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+--- Thread: Help! Need some names of good wines (/thread-16416.html)
- YNE101 - 05-06-2005
Ok guys I'm new here. I'm 22 and am not really knowledgable about drinks. I drink on occaison but hardy ever wine. I've had wine twice in my life and don't remember the names. I'm a total rookie. I've heard of names like merlot, chardonay, white zinfadel, etc. Ok the thing is I am going to a fancy restaurant tommorow with my new boyfriend and his boss and his bosses wife. This is the first time I'm meeting them. I've been to a couple nice restaurants before but never order wine. I think wine would go best tommorow, but I don't want to look like a dork trying to order it. What is a good commen wine that would most likely be offered at a five star restaurant? Thanks
- Georgie - 05-06-2005
I'd let someone else suggest a bottle of wine and you just have some of whatever they order.
- YNE101 - 05-06-2005
Good idea Georgie. I hope someone does that, but what if two of the people both want a glass of something different. I want to be prepared here.
- hotwine - 05-06-2005
Welcome to the board, YNE.
Rather than trying to come up with a wine that you might find at your 5-star restaurant, suggest you defer to the BF's boss: let him choose the wine(s). There's nothing dorky about that. He can order by the glass to match each entree, or he can select a single bottle that can pair nicely with all four, once the entrees have been selected. Maybe your new BF might want to do the honors of selecting the wine; you don't need to worry about it. Just enjoy the evening. The new BF will be showing you off to his boss & the missus, and you won't need to be a Master of Wine to impress them.
- wondersofwine - 05-06-2005
Georgie and Hotwine are giving good advice. Most people who are familiar around wine like to share their knowledge. There is no shame in admitting that you lack experience with wine. On a trip to Scotland, I admitted that I was still experimenting when it came to Scotch and the bartender was happy to make suggestions and explain the differences in style (peaty/smoky flavors or no peat, etc.) If you then like the wine the boy friend or boss suggests, you can sincerely compliment them on their choice.
- PinotEnvy - 05-06-2005
I would also say there is nothing dorky about asking the waiter for a pairing suggestion. In a fine restaurant, they should know something about the wines they serve and pairing it with their food. In my opinion, the worst thing you could do is fake it. You might wind up with a wine that does not work well with your meal.
- YNE101 - 05-06-2005
Thanks for the tips guys [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/wink.gif[/img]
- Thraz - 05-07-2005
At the risk of being contrarian: some wine matches are glorious and would be too bad to miss; however, conversely it is hard to get a wine that makes a really horrible match if you follow some simple rules. So, if all the planets align the wrong way and you end up having to make your own choice (others are lost in a business conversation or something at the time you need to order), I would suggest:
- Fish or other dish with a cream sauce: chardonnay
- Fish with no cream sauce (e.g. grilled) or other light dish: sauvignon blanc
- Steak, lamb or other flavorful meat: cabernet or syrah
- lighter meat dishes: gamay if they have it, otherwise pinot noir, merlot
Go for the American or Australian section of the wine list, ignore the French. Nothing political: it's just that US and Australian wines are named after the principal grape they are made of so you can follow the above rules. For French wines you usually have to know the labeling system to know what's in the bottle.
Enjoy.
- jmcginley1 - 05-08-2005
my advice as a waiter is to ask for advice. Any decent server should be able to suggest a wine to match your entree. Just say, "what wine would you suggest to pair up with xxx entree?"
Enjoy!
- YNE101 - 05-09-2005
Well guys the dinner went great. His boss and wife seemed to really like me [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/wink.gif[/img]. I actually didn't have to worry about selecting a wine after all. His boss picked two and he had even asked the waiter what he suggested for one of them..I know both of them were red and I forgot the names of them but one was a bit spicy. With the first sip I had to stifle a cough. One more thing though. Is it customary to swirl your cup before each sip? Why is that?
- hotwine - 05-09-2005
Glad the evening went well.
Swirling the wine releases esthers to enhance its "nose" ..... the aromatics of the wine. It may be done before the first sip only, or before each sip, to heighten the wine's enjoyment. Remember that smell is very closely associated with taste; so the more aromatic the wine, the more its taste will be enhanced.