How are you supposed to order wine at a restaurant?

We often get this question when we go out to eat with others. For some reason people are intimidated by the wine list. It’s either they are overwhelmed by the choices, afraid of the pronunciation of the names, or they are afraid they are being judged by the waiter or the others over the wine selection they make.

Fear not, there is no reason to fret over this. You can maximize the dining experience with your wine selection and not just default to ordering the usual.

Here are 5 tips to use next time you order wine.

1. When the wait staff presents you with a wine list and asks you what you would like, tell them what was the last wine you really enjoyed. A sommelier knows what wines are similar to this. This works better than just saying you want something ‘dry’ or ‘bold’ or ‘soft’.
2. If you can order wine ‘by the glass,’ ask for a little sample before placing your order. Any good restaurant that desires to give you a good wine experience will do this.
3. Ask the sommelier or wait staff what wines excite them. They want to share their passion for wine with you. This is also a good way to try new wines and wine varieties and wine regions without having to take a chance on a wine when you buy that bottle at the store. Honestly, this is how we do a lot of my research for future wine purchases. Yes, we drink wines besides our own, we call it “R & D”. Wink. Wink.
4. Sometimes the wait staff will present you with the cork. Are you supposed to smell it? You can, but there is no need to. Most people assume that you are supposed to sniff the cork to make sure the wine does not suffer from cork taint. Cork taint gives the wine a wet or musty cardboard smell. The reality is that this is very rare these days and the best way to tell if there is a problem is to take the small sample that the wait staff has just poured and swirl it a bit and take a sniff.
5. Here is our most important tip and we make it for selfish reasons, but the goal is to help put ‘Wisconsin Grown’ wines on the stage it belongs. Our request is that the next time you go to a restaurant that prides itself in how its entrees are sourced locally, leave a note on the bill that says, “I loved the service and your locally sourced entrees, but please consider putting a ‘true local’ wine on your wine list.” This will go a long way to elevating the attention that these wines deserve and really help to put Wisconsin on the map of the great wine regions of the world.

Have fun and Confidently explore wines!