9 Mistakes You’re Probably Making While Ordering Wine at a Restaurant—and What to Do Instead
Even experts admit that the world of wine can be confusing. As we explained in our guide for when to save and when to splurge on wine, so many factors go into the retail price of a bottle.
The plot thickens even more when you consider all of the other factors that go into ordering wine as part of your restaurant experience. From the selection and the service (wait, is it swirl, sniff then sip?) to the food pairing, it can feel tempting to just stick with your same ol’ chardonnay.
Getting stuck in the same routine is just one of several wine mistakes many of us make while dining out, our panel of experts agree. Read on as sommeliers, restaurant wine directors and winery founders spill about how to upgrade your restaurant wine game.
9 Mistakes You’re Probably Making While Ordering Wine at a Restaurant—and What to Do Instead
You’re buying based on the brand name.
Just like you’d be charged more for a Louis Vuitton bag and Christian Louboutin shoes than similar-quality styles from other brands, you’ll pay a pretty penny for wines by the likes of Caymus, Opus One and Rombauer. These wineries have spent decades building large, dedicated followings and can charge for their logo. That doesn’t mean these wines aren’t delicious or high-quality, but they might not be as diverse and exciting as their less-prominent peers.
“The companies that drive revenue and sales through brand loyalty tend to be mass-produced, heavily manipulated wines that are produced with one goal in mind: consistency. While wine from a specific producer should be consistent to some degree, these big-brand wines often tell no stories of vintages or changes in winemaking styles,” explains Mike Fayad, the general manager and wine program lead at Hearth and Hill in Park City, Utah.
The beverage purchaser also knows that they can mark up the price for these much more—and that cost will be passed along to you.
“Instead, try ordering different wines and brands from regions or producers that you have previously enjoyed. Trust me, you get way more value and integrity by ordering wine from a small producer than you would from something mass-produced,” Fayad says.
You’re stuck in a rut.
Similarly, if you always stick with the same grape from the same place (say, a Napa cabernet of French Champagne), consider playing the field.
“Trust the staff to help you,” suggests Kara Flaherty, a certified sommelier and the beverage and retail director for Take Root Hospitality in St. Louis, Missouri.
Tell the sommelier what you’ve liked in the past, and inquire about what’s similar but something they’re especially excited about. Then feel free to ask for a sample taste if you’re feeling uncertain about ordering an entire bottle of something new. Having an open mind can make a big difference in your overall dining experience.
“Don’t be afraid to branch out. I have a (sometimes soft) rule that I’ll never buy the same bottle twice. This has allowed me to branch out and always discover new categories and labels that I love. Some of my most memorable wine experiences have come from branching out and trying something new! Don’t be afraid to take a leap,” says Sam Tuttle, the wine director at Oak Park in Des Moines, Iowa (where he oversees a 7,000-bottle wine cellar).
You’re afraid to ask questions or mispronounce something.
To unlock the secrets of the universe of ordering wine, Tuttle says this is your magic word: “Ask!”
Don’t be afraid to speak up if you don’t know how to pronounce a term, if the tasting notes don’t make sense, if you’re confused by the pricing structure or anything else.
“The person helping you should be able to help you with whatever verbiage or knowledge you have without making you feel like you know nothing. The only way to gain more knowledge is by practice and asking questions,” Flaherty says.
“Someone somewhere in the restaurant has the answer to the question ‘What should I drink?’ That could be your server who finally got to taste that obscure, midrange, white wine from the Loire Valley with the cool label or the buyer who puts thought into every selection on their list,” Fayad says.
He and Tuttle agree that you’ll nearly always get great results if you present one question: “What wine is exciting the staff right now?”
You don’t name your price range.
As you open up the wild world of wine, feel free to set some parameters. Fayad believes that there's nothing wrong with saying "I’m looking to drink a mid-range Oregon pinot noir tonight," or "I want a $150 to $200 bottle of Champagne for a celebration." The two things sommeliers and servers are trying to gauge (and will never judge) is what you will enjoy and what you are comfortable spending.
“On a well-crafted wine list, there should be good wine options at any price point. Be direct with the sommelier on your price range and don’t let them move you above your limits. A good sommelier will appreciate knowing all the parameters and should be happy to help you regardless of your price limit,” says Tim Perr, co-founder of Pali Wine Co. in Santa Barbara County, California.
You’re comparing the price with what you see online.
With that in mind, it’s not fair to compare the restaurant’s wine price to what you might be familiar with at your local wine store (or to Google it on your phone while perusing the menu).
“The price for wine on digital wine marketplaces like Vivino, or the internet in general, are retail prices and don’t account for the labor that goes into selecting the wine for the restaurant, labor costs for serving the wine, storing the wine, washing and polishing glassware and more,” Flaherty says.
Think of the wine like an ingredient in the overall restaurant “recipe.” Just like a package of chicken is a lot cheaper when it’s raw and packaged at a grocery store, it’s a very different experience, she explains.
You think the most expensive bottle is always the best one to buy.
We love the finer things in life, too, but just as you can’t judge a wine by its label, you shouldn’t judge it by its high price. Tuttle says some guests scan the prices seeking out the highest one, assuming the quality will match.
“It’s human nature to assume that the wine with the highest price should in fact be the best bottle on the list. It certainly may be if you are head over heels about that particular grape, wine or vintage,” Tuttle admits. “But if not, you may not find a lot of value in it.”
Producers often price their wines based on what the market will bear, which in many cases is driven by marketing rather than quality or even their production costs, Perr reveals.
Instead of relying on the dollar amount to guide your choice, let your preferences and palate be your guide.
You think all wines get better with age.
Fayad often hears from customers who are interested in something more vintage than what’s listed on their wine list. His favorite reply? “Drink 'em young!”
“People often criticize wine lists, especially smaller lists, for not having old wines. The truth is, 99 percent or more of the wine in production in the world is meant to be consumed within five years. A very small number of elite wine producers make wine that’s capable of aging,” Fayad says.
This is especially true for the majority of rosés and whites, as well as reds without a high level of tannins, acidity or both. It’s also worth noting that old wine is “not for everyone,” Fayad believes, since it tastes and smells vastly different from what pretty much all of us drink regularly.
If you’re unsure about the optimal drinking window, peek at Wine Searcher, which lists the “drink between” dates for thousands of bottles from around the world.
You forget to consider the food.
To really maximize your dollar, consider the food you may be eating.
“A great food pairing is a complex sequence of chemical reactions and compounds releasing flavors and aromas of the wine matching or clashing with compounds in the food. It can be pretty tricky to nail,” Tuttle says.
To get close to the center of the target, aim to match these elements in your wine and food.
Weight: How heavy the wine feels (learn more about the “body” of wine in our best spring wines recap).
Intensity: How dark, rich, tannic or hot it may be.
“If your favorite wine is crisp, delicate sauvignon blanc, its light body and intensity may be lost with a buttery steak. On the other hand, if that bottle of heavy, high-alcohol, jet-black amarone is in your sights, expect it to steal the show from your subtle roasted chicken,” Tuttle advises.
With all that in mind, there’s no need to overcomplicate things. The most important factor is to drink something you like.
“When it comes to pairing, it’s okay if the pairing is simply good wine with good food. If you don’t like white wine, and that’s technically what would ‘work best’ for the dish, drink what you like instead. The pairing won’t resonate if you hate the wine,” Flaherty says.
You accept a wine that tastes “off.”
Once you’ve ordered a wine, a sommelier will open it and pour you a taste to ensure the bottle is “sound,” Flaherty says, meaning that it’s not past its prime in some other way.
If you’re the taster, you can tell a wine is flawed if it smells sharp like vinegar, nail polish remover or paint thinner, or if it looks unusually brown, cloudy or bubbly (when it’s not supposed to be sparkling). It is likely corked if it tastes or smells like wet dog, wet cardboard or a moldy basement.
“Any wine can be off or tainted regardless of price or reputation. Poor storage, cork taint and oxidation are some common causes of 'off' wines. In most cases, the restaurant had nothing to do with a wine being flawed,” Perr says, adding that you should never accept a wine that you think doesn’t taste good.
Speak up and the staff will make a recommendation about next steps.
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