by Karim Sultan

Created on: January 31, 2009

A night dining out should be fun and relaxing, not stressful; yet few of us relish the task of selecting the wine for the table. As a sommelier, my friends are quick to dole out this responsibility to me; but I have learned to turn it back over to them, with a few pointers.

1. Understanding Costs

Restaurants are a business, not a liquor store; as such, they cannot offer the wine at comparable prices. A typical markup for major restaurants is 250%! This means a bottle you might find for $10 at retail may be sold for $25 at the restaurant. Hang on: they aren't trying to rip-off the diner. Restaurants need to give up floor space in order to stock wine inventory. They need to maintain their inventory. They need to absorb waste costs from tainted/corked wines as well as bottles opened and not finished (common when serving by the glass). They also offer a focused selection: the varietals chosen have likely abeen carefully matched to one or more dishes and are suited to the menu. Last, they may have obtained specialty wines not available at retail.

2. Know your Budget

One thing I suggest is know your budget before looking at the wine list. On a special occasion, you may be interested in trying the upper ranges (typically $80 to $100 at mid-range restaurants) while on a casual night out you may be looking at something in the $25 to $40 range. But before you order that $1,000 bottle of Petrus, consider this: the concept of the higher the price, the better the wine is not always true! Many lower cost wines are excellent, while high cost wines have nuances that are often lost on untrained tongues. Of course, if you are trying to impress someone, then all bets are off...

3. Ask for Suggestions

It's best to have an idea of what people are ordering. Next, ask your server for suggestions. This isn't a sign of weakness; remember that they have been trained to know rudimentary matches. Some higher-end restaurants will have a Sommelier on staff, who can give you intricate details of the wines, and highlight ones that will accentuate your meal. Sommeliers are also less inclined to ruthlessly up-sell you; although their primary responsibility is to the business, they are skilled wine experts who want to ensure the patron is happy. They will request your budget, your likes and dislikes, and your meal choice, and provide ideas. Despite my background, I always ask for the staff Sommelier: why turn down a chance to learn something new?

4. Food Pairing

Usually, one picks their meal first and

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