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Choosing wine in a restaurant

How do you make the average worldly, confident business executive or professional squirm? Hand him a wine list! For years I worked as a Sommelier in some very good restaurants, and I always took pride in helping diners choose a wine that they would enjoy with their meal. Many of my customers were successful business owners and executives: people who made plenty of money because they were decision makers, and their decisions were usually right. So many of them quickly lost their confident mien as soon as they had a wine list in their hands. Really, there’s not that much to get worked up about, and picking a wine isn’t all that difficult. Let me give you a few tips.

Take your time. Don’t rush, or you might end up picking a wine that you won’t be happy with. Take a few seconds to flip through the list. Look at how it’s laid out: are the Italian whites separate from the American whites? Are the wines grouped by price, or by grape variety? Is there a separate section for recommendations, or featured wines?

Relax! It’s not like surgery: no one is going to die if you don’t pick the “right” wine. It’s all a matter of taste, and each one of has our own favorites. Don’t be afraid to pick what you want to.

Go with the restaurant’s strengths. A French Bistro should have a wine list that features plenty of affordable French country wines, and a seafood restaurant should have more white wines than red. While you might find the occasional overlooked treasure on a wine list where it doesn’t “fit”, your best bet is to look for the wines that are appropriate for the restaurant where you are dining.

Avoid the Big Names. Having several vintages of well-known wines like Opus One, or a few hard-to-find “trophy wines” on your wine list is worth plenty of bragging points for any Sommelier. Now, since they aren’t making any more of those older vintages and the rare ones are so hard to obtain, most restaurants try to discourage customers from actually buying those wines by marking them up to often ridiculous prices. It’s common to see restaurants charge three, four or even five times the retail price for these wines. If you’re on an expense account, then go ahead… but for the rest of us: watch out!

Beware of the Numbers Racket! Some restaurants print the numerical rating that the wine may have received from a critic or from a magazine. Most of the time, the number listed is for a different (and more highly regarded) vintage than the one that they have available. Too often, the higher the number, the higher the markup on the wine. An overpriced 95 that isn’t ready to drink and won’t compliment your meal is not as good as a bargain priced 85 that is drinking well and is a great match with the food you’ve ordered!

Look for wines that you know. Get a feel for how the restaurant prices its wines. Find a wine on the list that you know the price of, either from your wine shop or a restaurant that you know. Compare the price. Many restaurants charge twice what you’d pay in a wine store, but some restaurateurs are shameless.

Red or white? You can eliminate half of the list by making this decision. In a group, I often order a red and a white, so that there will be something for everyone, so this step doesn’t always apply.

Order from the right side of the list. Look at the prices. You know how much you want to spend, so look at wines in that price range.

Plan ahead. If it’s a special occasion, you might want to visit the restaurant a day or two before your reservation and look at the list. Without the pressure of having to order then and there, you can take your time and examine the list more closely.

Ask. Ask for the Sommelier. If they don’t have one, find out who does the wine buying and speak with them. Tell them what you have in mind and ask them for a suggestion. Don’t be afraid to let them know how much you want to spend. I often point discretely to the price of a wine that is right in my price rang and say: “Something like this, I think.” When they bring a wine, ask them to show you where the wine is listed on the wine list… and check the price!

Let them get to know you. If it’s a restaurant that you like and that you plan to return to, let the Sommelier know that you are interested in wine. Tell him that you’re a wine lover and will be calling on him for his advice and expertise in the future. Ask him to keep you in mind when something new or something special comes in. I always held a few wines that were scarce just for people who I knew would appreciate them, and didn’t put them on my list.

Tip. There’s nothing that shows your Sommelier that you appreciate his help like a crisp bill, folded and palmed in a handshake, along with a “Thank you for your help”. It doesn’t have to be a lavish tip: a five or a ten gets plenty of attention in most restaurants. They’ll remember, and be eager to help you the next time you come through the front door.