How To Order and Evaluate Wine

At the restaurant, decide what you’re eating before choosing the wine. Pair lighter foods like fish, as well as spicy foods, with lighter, usually white wines. Match heavier fare like meat and cheese dishes with full-bodied wines, which often means red.

Consider the grapes, regions, and styles you tend to enjoy, and share your preferences with the sommelier, who can make suggestions based on that information. Noting the wines you’re interested in also signals your price range to the sommelier.

Take the year of the wine into account. In general, younger wines are fruitier and pair well with more complex dishes, whereas older wines are subtler and go better with straightforward food.

When the wine arrives, inspect the label to make sure it’s what you ordered. Then, take a look at the cork – there’s no need to sniff it. If it’s dry and crumbly, the bottle may not have been stored properly.

After the wine is poured, tilt you glass slightly, gently swirl it, and sniff. If the wine smells moldy instead of floral, fruity, or spicy, it could be “corked,” or contaminated by a fungus that affects flavor.

Taste the wine by taking a sip and swirling it around in your mouth for second or two before swallowing. Taste for acid, sugar, and the level of alcohol. If any of these flavors stands out dramatically, the wine is not well balanced.

Convey approval to the sommelier or server with a simple nod. If you think the wine is corked, or it tastes like vinegar, send it back. You’ll have to live with it if it simply doesn’t taste the way you thought it would.