Wine Etiquette 101

The list is long and intimidating, and you know nothing about wine. The waiter is asking for everyone's order, and you're next. As the anxiety sets in, you pick randomly from the list, and hope for the best. With our top 5 tips for ordering wine, this stressful situation can be completely avoided, and you might even be on your way to becoming a wine connoisseur.

1. According to the Modern Manners Guy's Quick and Dirty Tips for a More Polite Life, fancier restaurants will have a sommelier or wine steward on hand who will be able to help you select a good wine to fit your taste and budget. Don't be afraid to ask for their help— they are there to assist you and you can bet that they know the wine list better than your waiter.

2. Wine lists can be organized by varietal, region, price or style (light at the top, full bodied at the bottom), according to sommelier Troy Weissmann of South Gate restaurant in New York City. Whether you're looking for a wine to pair best with a particular dish or one that you just generally like to drink, they will be able to help you guide you through the wine list to a bottle you'll love. And since discretion is the name of the game, use two fingers to match a particular wine to a particular price to indicate a style of wine within a certain price point— trust us, they'll catch on.

3. According to an article in the Denver Westword by Kendra Anderson, give the sommelier an idea of your budget, the kinds of wines you typically enjoy and a rundown of what the rest of the table has ordered to eat, and choose wines from the same region as the food you're ordering. Just remember, "What grows together goes together." Wines generally pair best with dishes from the same region.

4. Anderson also suggests ordering light wines in the beginning of the meal, and heavier ones later on. The light wines can be enjoyed with the lighter foods, like appetizers, and fuller bodied wines with more substantive entrees. But remember, there are no set rules when it comes to drinking wine, so just drink what you enjoy.

5. When tasting a wine, make sure the server puts enough in your glass to get a good idea of the wine. GQ's Alan Richman warns to watch out for waiters that will fill your wine glass to the brim, hoping to sell you another bottle. Just place your hand over your glass as a polite way of declining.

— Written by Kara Landsman

Photo credit: money.cnn.com

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Tags : Wine, Etiquette, Restaurant, Tasting, Kara Landsman

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