A good wine list stands in contrast to all the crazy tangents of human nature. A good wine list is beautiful and simple. The wines offered each have their own virtues of balance, finish, concentration of fruit, mineral notes and inherent qualities that make them accompany food so amazingly. Often, in ordering wine from a steward, the personality of a client comes through. "I want a big California red." Hmm, why does that not surprise me, that you would like a big fatuous foul bomb of ill-craftedness to match your ego. Rather, go with the flow. Enjoy the terrior wines of venerable tradition and local know-how.

It's like someone you have given the benefit of the doubt to for a long time. Of course, no one is completely blameless within the context of human contact and relationships big and small and passing, if only because the other individual will always be interpreting your own actions, or misinterpreting, just as you may be doing. But it's a big relief to say to yourself, you know, that which one is supposed to like really turns out to be a rather undesirable.

People will order, and taste, wines with their egos, and miss the individual grace and beauty of a wine.