THE WINE LIST

When diners say, “I’ll have a glass of Chardonnay,” they are verifying what the wine industry has known for a long time: that Chardonnay has become, in effect, a generic wine. For many people, it doesn’t matter who makes the wine, as long as it’s white and cold.

The wine list at Jackson’s, which is creatively chosen and reasonably priced, takes this concept to new heights (lows?) by having a 10-wine section called simply “white.” Among the whites (Chardonnays, I assume) are 1990 Clos Pegase at $23, 1991 Arrowood at $27 and 1991 Iron Horse at $26.

The rest of the list is equally reasonably priced, with the stunning 1989 Marc Kreydenweiss Gewurztraminer only $18. This wine ordinarily sells for about $18 at retail .

Among the red wines, the best values are 1991 Lane Tanner Pinot Noir, $27, a limited wine and hard to find at retail; 1991 Domaine Drouhin (Oregon) Pinot Noir at $41 (it retails for $32), and 1990 St. Francis Merlot, $25, (which is $6 over retail).

Among the 62 wines there are a few Bordeaux, Rhones and Italians and a line at the bottom that says corkage is $12. But bringing your own doesn’t make sense. You might not find bottles this reasonabe at a wine shop.