h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've been advised by more than one person - and for the same reasoning - that the house wine is often worth a punt if you're not sure about what to order, and I've found it to be true more often than not. It's certainly the case where I work - when I have a glass of wine after my shift I always go for the house red.

House wine might be cheap, but restaurants buy it in such large quantities and sell it a price likely to attract so many sales that it ought to be at least drinkable and definitely reliable. If a restaurateur is buying any old plonk for his house wine, regardless of quality, you should probably avoid his food as well as his wine list. If he's buying something cheap but decent, go for it. You won't have an experience as good as if you bought that $40 bottle, but you won't be drinking vinegar either.

Does Skanky, as a hotelier, know something we don't?

Have to say, in France and Italy the house wine is usually local and adequately quaffable... but less so in the UK!

Of course, the footnote does say about house wines:

'In countries such as France, which have an excellent wine-making pedigree, this rule can be more or less dispensed with.'

I have to say, our house wine is bought by people who just want any old wine with their meal and aren't bothered beyond medium, dry or red, and our profit margin on it is the highest of any wine we sell. The main reason for me talking about this was that house wine isn't particularly reliable when compared to knowing a little bit about grapes