How to choose wine when dining at a Reno Restaurant

When you order wine in a restaurant, you usually have few details about the wines listed on the menu. And if you’re new to the wine scene, you may have trouble remembering which wines go well with which foods. Don’t panic! You don’t have to give in to your uncertainty and skip ordering a glass of wine.
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The following table lists some wines that are on most restaurant wine lists and are consistently reliable choices with the specified foods.
 
Reliable Wine Choices When Ordering in a Restaurant
 
When you want:             
A crisp, dry white wine that isn’t very flavorful, to accompany delicately-flavored fish or seafood
Order:
Soave, Pinot Grigio, or Sancerre
 
When you want:
A dry white wine with assertive flavor; perfect with mussels and other shellfish
Order:
Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa or New Zealand
 
When you want:
A medium-bodied, characterful, dry white wine, for simple poultry, risotto, and dishes that are medium in weight
Order:
Mâcon-Villages, St.-Véran, or Pouilly-Fuissé
 
When you want:
A full-bodied, rich white wine, for lobster or rich chicken entrées
Order:
California or Australian Chardonnay
 
When you want:
A full-bodied white wine with a honeyed, nutty character; works with meaty fish, veal, or pork entrées
Order:
Meursault
 
When you want:
A medium-dry white wine, for Asian-inspired dishes
Order:
Chenin Blanc, Vouvray, or German Riesling
 
When you want:
An easy-drinking, inexpensive red; perfect with roast chicken
Order:
Beaujolais (especially from a reputable producer, like Louis Jadot, Joseph Drouhin, or Georges Duboeuf)
 
When you want:
A versatile, flavorful, relatively inexpensive red that can stand up to spicy food
Order:
California red Zinfandel
 
When you want:
A lighter red that’s delicious, young, and works with all sorts of light- and medium-intensity foods
Order:
Oregon or California Pinot Noir
 
When you want:
The basic French version of Pinot Noir; try it with simple cuts of steak
Order:
Bourgogne Rouge
 
When you want:
A dry, spicy, grapey, and relatively inexpensive red wine that’s perfect with pizza
Order:
Barbera or Dolcetto
 
When you want:
A very dry, medium-bodied red that’s great with lots of foods
Order:
Chianti Classico

"Probably the best Italian restaurant in all of Reno..." - Mickey R. Sparks, NV

"​Probably the best Italian restaurant in all of Reno. The ambiance is beautiful, felt like I was walking through a tunnel straight into Italy. The mountain view is gorgeous. The lights are set perfectly enough to feel intimate.

The service was spectacular. They were so accommodating and friendly and helped describe every menu item we asked about effortlessly. They would constantly check on us and make sure that everything was perfect. 

The food was amazing. My friend told me to try the balsamic strawberry cocktail and I am so glad I did because it was one of the best cocktails I've had in the US. Not exaggerating literally almost cried when I had the saffron linguine. It's so creamy and so savory and larger than expected that I had to take a little less than half home. I highly recommend trying it.  

Louis, one of the chefs, was so kind when we asked to take a picture with him he humbly said yes! He definitely made the experience at the restaurant so much more worthwhile.

Being a college student I don't always go out and spend a lot on money on food, but I would say that for the amount of food that I got, combined with the great quality, I would say what I paid was fair. I definitely would come back to Johnny's again when I felt like I needed to treat myself."

My friend and I treating ourselves to the best Italian restaurant in Reno!! First time for both of us!!
Mickey R. Sparks, NV  / March 22, 2017
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Johnny's Ristorante: Rated Reno's Finest Italian Cuisine 
Serving Reno the finest in Italian food.

4245 W 4th St
Reno, NV 89503
Northwest Reno

(775) 747-4511