How to Order Wine at Restaurants

A good restaurant should be able to accommodate all levels of wine drinkers - from beginners to aficionados. The more precisely you can communicate your wishes, the more likely it is you will get a wine that you love.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Restaurant Guides
• Wine Local Guidebooks
• Credit Cards And Loans

1. Have some idea of how you want the wine to communicate with the food you will be eating. Know more than whether you want a white or a red; think about the time of the year, whether or not you would like to eat a heavy or light meal, and how much you want to spend.

2. Talk to the wine steward, or sommelier. He or she is there to help you make the best decision in your price range.

3. Learn the lingo. Speak to the sommelier in precise language that explains exactly what you want. (For example, "I want a wine that will hold its own with the venison, but that doesn't have overpowering tannins, and I'd like to stay in the $40/bottle range.")

4. Learn the meaning of wine terms like fruit forward, smoky, chewy, structured, bright, jowly, citrus, effervescent, creamy and fatty.

5. Share your expertise or interest with the sommelier. They love to talk about the intricacies of wine, even with amateurs.

6. Put your wine choice in the hands of the restaurant staff if you are in a good restaurant. They are professionals.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't hesitate to share your level of expertise with the wine steward. A professional will want to contribute to your understanding of what you order and subsequently drink. It's okay not to be an expert.

• Know that 95 percent of restaurant diners put their wine choice in the hands of the restaurant staff.

• Regulate how much wine is in your glass. You will get a much better understanding of a wine's complexity by pouring small amounts into your glass.

• Research the wines you are interested in drinking. If you are going to a restaurant that specializes in northern Italian cuisine, it would be a good idea to be familiar with the regional aspects of wines from that area. This will bring more importance to your wine choice.