How to choose wine from a restaurant wine list
Jeff & Sally Toister Sunday, August 7, 2011 at 4:54PM Buying a bottle of wine from the restaurant wine list can be intimidating. Bottles prices in restaurants are expensive and you don’t want to make a costly mistake. Fortunately, there are three simple strategies to help you make the right decision.
Strategy #1: Stick with what you know
Start by looking for bottles of wine you know and love. If you spot something you like and it seems like a good price, get it.
Finding something familiar immediately solves two problems. First, you know you like it, so you don’t have to worry about getting stuck with a lousy bottle. Second, you generally have a better idea if a bottle you know is a good deal or not, so you are less likely to feel price anxiety when you pick a favorite bottle that seems reasonably priced.
Strategy #2: Try before you buy
Asking to try before you buy is a great move if you don’t find something familiar on the wine list.
How can you get a free sample? Look for wines that are offered by the glass. The restaurant will have bottles of those wines already open and most will let you taste a wine or two if it helps you choose a bottle. If you try it and like it you can order a full bottle with confidence.
Strategy #3: Tell your server what you like
If all else fails, tell your server what you like and what price point you are comfortable paying.
Servers are typically very familiar with the wines they serve. They can suggest a wine based on your tastes, budget, and the food you order.
Sharing a bottle of Layer Cake Primitivo, purchased from the wine list, with friends Kurt and Eve.
Reader Comments (4)
Just picked up a bottle of Layer Cake Primitivo (aka Zinfandel), also with a screw cap top, at Costco the other day for 12.99. Seemed like a good price and I'd read good reviews of it. Looking forward to trying it soon.
Hey Mike ~ we quite enjoyed it, look forward to hearing your review! I have also heard the Layer Cake Malbec is tasty.
Jeff, great tips! Another strategy is to check out the restaurant's wine list in advance. Many restaurants post this online, so it's easy to access. Then you can invest 10-15 minutes researching a handful of interesting bottles you spotted on the menu. Oftentimes, by reading descriptions at the winery's website, scanning online reviews or watching short video clips (Mollydooker does a good job of introducing its wines through video), you'll get a sense of whether or not you will enjoy a certain bottle of wine. (Of course, you can do all this with your smartphone at the restaurant but it's probably not how you want to spend your time...)
Your due diligence will also give you an idea of the restaurant's markup on its wine. While restaurants vary, an average markup is usually 2.5 - 3 times wholesale cost. If the markup seems unusually high, this may influence which restaurant to visit - as there's usually no shortage of popular, critically acclaimed restaurants to try out!
Steve
Steve - this is an excellent idea! Thank you for sharing the comment, and will give that tip a try!