There are many rites of passage in the transition from boyhood to manhood. One of those is the first date. Another may be having your first drink. Another could be that first kiss from a young lady. Well, let’s say you’ve made it past your first date (maybe even kissed a girl or two), you’ve reached the legal drinking age and you are ready to take that new special friend to a nice restaurant looking to take this relationship to a “whole ‘nother level”. You decide that you want to take her to a nice restaurant for dinner (no burger king for this special lady) and you arrive at the restaurant on time and ready to go. She looks great, you look great, you’re sitting and smiling, the conversation is good and out of her mouth come 4 simple words that stop you dead in your tracks – “let’s order some wine”.
The reason you feel this chill in your body combined with the little beads of sweat forming at your temples is because you have no idea what wine to order and you don’t want to look like an idiot. It is probably true that she will not leave you based on your wine selection, but you definitely don’t want to lose your cool by bumbling through the wine list or making any moves that show that you are not the sophisticated young man she thought she was on a date with. Well, no worries. This article will give you the basics about how to order wine with dinner so you can be comfortable, on top of your game, and maybe even impress your date a little with your style and savoir faire.
Asking any expert on wine I heard the same statement over and over again – ordering wine can be very complicated. This is definitely true, as there are many types of wine (chardonnay, bordello, zinfandel, etc.) and there are thousands of wine makers throughout the world. To keep things simple however, try to follow these basic rules when selecting a bottle.
1. Ask your date if she has any preferences. She may have a wine that she likes and if so, that will relieve you of the burden of having to make the decision for both of you. If she says “you choose” and throws the ball back in your court then proceed to step two.
2. Think about what type of wine generally goes well with that type of food. In general the following is true:
- White wines (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, etc.) go well with lighter foods like chicken and pork
- Red wines (Cabernet, Merlot, etc ) go well with steaks or heavy red sauces (think spaghetti, lasagna, pasta dishes)
- For some simple charts on wine and food pairing check out the following charts (from wineintro.com) Red Wine and Food White Wine and Food Champane and Food
3. Consider a wine from the same region that your meal is from. For example, if you are having a Spanish dish, choose a Spanish wine. If you are having an Italian dish choose an Italian wine. French wine with French food, etc. You should be able to tell the regions from the wine list and if you don’t know which particular bottle of wine to choose, simply ask the waiter to tell you what Italian wine he would recommend with your Italian red-sauced pasta and he will gladly recommend something you will both enjoy.
4. Know your budget before you check out the wine list. Nothing blows a date more than having to wash dishes after the meal because you ordered the $200 bottle of wine on a $100 budget.
What to order with appetizers?
Champagne is light and is a good complement for an appetizer (think chilled shrimp), If champagne is out of your budget, look for a dry white like a Sauvignon Blanc, a Chardonnay, or a Pinot Grigio. White wine is a great match for lighter dishes and salads.
What type of wine to order with which main course?
Remember, it is not just the type of meat you are having in your meal (beef, chicken, etc), but which wine would complement the your overall meal choice: the type or meat, the spices in the dish, and the type of cuisine, etc. With that being said, follow the basic rules and the wine and food pairing charts above and you should be fine. Remember that charts and recommendations are just guidelines, it always comes down to what you like.
Serving the Wine
Once you’ve made it past your bottle selection you now have to keep it together for the serving stage, which may seem odd and complicated but it is actually pretty straightforward. Here is the process and what you need to do.
1. When the server comes to the table with your wine, he should show you the bottle BEFORE it is opened. Look at the bottle (don’t grab it) and make sure it is the wine that you ordered. Sometimes a restaurant will be out of the specified vintage and will bring you a different one. If that is the case, tell him that is not the wine you ordered and decide if you still want it or would like to make another selection
2. After the server opens the bottle he will give you the cork for inspection (present the cork). Give it a quick look to make sure it is not dried out or cracked (usually not the case). If desired you can give it a quick sniff and place it on the table.
3. Once the wine is open the server will pour a small amount of wine in your glass (usually your glass only and not your date’s). Pick up the glass and give it a quick smell to check the aroma. If it smells good to you (not too strong, and no offensive odors) you are ready to taste the wine.
4. Taste the wine by taking a sip (no gargling please). If you are tasting a wine you have never had before, simply see if you like it. Be very cautious about sending the wine back as you will then be asked to select another bottle (and this time without the help of the server who will probably be pretty annoyed with you).
5. Once you have tasted the wine and you think it is acceptable, give the server a slight nod or tell him “it’s fine” and he will then fill your glass and the glass of your date.
Refilling the glasses
Pour only to the lower one-third the glass. This lets air in and leaves you room to swirl
Should you order wine by the glass?
Ordering wine by the glass is fine if you only want 1 glass of wine with dinner. If you think you will be having 2 or more glasses it will probably be much cheaper to order a bottle. In addition, you will generally have more choices when ordering a bottle as restaurants usually only have their house wines open and available by the glass.
What wine to order with dessert?
If you made it through the main course with a nice bottle of wine you may want to continue drinking through dessert. Your dinner wine is probably not going to complement your dessert choice, so you would probably want to order a new bottle of dessert wine. Dessert wines (think Port) are sweeter and tend to be reserved for after the main meal. As with all wines there are alot to choose from so if you are not sure (and you made it this far through your dinner) ask your waiter for a recommendation.
Champagne and popcorn make for a great taste combination
Sometimes you can pair red wine with fish, depending on the fish and the meal
White wine and red wine should be chilled at different temperatures. According to Expert Village, white wine should be served at 8-10 degrees Celsius; full-bodied red wines should be served at around 19 degrees Celsius; and light-bodied, fruitier red wines should be served at around 50 degrees Celsius.
House wines frequently have a high mark up for the restaurant and usually not the best values.
Restaurants generally have a high markup on wines so expect to pay a lot more than the retail price
It is almost always less expensive to get a bottle of wine if 2 or more people want to have a couple of glasses of wine
If you see a wine that you’ve always wanted to try and/or there’s no way you would ever spend that much for a bottle - order a glass, otherwise get a bottle.
When the waiter pours the sample into your glass to taste, don't swirl it too much, (or else you could wind up with wine all over the table cloth and on your shirt).
You’ll be much more limited in your selection if you order by the glass.
Paul Rickert, General Manager at Quail Distributing was a contributor to this article. Mr. Rickert has over 20 years experience in the food and wine industry as a restaurant owner, chef and wine purveyor.
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