Tate Britain is a corker!

Tate Britain serves the best wine in London, according to a new guide. The secret of its success is said to be that the museum's restaurant is one of the few in the country to buy wine direct from producers' barrels - rather than already bottled - and mature it in its own cellars.

The tradition dates back to before 1975 when the museum was government-run, its employees were civil servants and its reputation for fine clarets and burgundies made it a favourite haunt of those who worked in the wine trade.

Wine writer Neville Blech recommends the Tate's wine list as the best in the capital and second best nationwide in his new book The Top 100 UK Restaurant Wine Lists.

Of the Tate's contemporary list, Mr Blech picks out the Kumeu River Chardonnay 2002 at £28, Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon Rosé at £87 and Brewer-Clifton Julia's Pinot Noir 2000 at £47.

Duncan Ackery, the chief executive of Tate Catering, said: "We are very pleased to be ranked so highly. We are one of the few businesses that has a significant stock in its cellar where we hold and age it. That's a rare treat.

"When the Government handed over the Tate to its current management the restaurant discovered all sorts of amazing wines in the cellar. We've added to these to make a great list."

Former restaurateur Mr Blech, who built up his own wine import business, was moved to compile the book featuring 21 of London's restaurants by the sight of diners ploughing laboriously through lists containing hundreds of wines.

He writes in the introduction: "You desperately need to make a quick decision so do you (a) go for the cheapest house white, even if you know that it's going to taste like you've licked the back of a thousand envelopes, (b) ask the sommelier (assuming there is one), (c) go for something safe like Sancerre, or (d) try to go it alone and choose something that you think will be interesting and good value?"

Mr Blech, 67, hopes the book will encourage diners to try the latter. He said: "With a bit of research the day before, the wine list can be a lot less daunting. People are confronted by huge lists and this book can hopefully help them find quality and value."

Neville Blech's The Top 100 UK Restaurant Wine Lists is published by Williamson Moore, price £8.99.