| MAIN
Entertaining
Wine
Restaurant Ordering How To's
A
wine steward's job is to know the contents of the cellar and to match the wines
with a great meal. Simple?
Sadly, many sommeliers think of their customers as ignorant rubes, and themselves
as elite connoisseurs.
Knowing wine is what a wine steward or sommelier gets paid for - it's their job.
Sure, being a good wine steward is something to be proud of... but no more so
than a plumber being proud of installing a new kitchen sink. You
certainly wouldn't expect the plumber to sneer at you for not knowing as much
about plumbing. So a
wine steward who is snobby is just another way of describing downright rude.
Making the customer comfortable is as much a part of the job as knowing which
wines go with which foods. If
you encounter any unpleasant service... complain to the manager.
On
the other hand, learning a bit about ordering the right wine, or boning up on the finer points of food and wine pairing may be a more pleasant
way to handle wine stewards behaving badly.
Here are some expert pointers...
Disarming
the Snotty Wine Steward - A former wine steward and wine
educator offers a few easy tips for getting a good wine with your
meal. Includes everything from which wines on the wine list are
worth ordering, to what to do with the cork (nothing!).
Tame
your Sommelier when Ordering Wine - Some great tips offered here. Did
you know that the second cheapest wine on the list is the one the restaurant
is trying to push? Find out more in this clever article. I've
Got a Little List... - This is an excellent article on what to order,
with suggestions on matching wine with specific dishes. Ordering
Wine in a Restaurant - Good overview with a step-by-step guide to the
pouring and tasting ritual, plus advice on wine and food pairing, how to reject
a bad bottle of wine, and related tips from 2beasnob.com. How
to Order Wine for a Business Dinner - Etiquette guide for business meetings,
but offering helpful tips on food pairings and otherwise impressing your table
mates with the help of the sommelier,plus Top Ten Tips for Ordering Wine in pictures,
from Forbes.com. How
to Order Wine at Restaurants - eHow guide with step-by-step instructions
and tips on how to get comfortable ordering wines, with a little homework beforehand,
and help from the sommelier.
also
see -> Find a Wine Bar
| Wine Cellars | Wine
Classes
Wine & Food Pairing
| Wine Grapes | Organic
Wines | Red Wines
Sparkling Wines | Viticulture
| White Wines also
related feature -> Business
Lunch Etiquette |