We’ve all been there, a fancy date with a hot girl. Then the thick-as-a-textbook wine list arrives and she’s looking expectantly at you to order the perfect bottle to compliment the meal. It’s hard to save face when we’re faced with a wine list that seems so foreign that you wish you had paid attention all those years ago at french class!
Unless you’re a trained sommelier, ordering wine seems like such a stressful activity. A lot fluff and puff surround the activity. We’re here to say, “Sod it!” It doesn’t have to be. We have a few tricks up our sleeves to ordering wine like a pro.
Keep Calm and Carry on
When presented with the wine list, don’t blubber on or look panicked. Decide what price range you want to pay for the wine. And eliminate all the wines that are out of that range, that should shorten the list some.
Red or White
General rule is that it’s red for meats and duck and white for fish and poultry like chicken and turkey. This isn’t something decided on a whim. Properly paired wine actually adds to the taste of the food. If you’re ever at a wine tasting, try tasting wines paired with different food. Meanwhile back in the restaurant, you can either ask your date if she prefers white or red, or pair it up according to what you order.
Check out the menu beforehand
If you want to be properly sneaky, you can check the restaurant wine list before you even go to the restaurant and well… google some wines up so you’ll know what to order when you’re there!
Ask the Sommelier
Nothing to be ashamed of! If you’re stuck, just ask the hovering sommelier for what is his/her recommendation for your meal. Specify if you want something light, mellow, crisp, red, white, rose. If you don’t know what wine type words to use, just say, “I’d like something that will go great with the meal,” or “I like my wine more fruity (or more dry) and easy to drink.” Or whatever plain words that you can use to describe what you want.
Wine Pairing
If you don’t mind splurging a little, you could ask the sommelier to pair wine with your meal by the glass. This way, you get to taste a bunch of wines and if you order dark meat and your date white meat, you don’t have to worry about what wine to get!
We find that these tricks usually work best. At worst, you get a bottle of wine that doesn’t taste that great. When this happens, just keep sipping and say, “Mm… this wine is delicious!” It’s all about the individual palette anyway! We kid! But seriously, it is really about what you think tastes good. So enjoy your wine! What other tips do you have to look like a pro ordering wine? Tell us in the comments!
