Short definition
The restaurant's default wine, usually available by the glass or carafe at the lowest price point.
House wine used to mean "the cheapest thing we could buy in bulk." At many restaurants, it still does. But a growing number of places now choose their house pour carefully — a Côtes du Rhône, a Vermentino, something that drinks well on its own and pairs with most of the menu. Ask what it is before ordering. If the server cannot tell you the grape or region, that tells you something about the restaurant's wine program.