[MrMon]

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Wine advice from the Sucker:

1. Cab Sav and Merlot are generally far overpriced, and the choices on most menus aren't as good as some other big reds. If you're eating steak, look for a great Zinfindel (red, not white, otherwise known as shite) or a Syrah/Shiraz. Ask the waiter - that's what he gets paid for, and look for something big and fruity. These are excellent wines. If you're going Zin and see something from Ridge, you can't go wrong. Penfold's makes several good Shiraz/Shiraz blends that are typically good and are widely available.

2. Pinot Noir is a fantastic wine, but must be done correctly to be any good. However, with something like lamb, this is bliss. Typically, the best Pinots cost a lot, but that's what I like to drink at least 50% of the time.

3. Cabernet Franc is another widely underrated varietal. Look for it, love it.

4. If you plan on drinking lots of wine with a meal and you are thinking about what wines to get, let the waiter know that you're willing to take a bit of a flyer, but if the wine sucks, send it back. They'll end up drinking it at the bar anyway. Just make sure you order another comparable bottle of wine. If you're ordering the cheapest wine on the menu and do this though, you're a cheezeball. Just drink it if this is the case.

5. For fish, I like something like a Sav Blanc or a very dry Riesling or Gewurztraminer (sp?), but these last two are often very sweet and terrible. Chardonnay can be good, but I don't like oaky wines, which are popular for some reason (people like movie butter popcorn to drink). Chablis can be excellent, though if you don't drink cheap stuff.

6. With Italian food (red sauce), drink a nice Chianti or Sangiovese.

7. I think it's always best to order wine as soon as you sit down. Ask the people at your table if they are doing fish, steak, lamb, whatever, and go from there. If some are doing fish and others steak, get two bottles. You do this because lots of wines need to open up (letting out gases like sulphur) and this takes 30 minutes or more. Even white wine gets better as it opens up for a bit. When I'm in a big group, I order all the wine up front and have them open all of them. Often, you can taste the wine change with the meal.


That's about all there is to it. Wine is truly one of those fun things in life, and I didn't realize this until I moved to California five years ago. Just keep trying lots of wines and see what you like - remember characteristics of the ones you like and don't like (i.e. lots of fruit, grassy (for whites), mineral, oaky, whatever). After awhile, you'll learn to look for certain regions that produce consistent wines that you like, and you can usually find one you like. Same thing goes or labels.

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He knows what he's talking about, but this is the advanced course, not Wine Ordering 101. OP, print this out and reread in 6 months.