Navigating a restaurant wine menu
Arriving to your table at a restaurant and being handed the wine menu can either be the most exciting or daunting part of the entire experience for most people. Excited for some who feel an unleash into the world of wine, daunting to some for the feeling of not knowing which wine to pick off a menu, sometimes also from the wine list being so long or complex. For some people the sense of pressure comes from trying to pick the right wine that will also go well with your meal – you might be trying to win over a new client, impress the in-laws or maybe trying to impress on a first date. Regardless of the reason you are picking a wine for the table, it can be a little intimidating!
Restaurant wine menus can be huge and the names of wines and vintages confusing in itself. One quick tip for making your way through a long wine list is to remember that the menu will typically run from lighter to fuller styles of wines which also matches nicely as you make your way through each course of the meal. For instance, you’ll likely see Champagne and Sparkling wines at the top of a wine menu, followed by white wine, rose, red wine followed by dessert wine. Within each style, usually the wines will again go from lighter to fuller bodied.
In terms of navigating the menu itself there’s a few key things to think about before you even open the wine menu. There's a few things you'll want to decide on...
Determine if you’re looking to order by the glass or order a bottle
Generally, wines by the glass will have a limited range on the menu and also consider that you might get the wine from a bottle that has been open for a couple of days, leaving it a little old and not as fresh. The benefit of ordering by the bottle is that you have a broader selection to discover a wine and obviously it will be fresh and opened for you. That being said the option you go for will really be up to you and will depend on how many people you’re dining with, if there are similar tastes in wine around the table, what you're going to eat and your price range.
Know what style of wine you enjoy
If you've opted to share a bottle at the table with a few people, hopefully you all have a similar style of wine you enjoy or if you're not sure, make sure to ask and get a sense of what wines the other people generally go for.
That aside if you’re in charge of picking a wine, make sure you have some consensus but if you aren’t too keen to venture out, stick to a grape variety you know. For instance, if you usually love a Shiraz from one region, check out a Shiraz from another region you haven't explored or a new producer you might not have heard of. If in doubt, ask your Sommelier!
Consider the food you’ll likely be eating
If you’re like us here at Curated Drops, you’ll have already scanned the food menu by this stage and you'll have a fair idea of what you'd like to order! Food and wine pairing is very broad but if you stick to some basic principles you’ll be well on your way. There are so many tips and trips which we'll go into on another blog post but as a starting point, try and pair the wine to a similar weight of food, for example if you are going for a steak dish, you might look to pair a fuller bodied wine like a Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon. The protein in the steak will also help to soften some of those tannins in these red varieties. On the other hand, you might pair a white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc or Albariño with a seafood dish or for a heavier fish you might opt for a light Pinot Noir.
Some other quick pointers is that the wine should be more acidic than the wine, and the wine shouldn’t be sweeter than the food. Considering the strongest flavour in the dish will help you on your way.
Some restaurants will have a wine pairing menu where a wine is matched to each course – they can be an extra charge most of the time, but why not give it a go if you're after an experience or if you want to spurge a little.
Determine your price range
The price range will usually vary quite a bit on a wine list so have an idea of what you are looking to spend if you are buying by the bottle or have a general agreeance if you’re with a group of people on what your print limit. This will make it a lot easier to narrow your choices or to get recommendations from a Sommelier.
A lot of people will look to go for the second most expensive on the wine list, or the middle price range but a lot of restaurants know people do this in some instances these wines will be those which pull the largest margin for the restaurant. Not to say they are not the wines to go for but it's a good little tip to keep in mind! Make sure you get some recommendations from your Sommelier or do a quick google search on the producer or the vintage of the wine (if you are splashing some cash!).
As a final note geographical knowledge always helps when it comes to wine, so the more you can learn about wine, the more informed your decision will be. As they say, what grows together goes together.
Make sure you’re following on our socials and stay up to speed on our new arrivals to the store so you can dive into the world of wine and you'll have more understanding of what wines you enjoy and why you enjoy them, cheers!
