What the numbers say about what Americans actually drink.
We assumed the fine-dining crowd and the steakhouse crowd drank different wines. They mostly do. But six producers show up on both sides — the closest thing to universal American wine consensus the data has produced.
One California Chardonnay appears on more mainstream American restaurant lists than any other wine in our dataset. We looked at why — and whether the bottle lives up to its ubiquity.
Chain steakhouse wine programs are supposed to be predictable. The data shows a 10x price spread between the cheapest and the most expensive producer on the same lists. What does "mid-range" actually mean?
The producers everyone knows are the top 25. Here are the eight just below — strong sommelier traction, real cult followings, and you've probably never been told about them.
A Sassicaia heir, a 1932 vineyard in Argentine Patagonia, and a Pinot Noir that ranks #1 on our American restaurant Pinot list. The producer most consumers have never heard of.
Five producers — Aubert, Littorai, Peay, Flowers, Hirsch — appear on 14–19 prestige American wine lists each. Allocations so tight you can barely buy them. The most respected American wine region nobody talks about.