by Ted Onulak

Created on: June 02, 2009   Last Updated: May 03, 2010

There is nothing like a nice bottle of wine with a fine meal.  It wakes up your taste buds and the right wine will make your food sing in your mouth.    It also makes for a pleasant atmosphere by loosening the tongue for good humor and conversation.  After all, the ancient Romans said, ‘in vino veritas’, which means, ‘in wine there is truth’. 

So why is there such stress about choosing a bottle of wine in a restaurant?  Perhaps some people are mortified that they will embarrass themselves, or   maybe the task is too daunting because there are so many choices and it is simply overwhelming.  Just relax about it.  No one knows everything there is to know about wine and trying new ones is a big part of the fun and increases your wine knowledge.  Except for world-renowned restaurants, which can boast hundreds, if not thousands of wines, most offerings on a restaurant wine list were chosen carefully to go with the food they serve.  So, here are some basic suggestions for the wine novice, which might even be helpful for the experienced wine lover.

First take a look at the wine list and see how it is laid out.  Traditionally, wine lists were organized by region and it is still often the case.  But more and more restaurants are organizing both their red and white wines by style, full-bodied, medium-bodied, semi-sweet and dessert wines. 

No matter how the wines are presented, there can be a wide price range to choose from.  Take a quick look at the top and bottom price and head for the middle of the pack.  This is probably your best bet for getting a good wine at a decent value. 

If you are at a restaurant that specializes in a regional cuisine, like Italian, French, Spanish or Mediterranean, The wines should suitably reflect and compliment the cuisine.  Try to match a regional wine with the corresponding food, like a red Rioja with tapas, a Cotes du Rhone with Southern French food or a Super Tuscan with Italian dishes. 

It also helps to know a little about wine geography when your choosing wine.  Wines from warm, sunny climates like Australia, California, or Chile will tend to be a little fruitier and have higher alcohol content, making them perfect with spicy, sweet and sour or other bright flavors. 

Wines from colder climates, like Oregon, Burgundy, Bordeaux or other high altitude cooler regions, will be more complex and

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>