Ordering wine at a restaurant can be a little intimidating, especially if you are on a date or with important clients. I can assure you it's even worse when the person knows you know your wine., because the misstep is impossible.
Like everything in wine, there is no miracle solution to never make mistakes in the choice of wine in a restaurant. On the other hand, there are a few tips to help you get as close to perfecting as possible. — and I will give them to you —.
Few restaurants are able to afford the services of a sommelier or have an associated wine shop where you can take the time to observe the bottles and labels.. You will very often find yourself in front of a sheet of paper with only the list of the names of the wines and the prices. At the opposite, you can also end up with so much information that you don't know where to turn. — and it's even funnier when they're wrong —
Understanding how wine is chosen in restaurants
l don't lie to each other, the restaurateur has every interest in selling you wine, because it is one of the products where it makes the most profit. Yet, a large majority of restaurants pay rather limited attention to the wines offered and the presentation of the wine list. Generally, the wines offered in restaurants are divided into three groups.
The boss's cuvée
The owner's cuvée is very often the wine that is offered to you when you tell the waiter that you want to "drink a glass of white wine" without further explanation. Offered by the glass, in carafe or pitcher, it is the passable wine that will offer the best margin to the restaurateur. Often, this glass of wine within 5 € corresponds more or less to the price of the bottle. A well-filled glass is therefore not necessarily due to the kindness of the waiter. If the card does not give details about the wine, do not hesitate to question the server to find out where it comes from, its vintage, its name or its aromas and matches with dishes ; even ask to be able to take a look at the bottle.
Selected wines
The wines selected are wines offered by the bottle or by the glass at a price higher than the owner's cuvée - this is the definition of "selected wines" —. These are often the most expensive wines.
Standard wines
These are the vast majority of wines positioned between the patron's cuvée and standard wines..
What if you made your choice before the restaurant ?
Your date or your client appointment is super important and you have the pressure to choose the wine for the meal ? Most restaurants put their card online, even the online wine list. Take a look to get some idea of the wines and dishes on offer. Thanks to that, you can make a selection of two or three wines that interests you. D-day, you will just have to make your choice or ask the waiter for his opinion among the preselected wines.
If the menu is available online, but the card is missing, you can find out about the best food and wine pairings with the dishes offered by the restaurant owner. Having an idea of the color of the wine and the region of production to associate it with a dish is already a good start. You will just have to ask the waiter which wine seems best among the selected wines.
If the wine list is not online, don't lose hope and skip the line at the restaurant - outside peak hours - to seek advice and find out about the wines on offer.
Consult the wine list
The wine list reflects the restaurant owner
Mom always said "The wine list, it's like a box of chocolate. You never know what we'll fall on. "You can find out a lot about a restaurant by looking at its wine list., what will become of him. I read lots of wine lists. I bet if I think about it very hard, I could remember my first wine list.
This tirade a bit transformed from the movie Forrest Gump is quite revealing. Going to the restaurant without having a clue of the shape of the wine list is a bit like playing Russian roulette..
Generally, the restaurateur pays almost no attention to the wine list and will simply classify the wines by color : red, white, rosés, champagnes and sparkling wines and in ascending order of price.
Others pay a little more detailed attention to this famous wine list and distribute the wines by region, or even sub-regions. The more serious will go as far as offering dessert wines, often neglected by restaurateurs.
Take your time
If there is one thing then I hate, is to see the waiter urging me to choose my wine. Do not be fooled by the impatience of a waiter who will push you to choose a wine by guesswork. When he asks you if you have chosen your wine, answer him firmly and with a smile "I will call you as soon as my choice is made".
Use your memory to remember your past successful marriage with the dish you ordered or the characteristics of the latter : tastes, gras, white or red meat, poisson, vegetables, sugar. All of this information can help you weed out the wrong wines and end up with a small selection of options..
Nothing prevents you from asking the waiter to bring you the bottle of wine after the entrance is finished. If he doesn't do his job mechanically, he should be able to remember it.
Ask for advice
You analyzed in length, across and across the wine list and you can't choose a bottle. Whether you have a selection of wines you can't decide on or have no idea which wine to choose, you have no choice but to ask for help.
Ask for advice from around you
If you are not a connoisseur of wine, you can simply ask the people around you for an opinion : " I can not make up my mind, what would you have with a prime rib ? ". It is smarter to admit to being a little defeated in front of a wine list and to seek advice rather than to pretend and select a wine that does not suit the dish at all - especially in front of someone who knows… — .
Ask the server
If you are blocked, you can ask the sommelier who will bring you his expertise of the wines on the menu. His job is precisely to set up this menu according to the dishes offered.
Very often, the restaurant does not have a sommelier, then ask to speak to the wine specialist. The young waiter who does not know anything about wine can then take the heavy responsibility of advising you on someone who knows more.. — often the owner himself —
Even if you have a pretty good idea of the wine you want to taste, getting advice from the wine specialist can help you discover a wine or an interesting new pairing.
How to seek advice ?
Once you've caught the attention of a server, it's time to ask him the questions so he can help you choose a wine. Don't explicitly ask which wine you should choose, but rather explain the type of wine you like, the budget you want to put for the wine and what dish you want to order.
The best indicator of a server's seriousness is his ability to recommend a wine. If after giving your explanations, the waiter is satisfied with a "take this one" while pointing his pen at a wine from the menu, chances are he is not very wine savvy.
On the other hand, you can trust the server if it :
- ask you questions to clarify your desires,
- reformulates your selection criteria so that you can confirm that your expectations are well understood,
- offers several possible wines
- gives you more details about the wine and its characteristics.
How to discretely show a budget to the server ?
It can be sensitive to state out loud the budget you want to put into a wine. Discreetly show a wine from the menu that is within your budget and tell the waiter "I would like a wine like this". To make it clear that you're talking about the price plus wine, show the price on the card rather than the name of the bottle. A normally constituted person will understand where you are going and will suggest wines in the same price category..
It is important to have a finish
here, you have finally ordered your bottle of wine, now is the time to go through the stressful ordeal of wine presentation ritual.
- What is the use of the wine presentation ritual in the restaurant? ?
- How to choose a bottle of wine in a supermarket ?
- Which wine glass to choose ?
- Why not pair wine and salad ?
- Wine and cheese : how to get the perfect match ?
Do not hesitate to let me know your impressions of your experience in the comments. You can also follow your wine blog with Instagram.
