Wine List Survival Guide
ShareA wine list does not have to look as indecipherable as a calculus text book. A few simple rules will help you pass this test every time.
What Is The Right Wine To Order?
Know Your Pairing Basics
Read up on the rules to know (and break) in the section on Pairing Basics
Start With The Food
If you’ve eliminated that first variable, what to eat, the mission from there is clear: find the wine you think will best accompany it. If you’re sharing a bottle, that may mean finding something that works well for a variety of dishes.
Look For Familiar Faces
If you know some of the wines by experience or reputation, put them on your short list of ones to consider. Over time, you will begin to have some trusted alternatives in every category if you simply make note each time you discover a wine you enjoy.
Read Between The Lines
Wine Lists often come with flavor cues and clues, descriptive words that can be readily matched to the nature of the food you’ve chosen. Look for these words to describe the flavor and weight of the wine and how they might marry well with the flavor and weight in your menu descriptions.
Don’t Be Afraid To Ask
No one is expected to be familiar with every wine on a list or all the food on a menu. There’s no shame in consulting with your server to select the best wine to accompany each meal. Narrow it down to two or three that seem most promising based on the approach above, and be sure and specify what food you’re thinking of ordering. Anyone who engages in the process of choosing a good wine is, by definition, a savvy wine consumer.
Test Drive By The Glass
If you’re unsure, find it difficult to pick one to suit everyone’s choice, or simply want to try more things, try a couple wines by the glass. Soon, you will surely find one worthy of a full bottle.