Wine Wisdom: How to BTG

The BTG menu is becoming ubiquitous in trendy bars up and down the country. BTG stands for by the glass, by the way, and it’s a sommelier’s best friend. It simultaneously forces upon you wines you’d never have thought of trying, while also shifting expensive bottles by selling them piece by piece.

I’m being cruel because that’s what broadsheet wine writing sounds like to me, and I thought I’d give it a go. I didn’t like it. Let’s try that again.

In no way is your sommelier trying to rip you off. The BTG menu is there to showcase their list in bitesize portions, and you can often find real gems hanging out here, pulled from the cellar for a bit of fun. It can’t be easy sitting on a dusty rack for years, waiting for a customer to pick you. No, better to be uncorked and enjoyed at your best, and served among diners who may well become friends – all thanks to you. 

It’s a running joke that picking the second cheapest wine from the list is everyone’s failsafe. On a BTG list you can’t do that, and that’s where it gets intimidating. It’s all mixed up, one white, one fizz, two rose, an orange and a light red? What to do?

I would argue that this is the beauty of the BTG. You pick by vibe and feel. You sit more comfortably in your 1960s ergonomically heat-formed plywood chair and choose something wildly relevant to your current situation. And if you’re really stumped? Ask the wine team – they’ll probably have some fun facts to tell you too (Did you know the winemaker has an alpaca called Jimmy?) Unlike the heavy wine bible, the A5, one-sided BTG sheet has no opinions about how well-wined you are. It just wants you to have a good night.