Insulting Columnist

one sometimes wonders why a paper would have one of its writers either knowingly or inadvertently insult the intelligence of readers. in the feb. 4 column by josh perilo-the self described "penniless epicure"-we are told, "i know wine. there's little else i truly have any depth of knowledge in." his knowledge of wine may be what he alleges, but the tone of the article is scolding.

first, your reporter assumes that anyone consulting a wine list is scoffing at it. that's simply not the case. unless the column is intended for the unsophisticated, no one has to be told that the best wine list for any restaurant is one that serves the cuisine. the reporter does not bother to mention that many distributors offer wine list creation services for restaurant clients that order only from them. frequently, such wine lists are more about what the distributor wants to sell and less about what the restaurant needs.

and the excuse for an abbreviated by the glass wine list is both specious and inaccurate. sure, many restaurants have limited space to store wine, but there are many more who put customers first and go the extra mile to offer a good by the glass selection.

is the writer a restaurateur? both the scolding tone and the preachy style lead me to believe he's written an apologia for restaurants whose wine lists may not be up to par.

for readers to be chastised in this way is an insult. instead of asking people to snuggle up to any wine list they encounter, mr. perilo ought to apologize to the readers. not every wine list is worthy.

rodger parsons east 85th street

letters have been edited for clarity, style and brevity.