We Asked 17 Sommeliers: What’s the One Wine You Always Order When You See It on a Menu?
Exploration is one of wine’s greatest virtues. A bottle shop or wine menu can take you from the Rheinessen’s steep hills to the peaks of Mendoza to the sea salt-dusted cliffs of the San Luis Obispo Coast. Even within a single region, drinkers can taste a world of grapes, terroirs, and climates.
That said, there are some wines that are far too special to pass up. Coming across one of these bottles can warrant a repeat order — exploring the wine world’s vast offerings can pick back up tomorrow. Wines that fall under the must-order category might be small production, highly allocated bottles that don’t pop up too frequently. Even the experts — who are constantly learning about and tasting dozens of new wines each day — have the coveted bottles and producers that they can’t help but order when the opportunity presents itself.
That’s why we asked 17 sommeliers to name the wines they just can’t resist when perusing a list. From small producers in California to specific vintages of Cru Beaujolais, here’s what they said.
The wines sommeliers must order if they see it on a menu:
Lady of the Sunshine Chene Vineyard Pinot Noir
Les Jardins de la Martinière ‘Shi Ro’ 2018
Antinori Tignanello
Cinsault from Bechthold Vineyard in Lodi, Calif.
Cool-climate Syrah
Jonata ‘La Sangre de Jonata’ Syrah
Domaine Alice et Olivier de Moor Bourgogne Aligoté Plantation 1902
Alain Castex
Valentini Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo
Mac Forbes
Collecapretta ‘Terra dei Preti’
Stein Palmberg Alte Reben Riesling Kabinett Trocken 2021
Sette Grignolino Piemonte
Elio Sandri Barolo ‘Perno’ 2020
Jean Foillard ‘Côte du Py’ Morgon 2017
Tortona Timorasso
Domaine du Collier
Occidental Pinot Noir Freestone-Occidental 2024
“My answer is any of the Lady of the Sunshine wines, but my favorite is the Lady of the Sunshine Chene Vineyard Pinot Noir. Not only do I love the wine, but I’m also a fan of the winemaker and owner, Gina Giugni. She and her husband have a more recognized label called Scar of the Sea, but Lady of the Sunshine is her solo project. The messaging behind their production is ‘a love letter to the Central Coast’ in California. Gina is a second generation biodynamic farmer. She is such a thoughtful producer of low intervention wine, and that care really shows up in the bottle. The Pinot Noir is elegant and soft, which I expect and seek from Pinots, but there is an edge of grit that expresses through minerality and a playful nose of strawberry hard candies. There is also a scarcity of the product as they only produce a few hundred cases of each of their wines. I always want to reward restaurants for carrying her wines and enjoy a glass myself!” —Leah Matthews, Daisies and The Radicle, Chicago
“Les Jardins de la Martinière ‘Shi Ro’ 2018: less than a hectare of Chenin vines goes into this. It’s spellbinding and very hard to find. Kaya Tsutsui and Hirotake Ooka are clearly so talented, and their first vintage (2018) was only released a few years ago.” —Grace Rogers, head sommelier, Stars, New York City
“If I spot Antinori Tignanello on a wine list, it’s always a bottle worth considering. Tignanello helped redefine Italian winemaking, challenging tradition while remaining deeply connected to its Tuscan roots. It is so special because of its beautiful balance between dark fruit, savory complexity, refined tannins, and vibrant acidity. It’s powerful without being overwhelming and elegant without sacrificing character. A truly memorable wine should tell a story, and Tignanello does exactly that. It’s a remarkable expression of craftsmanship, innovation, and the extraordinary potential of Tuscany.” —Scott Jones, sommelier, The Edge Steakhouse at The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage, Greater Palm Springs, Calif.
“Not a single bottle, but a single vineyard. Cinsault from Bechtold Vineyard in Lodi. It’s home to 135-year-old vines, which is just crazy to think about in California. The oldest own-rooted Cinsault in the world. I’ve had three bottlings from three producers: Two Shepherds, Time Place, and Turley. All three take a very hands-off approach and let the vineyard tell the story. You get incredible aromatics of plum and purple flowers, delicate body and spice, and a long finish with great acid. Gamay and Pinot Noir are good entry points, but this is like nothing else in California.” —Scott Stroemer, Galit and Cafe Yaya, NYC
“I don’t know if I have a wine I always order, but Syrah comes pretty close to a 100-percent order for me, especially if it’s coming from a cool-climate region. While I would typically lean Northern Rhône, I have fallen into a rabbit hole of cooler, coastal Syrah from California. Jonata ‘La Sangre de Jonata’ Syrah from Ballard Canyon is something I’ve really been enjoying recently. The savory, peppery qualities are beautiful, and while there are tannins, they aren’t as aggressive as that of Cabernet.” —Alex Cuper, wine director, El Che and Brasero, Chicago
“For a long time, one ‘must-order’ bottle for me has been the Plantation 1902 bottling of Aligoté from Alice and Olivier De Moor. It has the freshness and acidity that I love in Aligoté, but the fruit from the old vines gives a real depth and concentration that makes it a compelling and delicious wine.” —Max Mackinnon, co-owner, Plus de Vin, Brooklyn
“Wines from Alain Castex have been high up on my ‘if I see it, I drink it’ list since his U.S. importer, Josh Eubank, shared them with me back in 2018. His ‘Tir à Blanc,’ a sun-filled, aromatic blend of every white varietal in his Banyuls vineyards, makes me sentimental for the platonic ideal of summer on the coast of southern France, a place and time I’ve only experienced through the wines. Alain’s passing a few years ago only made my thirst and sentimentality more acute. Collectors have gone nuts for these, so if you see Vins du Cabanon or (even more uncommon) a pre-2015 Casot de Mailloles, don’t hesitate.” —Kae Whalen, wine director, Little Fish, Los Angeles
“Valentini Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo is a must order. It’s not a wine I see too often on a list so it feels like an Easter egg when I find one. It’s a serious rosé that balances aromatics, structure, and intensity in a way that feels unlike anything else. A wine that deserves a place by the pool as much as it does at the dinner table.” —Chris Gellein, wine director, Claud, NYC
“Anything from Mac Forbes in the Yarra Valley. I met Mac on a trip to Australia and fell in love with how thoughtful and site-driven his wines are. They’re elegant and full of energy, and I don’t see them on many lists, so when I do, I always order one.” —Benjamin Chesna, beverage director, Himmel Hospitality Group, Boston
“My choice is ‘Terra dei Preti’ from Collecapretta in Umbria. This is a really special cuvée that I think expresses the special winemaking and farming at Collecapretta as well as the specific grapes they have here. Every time I share this wine with a wine professional or anyone else, they are knocked out by it. It’s a wine that makes you pause, and you never want the bottle to end. It is technically an orange wine, but think of it more as a full expression of incredible Trebbiano grapes. With their wines I always want to drink one year after they arrive, which is one year after harvest. So right now I would look for something ideally from 2024 or older.” —Mike Fadem, owner, Ops, Brooklyn
“From a truly obsessive person who has had many phases of fixation in life — ask me about Weezer — the first producer I think of is Dr. Ulli Stein in the Mosel. If I ever see his Palmberg Alte Reben Kabinett Trocken 2021 on a list, it’s a no-brainer order for me. The acid from this vintage is especially drool-worthy, but there’s so much more happening, such as the touches of flinty reduction, the treasure trove of baking spices, and a prickly but friendly texture that causes such a strong knee-jerk reaction whenever I see this wine on a list.” —Haran McElroy, wine director, Smithereens, NYC
“Sette, an Italian producer founded in 2017 by a dynamic duo of young owners and winemakers who are a bit avant-garde in style. I’m currently obsessed with their Grignolino, an exceptionally light red wine reminiscent of a Pinot Noir. It is radiant in the glass with tantalizing notes of ripe strawberry and fresh soil and holds an acidity that jump-starts your salivary glands. If you don’t recognize it by name, you’ll recognize it by the label with the drawing of a red sea urchin, beckoning you to grab the bottle to scrutinize it.” —Vincent McGranahan, property sommelier, The Ava Hotel Paso Robles, Paso Robles, Calif.
“I don’t want to sound redundant because I’m Italian, but whatever you can catch and drink from Elio Sandri do it. The Barolo ‘Perno’ 2020 is incredible right now! It just landed in the U.S., and in Italy, it’s been a cult wine for a while. Get some before it’s all gone.” —Oliviero Lucchetti, beverage director, Balera, Brooklyn
“Jean Foillard ‘Côte du Py’ 2017. As far as Beaujolais goes, it’s an essential reference point as one of the region’s greatest wines from one of its most dedicated vignerons. No matter how many times I taste the 2017 vintage, it never fails to win me over with its brazen simplicity and quiet poise. There is an effortless push and pull between tart and sweet. It is also one of the few wines that is universally attractive to wine lovers of every ilk, one we can all agree is worth drinking. It speaks concisely and demands very little of you, only that you pause your speculation and analysis and enjoy it for what it is.” —Ellis Srubas-Giammanco, wine director, Penny, NYC
“Timorasso. This native white grape from the hills around Tortona in southeastern Piedmont is one of the most exciting white grapes in the world right now. The quality is so consistent that I’ll confidently order almost any bottle I see. It has a bit of red-wine grip and racy acidity, making it a natural pairing with food from nearly any cuisine. Expect a full body, bright citrus, and Mediterranean herbs, as well as a Riesling-like petrol note with a few years of age. If you love dry Alsatian whites, or you’re simply an adventurous drinker, order it. Look for Vigneti Massa, La Colombera, and La Chiara, plus Langhe heavyweights Vietti, Borgogno, and Oddero, who now make it too.” —Scott Thomas, wine director, Restaurant Olivia and Dear Emilia, Denver
“If I see Domaine du Collier on a wine list, I’m almost certainly ordering it. Antoine Foucault makes some of the most compelling wines in the Loire Valley, particularly his Cabernet Francs, which manage to be simultaneously powerful and delicate, deeply savory yet remarkably elegant. His Chenin Blancs are every bit as extraordinary, and there’s a purity and sense of place to it all that I find irresistible. To be honest, these are probably the only wines that would make me flip the page away from Burgundy, and those who know me know how big that is.” —Cody Pruitt, co-owner, Capitaine and Floradora, NYC
“The 2024 Occidental-Frestone Pinot Noir from Occidental is the wine to order 100 percent of the time. It is just pure pleasure. The purity of bright fruit in this cuvée is mouthwatering and even a little salty. This wine is the pinnacle of harmony and balance all Pinot strives to achieve. It is a great reminder of why I fell in love with Pinot Noir in the first place.” —Steven Flores, head sommelier, Lei, NYC
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