in which the bar being saved was a wine bar with a kitchen. 

The owner had curated the wine list and had foods that just didn't pair with the wines. This place, frankly, had other problems as well. And, in the rescue, it became more of a restaurant that happened to be a wine bar than the other way around.

But, suppose it had stayed a wine bar first. Just as where you sometimes see on a restaurant menu the wine(s) that go with a particular dish, wouldn't it make sense to list a dish or two that pair really well with the wine?

In particular, I point to one particular dish they were serving that was a problem. It was a charcuterie dish with lots of culinary flair, but no wine sense to it. The soft, creamy cheese really needed a somewhat delicate white wine to go with it. But, the Stilton cheese really needs a bigger, bolder red with some earthiness like an aged Cabernet or a Nebbiolo. So, which do you order with the charcuterie, the gentle white wine or the earthy red? The proprietor or the chef should think about this.