by Jillian Mccutcheon

Created on: May 28, 2009   Last Updated: May 31, 2009

A GUIDE TO ORDERING WINE IN A RESTAURANT

When I first learned that wine could actually be a compliment to food I was still at the "beginner" phase of knowing my wines. I drank blush wines, yes the horrific white zinfandel was my favorite wine, and unless it was sweet I didn't even touch it. To put myself through college I began serving at an upscale Italian restaurant. It was there that my appreciation for wine flourished as every week an expert came in to give us a wine tasting and tell us what foods the specific wine went with.

When you initially sit down to dinner in a restaurant the first thing that goes through your mind is probably choices, choices. The first mistake people make is to look at the wine list and order a bottle or a glass they plan on drinking through dinner before they pick out their entre. The next mistake guests make is assuming that the most expensive wine on the list is the best wine. True that as a general rule the higher the price of the wine the better it is supposed to be but it may not be the best for you and it may not even taste that good at all. Many wines on the list are wines that you have never even heard of. Depending on the restaurant wines may be specifically intended for the restaurant's theme or if it's a private restaurant many of the wines could be local.

While working at an Italian restaurant, I learned that a good starter glass of wine before dinner or even with salad is Persecco. Persecco is like champagne in that it is carbonated but it is considered a semi-dry white wine. It is very crisp and it can vary from extra dry to semi-sweet. This works for when you first sit down for a refreshing starter while you ponder what you actually want for dinner or even while you're munching on a salad. In general this rule works for any white wine. In countries where it is unheard of having dinner without wine, white wine is simply considered a starter (kind of like our water) and during dinner the guests move onto a heartier red. I have also found that when you first sit down, if Persecco is not to your taste, it's a great time to have a cocktail such as a good martini.

Now comes the tricky part. After you pick your food you have to decide if white or red would go better , do you want something sweet or dry, heavy or light, fruity or spicy, and all while still keeping your personal taste in mind. For the extreme beginner a good rule to stick by is color. If the sauce is red or you're ordering a red meat go with red

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