A Beginner’s Guide To Ordering Wine At A Restaurant, With Tips From An Expert Sommelier

Do you enjoy drinking wine but find it difficult to order it properly while dining out? Do you find yourself making choices you don’t end up liking from a wine list? Are you unsure about interacting with your sommelier and pairing a good wine with your meal? Don’t fret – many of us have faced these issues. It is said that ordering wine well requires practice. But that’s not all you need. It’s essential to have basic knowledge of wine serving and tasting etiquette as well as an openness to communicate. Even if you’re not a wine expert, you can manage to find and enjoy a great wine with your food at a restaurant. To help you out, we have compiled a comprehensive guide with inputs from an award-winning sommelier, Mattia Antonio Cianca.

Mattia Antonio Cianca is the Co-Founder and Vice President of the recently established Sommeliers Association of India. Although his roots are Italian, he spent his formative years in Australia. He has worked at acclaimed restaurants including Attica in Australia and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. He was named the Best Sommelier of Australia in 2017 and of Italy in 2019. We had the chance to meet Mattia in Mumbai. We asked him many questions about how to not only order wine at a restaurant but also enhance one’s overall experience. So if you’re a beginner to wine appreciation who is looking for tried-and-tested tips by a sommelier, we’ve got you covered! Here are edited excerpts from NDTV Food’s conversation with Mattia Antonio Cianca:

1. What is the first thing a diner should consider when choosing a wine at a restaurant?

As a diner, you first need to decide if you want to drink by the glass or by the bottle. You should consider your budget and filter your choices accordingly. Next, your personal taste and preferences would play a key role in selecting the wine. The food you’re going to eat can also help determine which wines should be paired with the meal.

2. What are common mistakes people make while selecting and tasting wines at a restaurant?

The most common mistake is to order some of the more expensive options with the assumption that they are better than the others. Another mistake is ordering commercial brands just because one has seen them somewhere before or simply just heard of them. Regarding tasting, I would advise diners to give time for the wine to open up fully. Sometimes this also implies waiting for the wine to reach the right temperature before drinking it.

3. After the wine is poured for tasting, what should a diner pay attention to?

When tasting wine, focus on its smell and taste. The aromas and flavours should be genuine, vibrant, and free from common faults. Knowing common issues with wine can help you stay vigilant and avoid a bad experience. Here are some of the factors to look out for:

• Cork taint: Characterized by mouldy or wet cardboard aromas.
• Oxidation: Notes of brown apple or overripe banana, often occurring in wines by the glass that have been left open for too long. Note that some wines are intentionally oxidized, and in such cases, this is not a fault.
• Brettanomyces (Brett): Barnyard or band-aid aromas, which can sometimes indicate a flaw.

It’s not always easy to detect faults. But as a general rule, the wine should be pleasant and enjoyable. Simply ask yourself: “Do I like it?”

4. What should a diner do if they don’t like the wine after tasting it?

If the wine is flawed, inform the sommelier or waiter immediately so they can replace it. In professional environments, wines are typically checked before being served to prevent such issues. If the wine is sound but not to your taste, you can ask the sommelier if it’s possible to replace it. However, this situation can be tricky.

If the wine is sound but the diner doesn’t like it, they usually still need to pay for it. After all, the bottle was ordered and confirmed by the guest already. However, if the wine is faulty, it should be replaced without hesitation. In some cases, a sommelier or manager may agree to replace a sound wine as a gesture of goodwill. They may find an alternative use for the bottle, such as selling it by the glass or using it for staff training. This decision often depends on the wine’s cost and rarity.

Communication is key. Sometimes, a customer orders a wine that is unusual for its category. If the sommelier advises them about its characteristics and they choose it anyway, the bottle should be paid for. However, if this information wasn’t clearly communicated, the sommelier should replace the wine with a more typical example of that category.

5. What are the basics of wine-serving etiquette that a diner should be aware of?

To avoid misunderstandings, restaurants should follow proper service etiquette. This includes

1. Repeating the wine’s name and vintage when it is ordered to confirm the choice.
2. Presenting the bottle to the guest before opening, repeating the wine’s name again.
3. Allowing the guest to confirm the selection before pouring.

Ultimately, I always recommend having a conversation with the sommelier or waiter before ordering to ensure the wine matches your preferences and expectations. This can help minimise the risk of dissatisfaction and also prevent other possible problems later.

6. People may be unsure of how to pair wine with food. What is their role as a diner in doing so? Should they leave the decision completely up to their sommelier?

As much as there are many principles of how to pair wine with food, this is very personal and it is impossible to generalise. People should drink and eat what they enjoy and they should not be forced to do otherwise. If they are curious to explore pairing options they should express their preferences to the sommelier and keep an open mind of what their options are. If they don’t like the sound of it, they can order a glass or a bottle of a style that they are sure to enjoy.

7. Are there any myths or misconceptions about wine that you’ve often found yourself debunking for diners?

If there are myths or misconceptions expressed by the customers is the sommelier’s role to communicate the reality of the facts. Some of the most common ones are:

• The more expensive the better.
• The older the better.
• Only old red wines must be decanted.
• French or Italian wines are better than the rest.
• French or Italian sommeliers have more knowledge than those of other nationalities.
• The young staff are less knowledgeable than the older staff. (You never know when someone started in their career and how much effort and dedication they put into it).

8. For someone who is new to wine appreciation or feels intimidated by the wine list, what would you suggest as a good entry point or strategy for becoming more confident in ordering wine?

Large wine lists can be indeed intimidating, so asking the sommelier for advice is always a good start. Again, considering the budget is a good first approach so that you can target the wines that are within the range you are willing to spend. You should start by understanding what style of wine you like and how to describe this preference to the sommelier so that you can be guided with much more precision. Furthermore, if you want to learn the basics of how to approach a wine list, you should learn about the main wine countries and regions to understand the related varieties and styles.

9. What are some indicators of a high-quality wine that diners might not typically think about?

Ans: It is hard to generalize here and the key to this is knowledge and experience. Let’s say that it helps to know the main wine regions and appellations in the world so that you know where quality is considered a priority. For example in regions like Champagne and Burgundy in France and Barolo and Montalcino in Italy, most likely you will find high-quality wines.

10. How do seasonal changes influence wine selections and pairings? Are there wines better suited for specific times of the year?

Most wines are available all year round and it only depends on when we can receive them and when we decide to list them. Seasonal changes affect the menu which can encourage the sommeliers to recommend different things according to the specific period of the year. However, it doesn’t really affect the wine selection since all main styles and categories are often listed on a good wine list.

It also depends on the nature of the business. At a seasonal restaurant by the sea, which is only open for summer and only serves seafood, the selection will be focused on sparkling and white wines. At a steak house open all year round, the selection will be led by medium to full-bodied red wines. Seasonal changes influence the menu which therefore influences the pairings according to where you are located. For sure there are wines better suited for specific times, again it depends on where the restaurant or wine bar is located. In summer, there will be more sparkling and refreshing whites and in winter there will be heavier whites and more structured reds. Festivities play a crucial role in this as well as it is normal to use Champagne and Sparkling wines to celebrate special occasions.