THE WINE LIST

Sophie Healy, faced with enormous financial problems, came up with a creative solution to stocking wines. She chose mostly French wines from small producers relatively unknown to Americans.

Consider the 1990 Chateau de Beauregard from the Languedoc region of southern France. You can buy this red wine on the retail shelf for $5. The price here is $15. Sounds high, right? But consider that the wine is excellent and, based on its quality, could easily sell for $8 or $9. At $15, it is a good value.

Similarly, you can have 1988 Chateau Camensac for $38. The wine has a retail price of $19, but it’s worth more. As is 1988 Chateau Corbin ($40 here, $23 on the shelf).

For those uncomfortable with the imports, there are a few well-known California wines from good producers.