Wine Bar Do’s and Don’ts

Wine bars are popping up everywhere. I absolutely love it! Because at wine bars you can drink truly delicious wines, often with surprisingly good bar bites in a convivial atmosphere. But what should you pay attention to when you go to a wine bar? I asked the owners/sommeliers of my favourite wine bars: Julian Cleton from Wijnbar VinVin in Utrecht and Wouter Aalst from Wijnbar Paskamer in Amsterdam.

Things you should and shouldn’t do in a wine bar

It’s all so simple, especially with these tips.

Do’s

• If you’re not sure about your choice, ask if you can have a taste. We want to see everyone happy and are just as happy to pour you a different glass. We’d much rather have you ask than drink a wine you don’t enjoy. As long as you enjoy yourself!
• Tell the sommelier what you’re in the mood for. Say whether, for example, you’d like a fresh, crisp, round or fruity wine. We’ll let you taste a wine and then you can tell us whether it matches what you had in mind. We’ll keep going until we’ve found the right wine for you!
• Drink something you haven’t had before. Just like a beautiful bottle, your world deserves to be uncorked with new flavours, grapes and experiences! A wine bar has (if all goes well) put together a lovely wine list, featuring not only familiar wines but often undiscovered and special ones too. Step outside your comfort zone and try something new! A wine bar is the perfect place to discover new flavours.
• Choose the wine that suits the moment. Wine is essentially a support for a social occasion. So if you want to catch up with friends over an evening, don’t order that complex €150 wine. After all, every sip then costs €10, and you’ll feel that you have to focus on the wine instead of each other. If you’re really dedicating an evening to wine, then definitely order that expensive bottle together and give the wine your full attention.
• Oof, what a cliché, but it’s true: enjoy yourself, but drink in moderation! Nobody wants a loud, slurring guest at the bar. Feel free to come back the next day!

Don’ts

• Pretending you know a lot about wine when you don’t. That’s uncomfortable for everyone. No host or hostess wants a know-it-all. Don’t come in with an ‘I know better’ attitude; just let yourself be taken care of and engage in the conversation. Name-dropping is irritating too.
• Pouring yourself another glass. Julian: “Sometimes I leave a bottle on the table so that the guests drinking the wine can take a photo of the bottle or read the label. Don’t then pour yourself some more when I turn around. Yes, this really happens and it’s quite rude.”
• Putting the empty wine bottle upside down in the cooler. 
• Telling everyone about everything your father-in-law has in his cellar.
• Demanding too much attention. We’re happy to explain everything. Tell you about the wines. Share anecdotes about winemakers. But there are other guests too. We do our best to give everyone the attention they want. Sometimes that doesn’t work. Don’t wave or interrupt conversations. Everyone is equal; we’re happy to share our love with as many guests as possible.

Read also:

• Annoying: dining out with people who drink too much while you pay for it
• These are the favourite wine bars of top sommeliers
• This is what sommeliers pour when they want to seduce you