How to Order Wine & Not Fear the Wine List

At a restaurant and all of a sudden your palms sweat, gut clinches, eyes blur…sound familiar? You must have been put in charge of picking out the wine for a date, business party or group dinner.  Sweat no more! Follow these simple steps from Mira Winery to learn how to order wine like a sommelier and take the fear out of the ever-growing restaurant wine list!

Step One: The Scenery

Evaluating your scenery will help you pick a style of wine. Just remember to ask yourself: Where are you? Who are you with? How do you feel? Drinking wine is your opportunity to define how you want to feel.

Tip: If you’re entertaining a large party, make sure you order enough bottles, remember a bottle only holds roughly four glasses!

Step Two: The Wine List

Here are a few tips to narrow down the selection of wine that will match with either your mood or food.

• How is the wine list organized?
• Pick a style of wine
• Pick your price range

Tip: Red wine trumps White wine. It is very common for people to order white wine for lunch and red wine for dinner.

Step Three: The Wine Presentation


When your server presents the wine to your table make sure to follow these simple guidelines to ensure you and your guest get the best wine.

• Check the label, style, & vintage — In some rare occasions you may be given the wrong bottle of wine.
• Inspect the cork — Make sure that the cork is printed with the same producer as the label and to see if there’s any seepage on the edge of the cork.
• Sampling the wine — Your job is to make sure that the wine is flawless. Here are three ways to find out if your wine is flawed:

                   Corked: Your wine will smell and taste like cardboard.

                   Cooked:Your wine will have a sour and flat after taste.

                    Oxided:Your wine will appear to be cloudy and brown. It will also have a flat and vinegar taste.

Now that you have impressed your friends, and possibly even yourself, sit back relax, swill, sip and savor your night! Enjoy!

Click here for more on how to order wine like a sommelier from The Wine Folly!