How to feel comfortable when ordering wine in a restaurant

By Simon James

Some restaurant wine lists can be daunting with brands and names you may not be familiar with or that sound similar to something you have tried before but aren’t too sure about. This is when we are most at risk and feel pressurized into making a decision even when we are not too sure of what we are ordering. Stop, be in control until you are comfortable with the busying decision you are about to make.

Remember the basic rule is to drink the wine you like and do not be told of the wine that you should or should drink with a certain dish if your palate is telling you a different story.

With the more wines you get to taste, try to build your own taste profile of your general preference. Mentally make a note or even write down in your diary the grape variety or blend of grapes you like the taste of as well as countries and regions that make the style of wine that suit your palate. It could be a Chardonnay from Chile, a Melbec from Argentina or a Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend from South Australia. Also note which wines you particularly enjoyed with a specific dish, for instance it could be a French Merlot with snow fish. To ensure you have a variety, try to build your personal list of up to six wines that you have enjoyed.

Now that we have built our foundations, let’s take the theory into the restaurant. It is easiest and safest with a limited to moderate wine knowledge to first look at the food menu and order what you are going to eat. Then look at the wine list to see what wines from their wine list will go best with the dishes ordered. Too often when choosing a wine to go with a dish, the decision is based on the fish or meat being cooked in a particular dish. However, remember the flavours of the dish come more from the sauce so think of that taste and that of the wine before deciding.

So you have ordered a snow fish poached with ginger and they have an Australian Merlot that you think you would like to drink. It is always easiest to make the selection by the wine from the glass menu, though with some restaurants the selection can be limited. Generally, in a good restaurant the service staff will pour a small quantity for you to taste. Think of this as if you were taking a car for a test drive, there is no obligation to buy. If the taste does not match the taste profile you have created do not feel obliged or be bullied into accepting that wine. Have the confidence to tell the server where the wine does not match what you are looking for and ask for another recommendation. You are paying for the whole meal as a dining experience and not the wine as a single purchase item. Enjoy the art of drinking wine; do not be intimidated by it.

Likewise, when you are ordering a bottle of wine, look at the cork to see if it is clean, sniff it to see if it is fresh. Moreover, when you taste the wine be sure that the taste is what you have ordered. If there is a flaw in the wine, not just if it is corked but is tainted because it was not stored properly, discuss it with the waiter and ask him to replace it which a good restaurant will do without question. However, if there is nothing wrong with the wine but you just do not like or have changed your mind, you do not have the right to expect it to be changed.

Order with confidence and enjoy the experience.