5 Simple Tips for Navigating a Restaurant Wine List

How not to fear ordering the wine even as a wine novice

Confession: I am a wine snob. I don’t like to drink wine out of anything but a proper wine glass, I like it to be the proper temperature, and I know what types of wine I love and which ones I will pass. I have even sent back a bottle in a restaurant on more than one occasion for it being corked. Even as a self-proclaimed wine snob, I can admit there was a time I was terrified of being handed that wine list. Today, I no longer fear being selected to choose the wine but that wasn’t always the case. So in this blog, I thought I would pass along 5 basic tips I have learned to help you overcome that wine list anxiety.

5 Simple Tips to Overcome Your Wine List Fear

There are lots of articles and blogs and videos that are done by true experts, and I certainly recommend doing your own research if it’s of interest. My tips are meant to help you not panic at the thought of picking a wine under the eye of a waiter and a table full of people.

1. Take Your Time: Don’t panic and buy yourself some time by suggesting everyone starts with a cocktail or perhaps a glass of bubbly. For true wine experts, this is done partly because you want to know what everyone at the table is eating to select wines that are complimentary. But for the novice, take a breadth and don’t panic. There is no rush to put that wine order in.
2. Know Your Audience: By this one I mean, assess the needs of your group. For starters you may not even need to order for the table if it is determined that by the glass selections of the better option for that night. Or maybe only a small portion of your group is going to drink wine. Here are a few things to consider as your figure out what your “wine audience” will enjoy:
   • How many people are drinking wine? A bottle is basically about 4 glasses. If the likelihood of drinking less than that is high you may not want to order a bottle. (Note: some restaurants and towns will let you take home the wine left in the bottle).
   • Are there strong likes and dislikes in your group? I have some friends that just don’t drink wine. Others only drink red or white or sweet wines. If you end up with a table of strong opinions that don’t align you may want to just opt for glasses. It isn’t worth having people not enjoy their experience just to order a bottle.
   • Is there a budget/price point to consider?: We have some friends that are more than happy to splurge on a nice bottle of wine. Other friends are happy to partake in a bottle of wine but aren’t true wine lovers so asking them to split the cost of a high-end bottle may not be appropriate. Have a general idea of what you think your group is okay spending and if you think you will need multiple bottles and factor that in to your decisions going forward. It will save some anxiety later when the bill comes.
3. Go to what you know: It is easy to get overwhelmed, especially if it’s a wine list that resembles a novel. If you are feeling like you don’t even know where to look, my advice is to go to the type of wine you are most comfortable with. Most wine lists are either set up by type of wine (varietal) – Chardonnays, Rose, Merlot, etc. By region – Italian, California, Australian, etc. Or they will be done by the color and heaviness – Bold Reds, Light Whites, etc. No matter how its set up, you should be able to find a category that you are more comfortable with. Don’t feel the need to be adventurous and try something totally new. There is nothing wrong with sticking to what you know when you are feeling under pressure or anxious.

4. Pre-plan if possible: In my friend circle, I am known as one of those people that always checks the menu of the restaurant before we go. I like to have a sense of what they offer so I can start to think about what I may want to eat and narrow it down a little. Usually the daily specials from the waiter change things up for me but I still like to look. Many restaurants also publish a version of their wine list on-line as well. It may not be 100% accurate but it can help you get a sense of what wines they tend to offer and their price range so you can do a little pre-planning and research before you even get there. You still may need to adjust when you get there but it can take away the overwhelm of seeing that full book of wines when you sit down.
   
5. Ask for help/suggestions: Especially if the restaurant has a sommelier on staff, don’t be afraid to ask for help. But be ready to give the person an idea of what you like or don’t like so they can help pick out something you will be happy with (they are talented wine experts but not mind readers). One extra tip though, be up front about your budget or ask the price of what they suggest, I know several people that took a recommendation without asking the price and then had a bit of a shock at the time of the bill.

There you go, 5 simple tips to help navigate the restaurant wine list. Hopefully this eases the stress and let’s you focus on enjoying your dining experience. I know other people will offer additional ideas and suggestions, but the goal here was to keep it simple. I didn’t want to force you to learn a lot of wine jargon and information just to get through an awkward or stressful moment. Hope this helps!

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