How to choose wine in a restaurant

Do you also understand very little about the wine list in a restaurant? Have no idea what to choose, or are you afraid of making a fool of yourself in front of friends or colleagues? With these tips, you’ll be the wine geek at the table without any trouble.

Ask the sommelier for help
It may sound obvious, but people are often ashamed of their (limited) wine knowledge. Nonsense—that’s exactly what the sommelier is there for. Tell them what you like and what you’re in the mood for. It’s the sommelier’s job to translate your wishes into the right wine.

Choosing by the glass

A restaurant serves at least one ‘open’ white wine and one red wine. These are usually the simpler wines. There’s nothing wrong with that, but proportionally, wine by the glass is more expensive than a whole bottle. Moreover, such a wine doesn’t necessarily go with the dish you choose, so always ask. There are also more and more restaurants with a larger number of open wines on the menu, to better accommodate their guests.

The wine-and-food pairing

A wine pairing is delicious and fun. The wine and dish complement each other perfectly. Plus, it’s a great way to discover new wines. Is a full glass with every course too much for you? Most restaurants also serve half glasses. Don’t forget to ask the sommelier about how and why the chosen wine was selected. Interesting, and always useful for next time.

Choosing a bottle
Decide in advance how much you want to spend on a bottle of wine. Bear in mind that restaurants generally have a fairly high margin on wine. The price of a bottle can easily be marked up threefold—and sometimes even more. So keep that in mind when choosing.

Different dishes

Would you rather order a bottle instead of separate glasses, but not everyone is eating the same thing? Then choose a wine that pairs easily with different dishes. A fuller, spicy white or a lighter, fruity red is often a good choice. Here too, don’t forget to draw on the sommelier’s expertise.

Tasting the wine
Assessing wine at the table contributes to the atmosphere and is largely a ritual. Very few restaurant guests are genuinely able to judge a wine on its merits. But tasting the wine isn’t a higher art form. Anyone can check a few (important) things without really knowing much about wine. Simply look, smell and taste to see whether the wine has any faults. Does it smell fresh? Then the wine is probably fine. Read here how to taste wine.

Bring your own wine
Still not impressed by the wine list, and have a nice collection at home? Then bring your own wine. Restaurants often don’t have a problem with this, as long as you pay ‘corkage’. Depending on the restaurant, this will be around ten euros per bottle. Perhaps not cheap, but at least you know exactly what you’re drinking, and your wine hasn’t been marked up threefold. It may even work out cheaper in proportion.

Also read:

• Wine lesson: grand cru
• Most bottles of wine are ordered in Den Bosch
• The most common spelling mistakes on menus