Draft · Version 0.4.0 · 7 pages · PDF · Word
Pick a price, then ask the server for help. Say what you’re eating and what you like. You don’t need to recognize every name on the list.
Once you know five words, you can order without pretending to know more than you do.
| Term |
Meaning |
| Wine list |
The restaurant’s menu of wines and prices. |
| Grape |
The variety a wine is made from. |
| Dry |
A wine with no sugar you can taste. |
| Price |
What the restaurant charges for a bottle or glass. |
| Taste |
A small pour used to check for faults. |
Start with a price. The server can narrow the list from there.
| Step |
What to do |
| Pick a price |
Decide what you’ll spend per bottle before reading any names. |
| Open the list |
Note the whites, reds and sparkling wines in your price band. |
| Ask the server |
Say what you’re eating, your price band, and whether you like light or full, dry or a little sweet. |
| Order |
Pick from the server’s suggestions, or name the wine you chose. |
| Check the label |
Make sure the producer, wine and year match what you ordered. |
| Taste |
Smell and sip the small pour to check that the wine isn’t faulty. |
| Pour for the table |
Nod when the wine isn’t faulty, and the server will pour it. |
| Field |
Text |
| Identify by |
A separate menu, or pages at the back of the main menu. |
| What |
A wine list is the restaurant’s menu of wines and prices. Some wines are sold by the glass as well as the bottle. |
| So what |
The prices give you a place to start. Pick your range first, then look at the names. |
| Field |
Short answer |
| Rule of thumb |
Start with the numbers |
| Watch for |
Names you feel obliged to know |
Wines by the glass are sold one glass at a time. By the glass suits a table whose dishes need different wines.
| Field |
Text |
| Identify by |
A name such as Pinot Noir or Chardonnay. |
| What |
A grape is the variety a wine is made from. The grape helps set a wine’s body, how heavy and rich it tastes. |
| So what |
A few names cover a lot. Pinot Noir is usually a light red and Cabernet Sauvignon a full one, while Chardonnay is often a full white. |
| Field |
Short answer |
| Rule of thumb |
Choose by body |
| Watch for |
Place names instead of grapes |
Some wines are listed by place, such as Chablis or Rioja. Ask the server which grape and style a place name means.
| Field |
Text |
| Identify by |
The word on a list or label, or a question from the server. |
| What |
Dry means the wine isn’t sweet. All the sugar you could taste has turned into alcohol. |
| So what |
Dry tells the server how much sweetness you want. Ask for off-dry if you’d like a little, as in many Rieslings. |
| Field |
Short answer |
| Rule of thumb |
Dry means not sweet |
| Watch for |
A drying feel is tannin |
A dry wine isn’t sweet. A wine can also feel drying in your mouth, which comes from tannin, not sugar.
| Field |
Text |
| Identify by |
The column of numbers beside the wines. |
| What |
Price is what the restaurant charges for a bottle or glass. Markups run from 50 to 400 percent and vary across the list. |
| So what |
A price band lets the server rule out most of the list. Say it plainly when you ask for help. |
| Field |
Short answer |
| Rule of thumb |
Give a price band |
| Watch for |
Keeping your budget secret |
The second-cheapest bottle has a reputation as the worst deal. In one study of 235 London wine lists from 2015, its markup was on average below the next four wines up in price.
| Field |
Text |
| Identify by |
The small pour the server gives the host. |
| What |
A taste is the small pour you use to check the wine isn’t faulty. Corked wine smells musty, like wet cardboard. |
| So what |
You’re checking the bottle, not your choice. If the wine smells musty, mouldy or flat, ask for another bottle. |
| Field |
Short answer |
| Rule of thumb |
Smell, sip, then nod |
| Watch for |
Musty, mouldy or flat |
The taste is for faults, not your liking. If a bottle has no fault and you don’t like it, you can still ask kindly about another.
| Question |
Answer |
| Do I have to order right away? |
No. Take your time. A glass of something sparkling to start buys a few minutes. |
| Glass or bottle? |
By the glass helps when the table’s dishes are very different. For a large table, order a few bottles. |
| Where’s the good value? |
Look for less familiar regions and grapes. In the London study, percentage markups were highest on mid-range wines. |
| Do I smell the cork? |
No. Little can be learned from it, and presenting the cork is mostly for show. |
These public sources were checked in October 2026.
A person writes and reviews every guide. AI does the grunt work.