Dining out can be such a wonderful experience. Ordering food off the menu is usually no problem…. you decide what you are hungry for and you order it. Then your server hands you the wine list and it’s five pages long, but don’t fret! There are several useful tips to help you navigate your way through a restaurant wine list.
¦ First of all, ask if there is a sommelier on staff to help you make a selection. Some of the finer restaurants will have a wine manager on duty.
¦ If there is not a wine manager available, ask your server for a recommendation. Simply explain to the server the style of wine that you enjoy and don’t be afraid to give them a price range, that is actually very helpful to them when choosing the perfect wine for you.
¦ If no one is available to guide you, don’t go for the most expensive wine on the list or the cheapest wine on the list. Keep your selection mid priced and look for wines from regions like the south of France, Spain or South America. There are great value wines being produced all over the world. Step outside the box.
Food and Wine Pairing Made Simple
The old rule of “white wine with fish and red wine with meat” is, for the most part, long gone. But, there are some very helpful and established guidelines for matching food with wine successfully (there is a reason why chocolate chip cookies go so well with milk and so badly with orange juice).