Ordering a bottle of wine at a restaurant can be confusing and even daunting. Many times, what little information available is incomplete or even wrong. To make matters worse, not many restaurants have a wait staff that is knowledgeable about the wines in question, leaving them to be of little help. So what are you to do in a situation like this? Take on the selection process with some of these following tips in mind, which is what you should do.
1 – First and foremost, you should not be fooled into the belief that the most expensive of all the bottles on the list is going to be the best or most worthwhile wine on the list. Many restaurants charge as much as twice the going rate for the wine that they offer by the bottle, so that $15 Chardonnay that you really love could be costing you $30 per bottle if you are not careful.
2 – Second, you should never allow yourself to become intimidated when it comes to buying wine in restaurants. There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking questions if you need to. If the wine list doesn’t indicate the name, the vintage and the grape variety or other pertinent information, don’t be afraid to ask for more information before you choose a bottle.
3 – Third, do not be afraid to stick with what you know, or what you feel comfortable with. You need to know how reasonable the pricing is, so try to recognize some of the wines in the list and compare them to what you remember paying when you bought a bottle from a wine store to get a good idea about the markup on wine in restaurants.
4 – Fourth, if you plan on bringing in your own bottle, make sure that you call ahead of time to ask for permission or to find out what the regulations are for the restaurant so that you do not step on any toes.
5 – Fifth, when you are ordering your wine by the class, check to find out what the bottle costs and do the math to make sure that you are buying your wine in the most cost effective manner.
6 – If it appears to be too good to be true, then it probably isn’t true at all. If something on the menu seems out of place because it’s marked down significantly, it may actually be a ploy for the sommelier to suggest other wines that are similar in style but much more significant in terms of price.
7 – Finally, know that not every sommelier or restaurateur is dishonest. Dishonest sommeliers are actually the exception, and most are honest because they are passionate about what they do, and they genuinely want you to have a good wine experience.
Photo credits: jenny downing
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