If you have been dating the same person for a while, at some point there is going to come an evening where you will be going out to a really fancy dinner at a special restaurant. It is at this point that you want to get your best suit out of the closet (hopefully it is in the closet and not balled up on the floor somewhere), make sure to get everything ironed and pressed, put a shine on your dress shoes and get ready to go. When the big moment arrives and you are sitting at the table, your date smiling back at you, you suddenly feel nervous as the waiter hands you the wine list. If you really want to impress your date, there are a few things you can learn ahead of time that can help you fake your way through the wine list and come out looking impressive to those at the table.
• Expensive is not Always Better – Just because a bottle of wine costs ninety dollars does not mean it is something you are going to enjoy. Do not feel like you have to spend more on the wine than you will for your whole meal. You can find lots of really great wines on the list that are at much better price points. Feel confident that if it is on the list at the restaurant it is probably a good wine already and make a reasonable choice.
• Google is Your Friend – If you want to look like you know what you are talking about, spend a little time doing a little bit of research on different wines, wine regions, tastes and flavors, what goes well with particular meals, and so on. No one is going to expect you to be an expert anyway, so a little knowledge you can pick up in a short time can really go a long way for you.
• Ask the Sommelier – Do you see that guy standing there with the wine list in the fancy suit? He is the one that gets paid to be the expert on wines. It is perfectly acceptable to ask him questions and see what he may recommend to go with your meals for the night. He will have some greater insight about the wines being offered and can help point you in the right direction.
• Don’t Overdo It – You have probably seen in movies and on television all of these people that sniff the wine, swirl the glass, look at the cork and all kinds of other moves that you may not be able to figure out. You do not really need to do all of this when they come over to open the wine. The sommelier will pour you a taste to make sure it is acceptable to you. Be honest and let him know if it is what you are looking for or, even better, if they offer this selection by the glass, ask for a taste first before your order a bottle.
With just a bit of insight and understanding you can look like you know about wines and impress your date. If you really want to impress her more, take the time to trade in that clunker you have been driving around and get something new at the local Riverside Chevy dealership. You can find great cars that you know more about than wine at http://www.mtvchevy.com/ so you have a nice ride to take her any place you want to go, wine list or drive thru.