Ordering Wine in a Restaurant

I have watched confident, capable people — the kind who run boardrooms and command a room — shrink the moment a wine list lands on the table. Something about that leather-bound book flips a switch. Suddenly, everyone is convinced they’re one wrong word away from being exposed as a fraud.

They’re not. Ordering wine in a restaurant is not an exam, and 30 years in this business has taught me the real secret: the person grading you hardest is you. Nobody else at the table is keeping score, and more often than not, your server knows less about the list than you’d guess.

Here are 10 rules that will get you a good glass of wine, at a fair price, without a shred of anxiety.

10 Tips for Ordering Wine in a Restaurant

• Never be intimidated, as sadly, your server likely knows little about wine (even the very small subset of wines contained on the restaurant’s wine list). If you are lucky, the server does know wine, or at least their wine list, and can help you navigate the choices. The paradox is that the more knowledgeable the server, the more likely they are to be gentle and helpful. The inverse is also certainly true.
• There are so many wines available in the marketplace today that it is impossible to be familiar with all of the labels that you will encounter. I have been in the drinks business for 30 years and I constantly see brands that I have never previously encountered. Again – lose the intimidation factor.
• Take your time — don’t be rushed. If you would like some wine with your decision-making, ask about a glass of house wine.
• A house wine can tell you a lot about the restaurant’s wine program and their overall philosophy of offering wine to their guests. A house wine should meet three criteria: provide an easy, no-fuss method of getting the customer a glass of wine; provide value; and signal to wine loving customers that this establishment is serious about providing quality wines at all price points. Most American restaurants fail the house wine test as they are very aware of criteria one and two (easy and cheap) so they put zero care into making the selection using price as their exclusive guide. If the house wine stinks — you are not in an establishment that cares about wine or their customers.
• Follow the cuisine. A well-curated wine list will offer wines that are friendly with the food they serve. An Italian restaurant’s wine list should be dominated by Italian wines and the same is true for French, Spanish, and so on.

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  Do your homework. Many restaurants offer a look at their wine list online. Do be aware that almost every online wine list that I have encountered is out of date, so don’t get your heart set on one particular bottle. Rather, use the online list to gauge the depth, composition (is it primarily domestic or Italian, or French, and so on), and the price range of the wine list. If you did not do prior research, no worries, just pull out your mobile phone and perform a search or two. Don’t be shy.

• Find a guidepost on the wine list. If you are an occasional wine drinker you will likely find a wine on the list that you have previously enjoyed. Ask your server about this familiar wine. Their response will tell you a little something about their knowledge of the wine list. If you like their description tell that you fully agree and ask if they can recommend a similar wine from the list. If they confidently offer a suggestion go with it and if not at least you have a trusted choice to fall back on.
• The only fear that is permitted when ordering wine in a restaurant is the fear of being ripped off. Scan the wine list for wines that you may know. If you have bought one or more of these wines recall the retail price. The relationship of a wine’s retail price as compared to the restaurant’s asking price will tell you everything. Typically a retailer marks-up his wine one-and-a-half times and a restaurant will mark-up three times. (For example a retailer buys the wine at $10 a bottle and sells at $15 while the restaurant buys at $10 and sells at $30 to $40. As you see, this neatly translates to the restaurant selling wines at double the retail price.) Do your research. Winesearcher.com is a great site for finding average retail prices. If the wine you are interested in buying is listed at $45 on the wine list but the average retail price is $15, or less, the restaurant is attempting a robbery — don’t let them do it. Return the wine list to the server and order a beer.
• I’m serious about refusing to order wine. I am fairly rigid to this rule these days — even when I’m really craving wine. If more customers armed themselves with knowledge and refused to be ripped-off while dining out, restaurants would be forced to change their ways. Conversely, if the restaurant’s wine prices are fair or better yet terrific, reward the establishment with generous wine orders and frequent visits. Also be sure to tell your wine-loving friends about the great wine values. Far too many restaurants follow antiquated mark-up schemes. They lack the knowledge to structure their wine offerings in such a way as to maximize revenue while offering value to their customers. The only way they know how to generate income from wine is to get maximum dollars from every unsuspecting soul that falls into their trap.
• Last but certainly not least – Don’t be afraid to talk price. They are not giving away the wine and in most cases they are making a handsome profit so don’t be shy about expressing your budget. Stating your budget means that you will not spend more than you are comfortable spending and in the best case scenario it allows a helpful and knowledgeable server to get you the most wine for the dollar.

Practical Tips for Finding Values When Ordering Wine

The first thing is to look for undervalued regions and grapes. I wrote a story called Montsant and the Famous Neighbor Strategy. In it, I lay out the strategy of looking to wine zones or appellations that neighbor famous zones. These often make the same style of wine but sell it at a fraction of the famous neighbor’s price.

In a French-focused wine list, the top estates from Bordeaux sell at prices mirroring your car payment. Look to wines from Fronsac or Cotes De Blaye — smartly priced Merlot-driven wines. Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre or Pouilly-Fume is going to be pricey, but the same variety from Savennières or Touraine is likely a hand-picked gem waiting to be discovered.

On an Italian wine list, the Nebbiolo-based wines from Piedmont are going to command high prices while Barbera and Dolcetto are often overlooked. Brunello, from Tuscany, will likely be prohibitively priced, while Morellino di Scansano DOCG or Carmignano can deliver quality Tuscan Sangiovese-based wines that offer value and flavor.

In the USA, don’t assume that domestic means greater value. While this is intuitive, it’s most often wrong. If we were to generalize, there are greater values to be found in imported wines, including European wines. American consumers flock to these wines because they are varietally labeled rather than named for a place (sometimes a place that’s tricky to pronounce). You can flip the script by looking for varietally labeled wines from Europe, as these are often value wines. A French wine with Chardonnay on the label is almost always going to be priced below a White Burgundy like Meursault or Pouilly-Fuisse.

Remember, if you are a wine lover, wine is part of your lifestyle and certainly part of your meals. Buy wisely as you do with everything else you purchase with your hard-earned dollars. Wine is not a luxury item so don’t be intimidated into over-paying and always be sure to reward restaurants with fair mark-ups with your dollars and your verbal praise.

Do you want to have a better understanding of ordering wine in a bar or restaurant? May we suggest Be A Beverage Expert (BABE), a guide to understanding wine, beer, spirits, and cocktails.