Unless you are like our recommendation engine programmer, you probably never go out to dinner alone. If you are doing it right, you take your cocktail from the bar to your table (begin rant: ever notice how no matter how early/late you are for a reservation or how full the restaurant is, the host will always tell you the table isn't ready and you should have a drink at the bar? definitely a scam.... /endrant) and it is time to order a few appetizers. Apps and small plates are fun to order as a group and share but what happens when people ask you to select the wine? What do you do? More than likely you are going to stare blankly at the wine list and just pray that there is something reasonably priced that you can pronounce. Its ok, we've all been there. The next time you are in this situation, you can politely ask the group if they have any preferences. Be prepared for either conflicting requests (red only/white only) or no help at all. If that's the case, here are a few tips that can help get you by:
- Ask the server - depending on the restaurant and the server, this could get you the same result as asking your mechanic for gardening advice. They will at the very least tell you what THEY like.
- Look for reds that are grown in warmer climates and whites that are grown in cooler climates (not a rule, but a guideline if you don't have anything else).
- Order two bottles - if you don't like the first bottle, you are more likely to like the second bottle after consuming the first bottle.
- Email us a pic of the wine list and hope we aren't out making the same decisions :)
Good luck and always remember, the beauty of wine is discovery.
