“Cabernet” was somm-speak for “easy money,” so for a shot at drinking great wine for good value, I stuck to whatever looked unfamiliar and vaguely intimidating—say, a Mondeuse Noire from the Savoie in France. Thanks to the golden rule—“You can’t make margin on shit people don’t know”—some somms would offer their favorite obscure wines at a lower markup, then make up the difference with the gimmes.
Lesson: When eating out, look for wine names you don't recognize for the best value.
