Many people find ordering wine in restaurants an intimidating prospect, because they believe they lack the knowledge to ask the right questions, respond appropriately when asked their preferences or correctly pronounce wine names. (For help, see our Varietal Description & Pronunciation Guide in this section.)
Be prepared.
Have an idea of how much you want to spend. This will narrow your choices and focus your attention on the wines in your price range.
Decide on a white or red. This will depend on your personal tastes -- and those of your companion(s) -- and what you plan to eat. If you're in a party with differing preferences, consider ordering two different types of wine -- say, a Chardonnay and Cabernet.
Ask the waiter for advice. Particularly in upscale restaurants with a good wine selection, your waiter is likely to be fairly knowledgeable about the wines on the list and how they complement different menu items. Tell him/her your taste preferences, how much you want to spend, and what you're planning to eat, and ask for a suggestion.
Stick to familiar brands and varieties in restaurants without a good selection or knowledgeable waitstaff. Most restaurants will offer at least a few wines from well-known, reputable brands like Sutter Home. In addition to being of reliable quality, they're likely to be relatively good values as well. As your wine education progresses, branch out to try other brands and varieties.
Many wine-oriented restaurants offer a good selection of wines by the glass. This is a good way to try several different wines with a meal and to accommodate the varying preferences at your table. For $8-$12, you can try two different wines (perhaps a white with the first course and a red with the entree, or one dinner and one dessert wine) and avoid being stuck with leftover wine you may not be able to -- or want to -- take home with you
Don't be fazed by the rituals
After you order wine, the waiter will bring the bottle to the table and show you the label to satisfy you it's the wine you ordered. (Make sure you get the right vintage.) Then, he/she will uncork the bottle, present the cork to you and pour you a small taste, waiting for your approval before pouring for everyone else at the table. If the wine's okay, nod and the waiter will pour for everyone else. If you think something's wrong with the wine (see our Smell section for descriptions of common wine flaws), tell the waiter right away, and ask for another bottle. They shouldn't argue with you, unless your assessment of the wine's quality is clearly off-base.
By the way, presenting the diner with the cork dates back to the days before bottle labels, when there was no proof a wine was actually made by the winery it was attributed to. Because unscrupulous restaurateurs often passed off ordinary French wine as coming from famous chateaux, such wineries began branding their corks to identify their wines. The practice caught on, and waiters began presenting the cork to diners to verify a wine's identity. The practice continues today, although its ostensible purpose now is to allow customers to smell the cork -- which is no substitute for actually tasting the wine.
