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e d u c at i o n a n d e t i q u e t t e : r e a d i n g a w i n e l i s t

terms

Corkage fee (n.): The fee charged when you bring Sommelier (n.): A restaurant’s wine steward. They
your own wine to a restaurant. will know what wines the restaurant has both on
Flawed/faulty (adj.): Wine is a living agricultural and off the wine list and can help you find the
product, and sometimes reaches the consumer in right wine for your occasion. Many sommeliers are
less-than-perfect condition. Common flaws you accredited through professional organizations like
may encounter include cork taint, oxidation, made- the Court of Master Sommeliers or the Wine and
rization, or volatile acidity (VA), which smells like Spirit Education Trust.
vinegar or nail polish remover. In some styles of
wine, low levels of these characteristics are accept-
able (except for cork taint), but you should always
have a conversation with your sommelier if you
think the wine doesn’t taste right to you. It’s im-
portant to understand that most of these problems
are only relevant to the particular bottle you have
open. A different bottle of the same wine may well
be excellent.

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W massive wine list, or one where the wines you

here do you start when you’re looking at a BEST RECENT VINTAGES

recognize are not wines you want to drink? Order a few

glasses of wine (sparkling is always a great apéritif) or napa, CA: 2016, 2015, 2014,
cocktails your dining companions can enjoy while you 2013, 2012, 2007, 2006, 1994
peruse the list. Then ask to talk to the sommelier or
beverage director. If the restaurant doesn’t have a spe-
cialist to guide you, find a region or grape you like, and
choose a wine from a good recent vintage if you’re not
familiar with the producer. The wine from a given region
usually pairs well with the cuisine of that region, so if
you’re at a Neapolitan pizza place, try a fiano or agliani-
piedmont, IT: 2015, 2013,
co from Campania. However, don’t be bound by regional
2011, 2010, 2007, 2006, 2000,
customs. A Spanish paella goes really well with minerally 1997
Sonoma chardonnay!
tuscany, it: 2016, 2015,
pro tips:
2013, 2010, 2007, 2006,
Research in advance: Preview the restaurant’s wine list 2004, 2001, 1999, 1997
online before your visit to find out what they specialize
in and think of a few bottles you may want to try.
Champagne, FR: 2016,
Determine your budget: Be clear with the sommelier 2015, 2012, 2008, 2006, 2004,
what your budget is. Ask for a few suggestions in your 2002, 1996, 1995, 1990
price range based on a description of what style of wine Burgundy, FR: 2016, 2015,
you want, like “a full-bodied red from Italy with some oak 2010, 2009, 2005, 2002, 1999,
between $70 and $90,” or “an aromatic white with lower 1990

acidity, for under $50.” Bordeaux, FR: 2015, 2010,

2009, 2005, 2000, 1998
Look for value: The markup for a bottle of wine in a
(right bank), 1989, 1982
restaurant is anywhere from two to four times the cost
of the same bottle at retail, and the highest margins
are made on wines offered by the glass and the lowest
Rioja, SP: 2016, 2015, 2011,
priced bottles. The best comparative values are found 2010, 2005, 2004, 2001, 1995,
in the mid-priced and more expensive bottles. In coun- 1991
tries with high taxes on wines, such as the Middle East
or Southeast Asia, the reverse is usually true as duties
are often based on value. In these cases, it’s best to stick
with more affordable bottles.
If you go by the glass: Be aware of where you are: a
Mosel, GR: 2016, 2015, 2012,
restaurant with a good wine list will usually have a good 2007, 2005, 2001, 1999, 1990
glass selection, but a bad restaurant may not have a
good selection or take care of those wines well. Be
particularly wary of oxidation with wines by the glass as
they could have been open for many days.
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e d u c at i o n a n d e t i q u e t t e : r e a d i n g a w i n e l i s t

Make a connection: Endeavor to connect with and learn PRACTICE:

from your sommelier or wine server. They can tell you • Many restaurants have their wine list posted
what the restaurant specializes in, and help you find good online. Browse the lists at the best restaurants
values on the list, or even recommend special wines that in your city and familiarize yourself with the
are not printed on the menu. You also want to be able to producers whose names you see on multiple
lists: These may be established producers of
have a conversation with them if there is a problem with
classic styles of wine or new, trendy producers,
the bottle you order. but either way, they are wines you will want to
Focus on the first taste: When the bottle is opened and try. Reading wine lists online will help you un-
you are poured a taste, focus on the wine to see if it’s derstand what wine regions are important from
a commercial perspective as well as learn about
faulty, because you can’t send a wine back after you’ve
what wines are available in your city or state.
drank half the bottle! If the characteristics are hard to dis-
• Next time you go out to dinner, speak with the
cern at first because the wine is so cold, don’t be afraid to
sommelier and give a specific brief for the type
ask the sommelier to warm the bottle up first.
of wine you’d like. If your description resulted in
Focus on what you know: If you’re buying to impress, a a wine you like, ask the somm for recommenda-
good idea is to buy within your comfort zone. For exam- tions for similar wines you might also explore. If
you didn’t enjoy the wine, consider what about
ple, if you know a lot about Spanish wines, choose wines
it was unappealing so you can describe next
from this category. But don’t be afraid to explore other
time what you don’t like, which can be equally
possibilities to widen your wine horizons. After all, wine is as useful as knowing what you do like.
about enjoyment and new experiences! Start out by sam-
• Alternately, go into a restaurant with a com-
pling unfamiliar grapes or regions that could be similar in pletely open mind and ask the somm to bring
taste to your usual preferences. you whatever they’re most excited about in a
Buy exclusive bottles: Some very prestigious restaurants given price range. Whether you love the wine or
not, it will start a conversation and expand your
have bottles you can only find through them or at other
wine experience.
fine dining establishments. Budget permitting, it can be a
treat to explore these kinds of exclusive wines.
Be aware of the environment: Only buy expensive wines
at restaurants where you can be assured they were kept in
good condition, and will be served in appropriate glass-
ware and at the right temperature. There’s no use splurg-
ing in an environment where you can’t properly enjoy your
prized bottle.
If you bring your own: Call the restaurant beforehand to
see if they allow you to bring in your own wine, and how
much the corkage fee will be. Don’t bring a wine that the
restaurant already has on the list, or a very inexpensive
bottle.
Practice good etiquette: It’s polite to order a bottle off
the restaurant’s list as well for every bottle you bring in of
your own, and to offer a taste of your wine to your som-
melier. Don’t forget to tip for the wine service whether you
brought the bottle or not.
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