One of the best moments when dining out can be attributed to getting the right pairing between food and wine. It is one thing that makes dining out memorable. The right glass or bottle of wine can even make a meal better than it is.
Unfortunately, most people are often confused when they start ordering wine. They do not know where to start or how to navigate through the long wine list available. This leads to wrong choices, something that can ruin an entire meal.
Well, the level of difficulty when ordering wine might be influenced by things such as the organization in the establishment, the wine list complexity, and the different types of wine available to choose from. Here are simple tips to guide you when choosing wine at a restaurant. They should also help business owners help their patrons.
Start With Light Wine
Imagine starting with a bold and heavy glass of wine even before your starters are served! This would most likely ruin your day and appetite. You might find it difficult to get through the meal when served.
This is one of the most common mistakes that people commit when eating out. Such people assume that they cannot take light wines since they are good with the rich ones. However, light wines are the best options before your meals are served.
If you are a business owner, you should indicate light and heavy or rich wines on your wine list. You also need to leave some notes advising patrons about the right time for each of the wines that you offer. This way, they will enjoy their meals and time at your restaurant.
Try To Avoid Glasses of Wine
When dining out, you can choose to order a glass or a bottle of wine. However, a glass of wine is convenient for some people especially if they are dining alone. Would you be able to take an entire bottle alone during dinner? This would be excessive.
If you are dining with friends or family and want to create a memorable restaurant experience, you need to avoid ordering wine by the glass and instead order by the bottle. This works quite well especially if you all have the same taste when it comes to wines.
Ordering a bottle of wine will save you a lot of money. Most restaurants tend to be expensive when selling a glass of wine. In addition, you will get the best wine since wines offered by the glass are often not as stellar as those sold by the bottle.
Your Choice Should Be Guided By Your Food
Some people will visit a restaurant for dinner and when placing an order for wine, they take the one whose name looks and sounds appealing. This is a common mistake and just like the one with light wines, can ruin your dinner.
It is important to note that your choice of wine should be guided by the meal that you are going to order. In other words, your meal and wine should complement each other properly. You should enjoy taking both the wine and meal.
If you are not able to pair both, then you will suffer, your wine will suffer, and so is the meal. If, for instance, you want to take roasted meat, then ensure the wine you take compliments your meal.
Business owners can guide their patrons into choosing the right wine depending on the meal they are ordering.
Consider Bringing Your Own Bottle and Paying the Corkage Fees
Sometimes, you might want to bring your own bottle of wine and pay corkage fees. This is a cheap option compared to buying wine at a restaurant. In addition, it gives you a wide variety to choose from since you can bring wine that is not available in the restaurant.
Most restaurant owners have liquor licenses. They should, therefore, try to promote their businesses by allowing customers to bring their own wines. While doing this, ensure that your customers understand everything about your corkage fees.
Allowing customers to bring their own bottles also helps you focus on other areas of your business. For instance, you will pay enough attention to your meals, making sure that your customer’s expectations are met.
Consider Prices
Finally, do not be tempted to order the most expensive bottle of wine on the wine list. You would be surprised to learn that most people can not differentiate a $100 wine from a $200 one. Sometimes, the cheap ones are even better than the most expensive ones.
Following these tips, you will choose the right wine at a restaurant. You will also enjoy your time there and create memorable moments.
