Wine flights soar at Fleming’s

Ordering wine by the glass is usually as appealing as selecting

bottles of wine at a convenience store. The selection is limited, the

quality suspect and the expectations low.

But at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse, you can order 100 serious wines

by the glass. The selection includes such finds as the fruity 2003

Saint M. Riesling; the medium-bodied 2003 Veranda Chardonnay; and the

crisp and dry 2003 Wattle Creek Sauvignon Blanc.

The beauty of this by-the-glass bounty is that you can try all

three of these wines without the expense or waste of buying the full

bottles. For adventurous wine connoisseurs, this can be a bit of

nirvana.

Fleming’s latest annual selection of wines by the glass has

recently been unveiled after a lengthy (but hardly taxing) process

during which more than 5,000 wines from around the world were

considered. Final selections were decided at a grand tasting in Napa

Valley.

Fleming’s is known for its grilled steaks, but as you can see,

Fleming’s takes wines just as seriously. It’s already garnered 23

Awards of Excellence from Wine Spectator magazine. It features

exclusive labels, wines from up-and-coming regions, bottles from

small production wineries and great value wines from Australia and

South America.

A trademark of Fleming’s is its wine flights -- three wine samples

served in two-ounce pours. You can customize selections from more

than 100 wines or order the pre-selected Flight of the Night. Wine

enthusiasts can group types of grapes or compare wine regions.

The glasses in a wine flight are held in a wrought-iron stand that

looks like a grapevine. In addition to being visually pleasing, the

vertical presentation allows for more table room. A card lists each

wine and vintner.

Ordering wine at Fleming’s is easy. Instead of an intimidating and

complicated wine list loaded with foreign labels and mystery wines,

Fleming’s provides an-easy-to-follow list. Wines are categorized by

grape variety, then organized by body and flavor.

Glasses of wine are priced from $5 to $16.50. The list changes

regularly -- 60% of the bottles come from well-known vintners, 40%

from lesser-known boutique labels from California, Oregon and

Washington.

The reserve list (by the bottle only) is comprised of highly

reputable labels of limited availability.

If wine isn’t enough to bring you to Fleming’s, the restaurant’s

new Sunday evening prime rib dinner special will. It features some of

Fleming’s most popular items at a great value -- three courses for

$24.95.

The menu includes a 12-ounce prime rib served with a trio of

sauces, a choice of three salads, one side dish and dessert.

A few popular side dishes are the baked potato with sour cream,

butter, chives, bacon and cheddar cheese; Fleming’s potatoes, a house

specialty with cream, jalapenos and cheddar cheese; mashed potatoes

with parmesan-peppercorn, blue cheese or truffle compound butter; and

creamed corn gratinee with Parmesan and Gruyere cheese; and onion

rings with chipotle chili mayonnaise.

For dessert, the chocolate volcano cake and the key lime pie are

wonderful.

You’d be smart to go to Fleming’s on a Sunday evening and order

the prime rib dinner and a wine flight. If you’re looking for the

right wines, the advice here is to select the 2003 Gunderloch Jean

Baptiste Riesling; the 2002 Veramonte Primus ; and the 2003 Marques

de Riscal Tempranillo.

FYI

WHAT: Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar

WHERE: 455 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach

WHEN: Open 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 5 to 11 p.m.

Friday and Saturday.

INFO: (949) 720-9633. o7www.flemingssteakhouse.comf7.

* BEST BITES runs every Friday. Greer Wylder can be reached at

[email protected]; at 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA

92626; or by fax at (714) 966-4679.