Ordering from a full wine menu that offers dozens of producers (wineries), varietals (types of grape) and vintages (years of harvest) is not easy. In fact, it can be stressful, and for many reasons. First, when given so much choice, consumers are more likely to antagonize and deliberate for fear of making a wrong decision. We've also been trained to believe that there is a "right answer" to pairing wine with food, and that you should only choose a wine that will compliment your order. In addition, we have to battle against our own inner demons: we don't want to look bad, cheap, uneducated, etc. in front of the waitperson. Finally, the menu itself can be simply overwhelming.
We can remedy some of these problems by deciding today to get over the first three concerns: quit agonizing, there is no "right answer" (and never was!), and your waitperson is there to help, not to make you feel incompetent. (Nate and I had a funny moment a while back when, at an upscale NYC restaurant, we discovered we knew more about the Riesling grape than our waiter. It's leveled the playing field for me, I no longer worry what the waitperson thinks about my wine choice.) So, now that you've moved past these concerns, it's time you figure out how to read a wine menu. It's actually not that difficult. It should certainly be fun.
Nate and I ask ourselves these questions to help us narrow down the selection:
1. How much am I (are we) willing to spend?
2. Do I (do we) want red or white? Leave the sparkling wines for celebratory moments, and unless you want to be really adventurous, you can ignore the rose´ options.
3. Which wine attributes are most important for this dinner? This could be country of origin, the grape, or a particular winemaker. Nate and I often stick to U.S. wines because we like to support local producers. We go through phases on grapes (we were on a really strong Riesling kick for about 2 years), and because we visit wineries, sometimes we’ll recognize a winemaker and go from there. Selecting based on this last attribute is rare for us: we don’t recognize that many wineries, and when we do, the restaurant is typically offering just one wine from that producer. So it’s limiting.
4. What is my (our) preferred style? Something sweet, fruity, dry, robust, acidic, etc.
5. How can the waitperson/sommelier help? Share your preferences. For example, “we’re looking for a red wine from the U.S., something a little on the not-so-sweet side?” Point at one that is in your price range and ask about it. If you want a Cabernet Sauvignon, and there is more than one option, ask the waitperson to compare the options, and make the final decision based on your preferred style. For example, if two are sweeter and you prefer dry, select the second.
Notice food hasn’t come up yet. That’s because we feel there is no true pairing. If you like the wine, eat it with your meal. We’ll get into pairings on another post. But be wary: most waiters/sommeliers will not deter you from your wine choice even if it won’t be a great match with your order. It’s business, after all. You can avoid this by speaking to him/her about a “versatile” wine that would go with most anything.
Trust us: it’s a very rare and skilled person who can read a wine menu and know exactly what they are ordering. Make it interesting and fun for yourselves by asking lots of questions, and being open to trying something new. We have been pleasantly surprised on many occasions.
Also note, many wine lists also offer wine by the glass. Do not feel obligated to lock yourself into a full bottle. Nate and I often do not buy wine by the bottle, except for special occasions. If I’m going to have 2 glass of wine, I prefer to mix it up and try something different for my second.
We can remedy some of these problems by deciding today to get over the first three concerns: quit agonizing, there is no "right answer" (and never was!), and your waitperson is there to help, not to make you feel incompetent. (Nate and I had a funny moment a while back when, at an upscale NYC restaurant, we discovered we knew more about the Riesling grape than our waiter. It's leveled the playing field for me, I no longer worry what the waitperson thinks about my wine choice.) So, now that you've moved past these concerns, it's time you figure out how to read a wine menu. It's actually not that difficult. It should certainly be fun.
Nate and I ask ourselves these questions to help us narrow down the selection:
1. How much am I (are we) willing to spend?
2. Do I (do we) want red or white? Leave the sparkling wines for celebratory moments, and unless you want to be really adventurous, you can ignore the rose´ options.
3. Which wine attributes are most important for this dinner? This could be country of origin, the grape, or a particular winemaker. Nate and I often stick to U.S. wines because we like to support local producers. We go through phases on grapes (we were on a really strong Riesling kick for about 2 years), and because we visit wineries, sometimes we’ll recognize a winemaker and go from there. Selecting based on this last attribute is rare for us: we don’t recognize that many wineries, and when we do, the restaurant is typically offering just one wine from that producer. So it’s limiting.
4. What is my (our) preferred style? Something sweet, fruity, dry, robust, acidic, etc.
5. How can the waitperson/sommelier help? Share your preferences. For example, “we’re looking for a red wine from the U.S., something a little on the not-so-sweet side?” Point at one that is in your price range and ask about it. If you want a Cabernet Sauvignon, and there is more than one option, ask the waitperson to compare the options, and make the final decision based on your preferred style. For example, if two are sweeter and you prefer dry, select the second.
Notice food hasn’t come up yet. That’s because we feel there is no true pairing. If you like the wine, eat it with your meal. We’ll get into pairings on another post. But be wary: most waiters/sommeliers will not deter you from your wine choice even if it won’t be a great match with your order. It’s business, after all. You can avoid this by speaking to him/her about a “versatile” wine that would go with most anything.
Trust us: it’s a very rare and skilled person who can read a wine menu and know exactly what they are ordering. Make it interesting and fun for yourselves by asking lots of questions, and being open to trying something new. We have been pleasantly surprised on many occasions.
Also note, many wine lists also offer wine by the glass. Do not feel obligated to lock yourself into a full bottle. Nate and I often do not buy wine by the bottle, except for special occasions. If I’m going to have 2 glass of wine, I prefer to mix it up and try something different for my second.
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