Monday, Jul. 28, 2003

Surfing The Wine List

By Sharon Kapnick

Choosing the right wine may be the hardest task a diner faces--except paying the bill. So some restaurants, including Las Vegas' Aureole and D.C.'s Charlie Palmer Steak, are providing smart wine lists: plug in a dish, and a computer suggests a wine. The cybersteward at New York City's Blue Fin offers a "Wine Geek" search that lets you specify color, body, vintage, region or price. If you pair burgers with a lemon-flavored wine, the program spits out "Gimme a break." --By Sharon Kapnick