This guide will provide you with all the information and examples you'll need to order wine with confidence in any public setting.
One of the most intimidating things when it comes to wine is ordering in a public setting, especially restaurants. The menus can be long, full of complex and even foreign words, and have multiple numbers listed for each option. Understanding what you're reading is only half the battle as you also need to correctly pronounce it when you order.
This stress is increased when ordering an entire bottle as you now have the task of confirming your selection. Is the bottle brought to the table what you ordered? What are you smelling and tasting for in the sample they pour? What if I don't like the wine I picked?
The following guide will tackle these issue and more to provide you with the right tools to order your next wine with confidence.
Quick Links
Reading The Menu
The first step to ordering wine at a restaurant is reading the menu to see the selection available. Depending on the size of the menu, it may be organized by style, region or not at all. Start by scanning the menu and seeing if anything peaks your interest. Many times the wine name will be accompanied by the type of wine it is and / or a description of its taste. Some establishments will even provide suggested pairings off their food menu for that particular wine.
Next to each wine you'll find one or two numbers. These correspond to the prices of the wine by the glass (the cheaper price) or by the bottle (the more expensive price). If only a single number is presented, this usually means the wine is only offered by the bottle (and not by the glass).
Asking For Recommendations
One of the best, and least utilized, avenues for ordering wine is to simple ask for a recommendation, especially if the location you are at has a wine expert or sommelier available. While asking may seem embarrassing or inconvenient to you, their purpose in being there is to ensure you have the perfect wine for your meal.
If this is the route you choose to go, make sure you provide any information you can to steer them in the right direction. Do you have a style preference (red, white, sparkling)? What are you planning to order for your meal? Do you have any likes or dislikes when it comes to wine (tannins, acidity, sweetness, etc.)? And most importantly, what price range are you looking to stay in? Answering some or all of these questions will ensure you get a wine that matches exactly what you are looking for.
Stick To The Basics
If you plan on ordering wine but are not sure where to start, it is best to stick to the basics. For many, this could simply mean finding a wine that you recognize the name, style or producer. For others, it could be a specific wine that you have had in the past that you know you like.
Another option is to simply order the "house" wine if one is available. There is a stigma that house wine is always cheap and bottom of the barrel. While it is true that house wines are generally the cheapest option on the menu, that does not mean they are all bad. It specifically depends on the restaurant you are eating at and who produces the wine for them. If you are interested in this option, you can always speak to your server (or wine expert) to gain more insight into the producer, style and taste.
For those who are still unsure what or order, or are with a group that cannot agree on a bottle, it is best to stick to buying by the glass. That way everyone can order something more geared to their preferences, and you aren't locked in to a full bottle if you decide your choice wasn't what you were hoping for.
How To Check A Bottle
It is now time for the most stressful (but important) step in the process: checking the bottle. By this point you have already ordered your wine, and your server is coming back to the table with the bottle in hand. The first thing the server will do, before they bottle is open, is show you the label. Your job here is to confirm two things: that it is indeed the wine you ordered (style, region, producer) and that the vintage (year on the bottle) is correct.
Once you have confirmed this, the server will open the bottle. You may ask to inspect the cork (if it has one and not a screw cap) for signs of faults. Cork faults include it being dry and crumbly, any sort of mold, or signs of seepage (wine leaking out the side of the cork).
As you inspect the cork, the server will pour a small amount of wine into a glass. It is now time for you to smell and taste the wine, again looking for signs of faults. The most common wine faults are it being corked, cooked or oxidized.
Corked wine occurs when there is some sort of fault with the cork itself and the wine was improperly sealed. This can sometimes be visible on the cork, but more likely it is detected through smell. If your wine smells musty, moldy or like wet cardboard, it is most likely corked.
Cooked is a term used for wines that are stored for extended periods of time at temperatures that are too warm. If your wine tastes sour, flat or smells like stewed jam then it was most likely improperly stored.
Finally we have oxidized wine. This is another type of fault that happens in wines that are not properly sealed, allowing the wine to be exposed to oxygen. If the wine tastes and smells unreasonably sharp, almost like vinegar, it may be oxidized.
The two most important things to remember are firstly that you are looking strictly for faults in the wine, and not whether or not you like the wine you have chosen. Secondly, is perfectly acceptable to send a bottle back if it presents faults.
What If You Don't Like What You Ordered?
So what happens if you order a bottle of wine, it doesn't have any flaws, but you simply don't like your selection? There are many conflicting opinions on this topic, but the general public believes you should NOT send a bottle back for this reason.
If at first taste you are not satisfied, try letting the wine sit for a while (or decanted in the case of reds if the option is available) before taking your next sip. Allowing the wine the breathe will remove any harshness you may be experiencing (from things like tannins) and will develop the more subtle flavors. You can also try drinking the wine with your food as the interaction between the two could present a more enjoyable experience.
In the end, use your displeasure as a learning experience. Everybody is different and only by sampling all kinds of wine can you truly develop your taste profile. Make sure you note what specifically you did not like about the wine. This information will be important the next time you order wine (or ask for a recommendation) to ensure you do not have another poor experience.
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