How To Order A Bottle Of Wine
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Published: September 27, 2006
Become familiar with several different kinds and characteristics of wines. Knowing that Chardonnays are white and are best paired with seafood and chicken and Cabernet's are red and go well with red meats will assist you when ordering a bottle of wine. A little research will go a long way and will eliminate the feeling of being an amateur.
Request the assistance of the restaurant's sommelier. The sommelier is a person employed by the restaurant responsible for suggesting, ordering and maintaining the wine selections within the establishment. The sommelier will be able to determine what is best for your party and what will work for your price range. If a sommelier is not present, your server will also be able to guide you along this same route, but may not have the extensive training and knowledge of the sommelier.
After the bottle has been ordered, the server or sommelier will present the bottle with the label facing you. This step of the presentation is where you check the label, making sure it is the wine you have ordered along with the year you have requested. This is especially important since some varietals have better years than others.
Once the wine has been opened, the server will present the cork to you for inspection. The cork will give you an idea of how the wine is going to taste and if it has been properly stored. When holding the cork, squeeze it to make sure it is soft, but not sponge-like. A spongy cork may imply that the wine has been corked. Corked wine will smell like mildew or wet cardboard and will be unpleasant in flavor often being very earthy and bitter. A hard cork that crumbles will also show that the wine has not been properly stored and may have also been corked. Many people smell the cork which is not necessary these days. Some people say that smelling a cork will just prove that it smells like a cork. Others disagree with this notion. A musty smelling cork may alert the consumer that the wine has been corked and contains bacteria. This is a debate that is sure to last for quite some time. If you are unsure of what to do in this situation, the best bet is to squeeze the cork and allow the presentation to proceed.
After you have examined the cork, a small amount of wine will then be poured into the glass. At this point, follow the four S's of wine tasting: sight, swirl, smell and sip. The sight of the wine is the first clue as to how your wine will taste. A cloudy appearance is a characteristic of a corked wine. Your wine may have a bit of sediment to it, which is natural, but should never have an overall cloudy appearance. Wines that are heavy in sediment are best decanted.
Swirling the wine will also allow you to see the appearance of the wine while being able to view the legs. Legs determine the viscosity of the wine and are in no way a factor of it's value. Swirling will also enable oxygen to enter the wine, enhancing its aroma. You will then be able to smell if the wine is ready to be served or if it has in fact been corked.
Smelling will also allow you to pick up attributes, or notes, of the wine that will be beneficial in recognizing different characteristics. For instance, some reds may carry notes of rich plums or tobacco while some whites may carry notes of oak. Take a small sip to ensure the wine is pleasing to the palate and is in fact the suitable selection to enjoy with the meal.
Once these steps have been completed give a nod to the server to complete the wine presentation. If the wine is not to your liking, simply inform the server or sommelier that you are dissatisfied with the selection. You will then be required to either sample another bottle of the same request or move onto another selection.
Ordering a bottle of wine in a restaurant should not be a difficult or intimidating event. After ordering a bottle of wine several times you will begin to recognize wine by name, slowly building your mental list of favorites while building your confidence in wine knowledge.
