Ordering out

[notawineguru]

Help! I recently started drinking red wine when I am out with friends. But they always order it. Sat is my anniversary and we are going to a nice steakhouse. I need suggestions on what type and brands would be helpful as well. I will order by the glass as my husband is not a wine drinker at all. I like the wine to be a little sweet and not too dry. Any help would be nice. I never have ordered by myself as I am too embarassed since I am such a novice at it.

[Innkeeper]

Hi Not, and welcome to the Wine Board. You may find your choices by the glass to be limited. Ideally in a steakhouse for a lighter, fruitier wine I would recommend a Beaujolais Villages. Your, by the glass, choices may not be that broad. Typically they may go: cabernet, merlot, or white zinfandel. Do not normally recommend white zin with steak. It is a blush wine, not a red (there also is a red zinfandel, again not always available by the glass). The white zin could be your only route. Barring that, ask which of the reds that are available is the smoothest. You should be able to handle a smooth wine even if it isn't sweet.

[aetre]

I know its after saturday, so it won't help but from personal experience (ie: NOT expertise =P) I went to a steakhouse, ordered a prime rib (MR), I ordered a shiraz (black Opal)...that's not dry, but not sweet, far as I could taste...innkeeper will correct me though

[Innkeeper]

That was a good choice Aetre. It must have been an Outback. Most chain steakhouses don't offer a shiraz.

[aetre]

you know your steakhouses too! Damn Innkeeper I wish I had your knowledge on tap! =P

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[PinotEnvy]

A place with an Aussie theme, like Outback, will likely have Aussie wines (shiraz). I was at a place last night called Billabongs and had a sirloin with Yellowtail shiraz. I thought it went well together.

[Kcwhippet]

Did you know that Yellow Tail is considered the Two Buck Chuck of Australia? Fortunately, it's a much better wine. Originally it was made strictly for export to the U.S. I have friends in Australia who have never heard of it until recently.

[PinotEnvy]

I knew it was a cheaper wine, but it was the only shiraz they had. At $6.75/glass ~$24/bottle they are making a very good profit. I did not know it was the "two buck Chuck" equivilant though. Yellowtail and Fosters are for tourists, I guess. It wasn't bad, but I do not plan on adding it to my collection either. I never had it before since the price was so cheap in the store. I figured at $6/bottle (I think), you get what you pay for... Not that that rule is always true. I do expect to have to pay at least $10 though for a decent bottle.

[Kcwhippet]

That $6.75 a glass is $.76 more than we sell the bottles for. Unbelievable what the restaurants are getting away with.

[Innkeeper]

My current choice of wine that comes in 187 ml four packs is the Yellow Tail Shiraz. We keep them on hand for marinating steak, preserving Chilian raspberries, etc. Find it superior to offerings from Gallo and Sutter Home.