No reason to be intimidated
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A meal without wine is far from perfect and a restaurant without a good wine list is just plain sad.
However, for novices, wine lists can be terrifying. Facing a wine list with 50 pages and thousands of selections, one can be forgiven if they think it’s like trying to read another language or feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of options. So what do you do?
The fastest and easiest way to chose wine from the list is to ask your sommelier.
When you have a sommelier by your side, you need to tell him/her your expectations from the wine, such as a preference for a fruity red wine or a creamy white. Sommeliers may ask similar questions to help them determine which wine is suitable for you and the meal.
If the wine selected by the sommelier is beyond your budget, let him or her know. They are there to make you happy and comfortable. And remember it’s in their interest to make you happy since they want you to come back.
If dining in a small group of two or three people and every one wants a different wine, skip the bottle pages and focus on wine by the glass.
Some may think restaurants sell their cheapest and lowest quality wines by the glass. This isn’t always true. When you go to a fancy restaurant or where the sommelier is crazy about wine, selecting by the glass can be wonderful. You might find some interesting wines on the list such as a lovely rose from Virginia in the United States, a white from Savoie, or even a dry white from Jerez.
When Coravin, a small device that allows you to drink wine without pulling the cork, entered the market, sommeliers had the freedom to recommend top wines without having to open a bottle. It also gave customers the chance to try some great and pricey vintages like Le Pin without having to purchase an entire bottle.
If you want to try different wines and ordering multiple bottles is not an option, look for a restaurant with a tasting menu. This allows you to try anywhere from five to 14 courses. Often tasting menus are offered with a wine pairing package. Each wine may pair with each course. Smaller pours mean you don’t have to worry about getting sloshed during the meal.
There may be a time you may come across a situation where you are dining in a little café in the middle of nowhere. Sometimes the waiters and waitresses have less wine knowledge than yourself. So which wine do you select?
The safe option is to ask for the house wine, usually a choice of one red and one white. In such a situation, follow basic wine and food pairing rules. If you order white meat or seafood, choose the white. If you plump for steak or lamb, get the red.
Does a good wine list mean the options are all expensive? Not necessarily. A good wine list should always fit the restaurant. Fancy wines in a small café seem out of place as few will order expensive vintages when in search of a quick meal. At the same time, a high-end restaurant that lists cheap Yellow Tail on its wine list is making a blunder as it misses out on bigger profits when its customers can afford overpriced wines like Château Montrose.
The wine selections should always go with the style of food that a restaurant serves. That’s why sometimes we suggest pairing a wine and food that share the same identity.
When you are having a mushroom risotto, order a bottle of Barolo. When you get a beef Bourguignon, select a red Burgundy from the list.
But what about Thai food? Search for a good Gewürztraminer on the list. This is an easy way to order wine if a sommelier isn’t available.
Although the layout of a wine list can be really stylish, ultimately it serves one goal, to provide clear information. It should include vintage, producer, region, price, series name, and grape variety. This information can help guests who have good wine knowledge select a wine more easily.
I once walked into a restaurant in Lisbon and found it almost impossible to choose a wine from the list. It only had the vintage and producer’s name on the wine list. I had no clue what I should expect from the wine and the server did not offer much help when it came to selecting a wine. I just gave up and switched to a soft drink.
A meal without wine is a missed opportunity. It’s always a good thing when a restaurant can offer a huge selection of wine. There’s no reason to be intimidated by a huge list.
Ask a sommelier to help make a good choice. If a sommelier is not around and you want to choose safely, get the house wine or simply order a tasting menu with wines included. Then sit back and enjoy the meal and your dining companions.
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