A few things to consider when taken the task of what wine to choose with dinner
So you’re on a date, maybe you’re with friends, maybe you are with work partners and someone asks you to choose a bottle of wine for the table. First you say no and try to get someone else to do it, but because the people with you know you love a good bit of wine they let you choose for everyone…dreadful.
You open the menu and look through the 3 pages and say to yourself…what the hell am I going to pick? How many times have you been in the same position, thinking to yourself there are so many choices, but how does one choose?
Firstly let me say that this task is not an easy one and everyone is hard to please…everyone. So let’s talk about a few points I consider when choosing a bottle.
What am I planning on eating?
Matching the kind of food to the wine you will be having with it is important. If you’re going to have spicy food with heavy spices you want to try and stay away from big tannic reds, because the flavours won’t match up with each other. Wine lists in restaurants have usually been built to go with the style of food they are serving, so most of the time it won’t be that hard. The person working in the restaurant is your best guide to talk to understand the style of wine to have with the cuisine
*Other things I like to consider are countries and food working together
Ex. if you are having heavy Alsatian food, why not try a crispy Alsatian white to go with it? They come from the same neighbourhood of the world, so it will naturally work together
What is my price point?
This is not a tacky subject. Don’t think that just because you’re on a hot date you have to get the 200 dollar Chateauneuf du Pape. Wine can be the most expensive part of dining out, so be a smart buyer and be conscious of that. You can find great wines for 50 or 60 bucks that you wouldn’t be able to get in stores.
*if you see a bottle on the list that you can find in the LCBO, why get it in the restaurant? Choose something different
Do I already have a few styles in my mind that I and other people may like?
If you already know you love a certain type of grape and the wine list has one from a producer you have never tried, maybe think about choosing it. The same grape varietal grown in Europe and South America will taste completely different, so try it out to see the differences!
Are the people I am with willing to try something new?
Are the people or person you are with willing to try new styles of wine? They may be used to the more classical styles and producers, so getting them to try a naturally fermented funky wine might be a bit out of their comfort zone
Let’s face it, you may not please everyone, but at least you may be able to choose something that everyone can drink with dinner.
By using some of the points listed about, you can navigate through the wine list a bit easier the next you are out. Make a choice and do me a favor and don’t screw it up!
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