Many people order wine when they go out to eat, particularly if you are at a nice restaurant or on vacation.
A common mistake people make is that they panic when being presented with a wine list. Whether you are presented with a wine list that is just one or two pages or literally a wine book at nicer restaurants, you are expected to pick a wine within a few minutes of sitting down. Most people pick what is familiar to them, which is normally the wines that have the highest markup (since they are the most popular and recognizable names).
So here are a few tips to get the most out of your money when you are ordering wine at a restaurant.
Wines by the glass versus by the bottle
If you are eating with at least one other person who drinks wine, consider ordering a bottle of wine instead of wine by the glass.
Typically, you will have a much better selection if you order by the bottle. In addition, the price per ounce of alcohol is much less when you are ordering by the bottle.
Even if you cannot finish the entire bottle, every restaurant that I have visited has allowed me to take any leftover wine home.
Order something you cannot buy as a regular consumer
Restaurants try to choose wines that are not readily available and some wines are ordered specifically for certain restaurants.
When you are dining out, try to pick a wine that you are not able to purchase as a regular consumer. How do you check this? Visit the BC Liquor Stores website on your phone and type in the name of your wine.
Even if that wine is readily available at BC Liquor Stores, you can confirm the markup the restaurant is charging you. In general, if there is readily available wine, I try to find wines that are marked up less than 50 per cent by the restaurant (which is hard to find).
That is why I order wine that I can’t get myself as a consumer.
Barolo versus Barbaresco versus Nebbiolo
Many people love a good Barolo. The problem is that Barolo wines are expensive and need many years to soften their tannins. Even aged Barolos need several hours in a decanter before they are drinking optimally. Most people don’t spend more than a couple of hours at a restaurant so you want to order wines that will be drinking well as soon as they are opened. If you enjoy Barolo, try ordering a Barbaresco or a Nebbiolo from the Langhe region. Or ask the sommelier about lesser-known regions using the Nebbiolo grape.
All these wines use Nebbiolo grapes for their wines and the only difference is the terroir and how the wine is produced, which allows Barolo to age longer. But for a restaurant wine, you don’t care about aging potential…you just want something that drinks well right away.
New World equivalents to Old World wines
Old World wines are generally wines where the region, not the grape varietal is on the label.
If you enjoy a certain region of Old World wine, try the New World equivalent. Often, the New World wine is much cheaper.
So if you like red Burgundy, try a Pinot Noir from Oregon, if you like Bordeaux wine, try a B.C. Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend, if you like Northern Rhone wines, try an Australian Shiraz.
They will be stylistically different so you will discover whether you like the grape varietal or the terroir in the region that produces the wine.
Wines don't have to be expensive to be interesting
If you are stuck on drinking things that are familiar to you, you will miss out on a lot of interesting wines that are not household names.
There are so many interesting Italian white wine grape varieties that are very affordable.
Likewise, there are many French red wine regions that are not located in Bordeaux or Burgundy that give you great value.
Don’t be shy to set a price budget, look at the wine list and when you come to wine in your price range that you don’t recognize, ask the sommelier for some more information about that wine or grape varietal. You may discover a hidden gem.
Until next time, happy drinking!
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