-
Step 1
Consider how much wine you'll be having. Ordering a bottle costs less than ordering by the glass and you get a larger variety of wines to choose from. But if you're only having one glass of wine, ordering by the glass makes more sense. Also, ordering by the glass has the advantage of narrowing your choices if you feel overwhelmed.
-
Step 2
Choose a wine that goes with what you are eating. When pairing a wine with food, a good basic rule is to match the color of your wine to your food.
-
Step 3
Order white wines to go with any light colored dish, such as chicken, salads or fish. In the white wine category, a Pinot Grigio tends to be a bit fruity, whereas a chardonnay tends to be more buttery.
-
Step 4
Select red wines to go with darker colored foods, such as meats or red sauces. You can count on a Chianti to go well with Italian food. For a heavy meal, choose a heavy red like a zinfandel. A pinot noir is a light enough red that it goes with almost everything, even chicken and vegetables.
-
Step 5
Memorize a few basic types of wine so that you'll have a "go to" list. Of course, each wine varies depending upon the date of creation, the blend of grapes and their source. However, if you have a general idea of what the types of wine are, you won't feel so lost.
-
Step 6
Keep your budget in mind when you order. You don't have to order the most expensive types of wine on the list to have a good wine drinking experience. Staying within your budget also helps you to narrow down the list to a more reasonable number of choices.
-
Step 7
Ask your servers what they recommend. Better yet, if the restaurant or bar has a sommelier available, ask him. The whole point of having wine experts available to you is so they can help you. So don't be shy about asking for recommendations.
