THE WINE LIST

Valentino owner Piero Selvaggio has assisted a number of potential competitors in assembling their wine programs. Few of them identify Selvaggio as their major-domo, but Andreas does, at the bottom of its single-page, 46-wine list.

This tips you off to the presence of some delightful, fairly priced wines. Even some of the more expensive wines are decently priced, considering that they are from older, good vintages and no longer commercially available. Among the best values in white wines are 1988 Meursault from Misserey, $23; 1991 Frog’s Leap Winery Sauvignon Blanc, $21, and 1989 Arneis Roero, $17. For a real treat, however, I’d pick 1988 Piper Sonoma Brut at $21 to go with lighter dishes. Sparkling wine like this is often a superb alternative to overblown, overpriced Chardonnays.

The red wine list has more to offer, from the inexpensive (1988 Barbera d’Alba from Rinaldi, $21, and 1989 Chateauneuf-du-Pape from Deydier, $22) to the exceptional (1988 Tignanello from Antinori, $55). Wine lovers may be interested in 1985 Chateau Lynch-Bages at $89, since it was so highly rated a few years back and is virtually unobtainable today.