FREE TO READ: How to use a wine list.
Six pieces of advice on getting the wine you actually want, plus six wine glasses to bring the bistro at home.
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Why is it that we approach a restaurant’s wine list with the same brand of dread usually reserved for unopened letters from HMRC? How to read, interpret and order from a wine list remains one of my most commonly-asked questions to date — and I get it. It’s intimidating to be faced with a list of names, appellations and grapes you barely recognise, to be expected to order from it without having a small anxiety attack and for that wine to be something you and your table will actually enjoy. Luckily, I’m here to help.
If you have this email open in a restaurant and your date is already on their phone, allow me to get straight into it. Below, I’ve compiled below a list of six things to bear in mind when looking at any wine list, things I wish I’d been told from the beginning, but thankful I now know.
Don’t freak out — wine buffs are just as clueless.
We’re all in this together. If you think a wine expert/writer/sommelier waltzes into a restaurant and immediately knows every wine on any given list, then you’re wrong. I walk into a restaurant and haven’t tried most of the wines on a list, but the pleasure - and this is key - is in the not knowing. It would be incredibly impressive if you were to be familiar with every single item on a list, but that’s not your job — it’s the sommeliers. More on that in a sec.
Don’t order the second-most expensive wine on the list
I don’t really know where this urban myth came from, that supposedly there was total treasure to be found on a list, and all you need to do is cast your eyes a couple of millimetres down the list. Clearly, the goal here is wanting to find a good quality wine without seeming cheap. But we live in a cost of living crisis — there’s no shame in looking for value. Besides, good restaurants stake their name on the quality of their house wine (the cheapest on the list), and will usually go to great lengths to find that holiest of trinities: cost, food friendliness and flavour. You can definitely put your faith in these.
Know what you like.
The single-most important piece of knowledge a wine novice can arm themselves with on any occasion is what kind of wine they like. I think there is a misconception that the somm is there to flex their knowledge and make you feel stupid. They are there to help you. So, what do you like? Maybe you like something citrusy and clean, maybe you like something aromatic and complex, maybe you like rosé. Maybe you favour a bold, tannic red, or maybe you’re feeling like a pale-coloured but ethereal wine this evening. The somm is there to help you connect the dots between the wines you already love and what’s written on the list.
Don’t rely on old favourites, try something new.
With this in mind, put your wholehearted trust in them. If you feel like, order a Savvy B that you recognise, but you could pick that up anywhere on the high street and order at home. Dining out is a luxury we don’t afford regularly, so use the opportunity to try something new. They know this list like the back of their hand and have tasted EVERYTHING on the menu. They know what they’re doing.
Don’t pay for a brand
This feeds into my last point, but don’t rely solely on names at this stage. When you buy a bottle just because it says ‘Bordeaux’ on the label, you’re not really paying attention to what you like, you’re just taking cues on what you ought to like. Ultimately, this will end in disappointment. Instead, ask your somm what’s showing well, and if there are any up-and-coming producers you ought to try instead.
Clue up on vintages
Or, if you fancy doing most of the heavy lifting yourself, and know exactly what wine you’d like to drink tonight (whether it be a Bordeaux or an Australian Riesling), then it doesn’t hurt to clue up on the vintages you like. Obviously this point is moot for a restaurant with a shorter wine list, where there’s likely to be only one vintage per region. But if you know you’re going to be faced with a full page of Burgundy or Rhône, ask your somm which vintages are singing at the moment.
Six pieces of glassware that bring the restaurant to your home:
Frenchettes
(Set of six, glasette.com, £79.00)
Incredibly easy on the eye, these glasses were designed with the Parisian bistro in mind by Laura Jackson, founder of Glasette. Because of the wide rim and short stem, these aren’t for sipping and swirling, rather quaffing a chilled Chinon, Paris-style.
Bohemia Crystal Plain Glass
(Sold individually, zarahome.com, £4.99)
This wine glass is my HOLY GRAIL. A set of four was my first “serious” glassware purchase, thinking I’d outgrow them because they were so cheap — I was wrong. Astounding value, this glass has everything you need: a wide base for ample contact with oxygen, a narrow rim to collect the wine’s aromas and a thin design, allowing you to be as close to the wine as possible.
Maison Balzac Bordeaux Wine Decanter
(koibird.com, £150.00)
Admittedly, I only just stumbled across this decanter when doing my research for this article, but just LOOK AT IT. Maison Balzac do plenty of playful stemware for wine and cocktails alike, but I simply can’t believe I’ve only just come across this. Je suis obsessed.
Ann Demeulemeester x Serax
(Set of four, farfetch.com, £99.00)
One for the fashion girlies. These glasses designed in collaboration with Ann Demeulemeester are more style than substance, but don’t they look gorgeous?
Ada Crystal Burgundy Glasses
(Set of two, hm.com, £22.99)
Another absolute steal from H&M Home, who have really upped their game in the last few years. For a wine like Burgundy, where the subtle aromatics are the star of the show, you’ll need a big bowl exactly like this.
Ichendorf Milano Clear Decanter with Lid
(souschef.co.uk, £39.99)
Another decanter I stumbled across. LOOK AT IT. If anyone has a particular fondness for bauhaus or midcentury interior design, this should slot right in.