For as long as men have been attempting to woo women, they have used wine as the perfect way to demonstrate both their sophistication and elegance. Choosing the correct wine for a date, whether it is a first meeting or you have been together for years, can often be a difficult task. With so many choices available to you it is often all too easy to get a little bit confused.
That’s why the team at Xtrawine are here to give you a helping hand. These handy pointers will help you make a selection that should ensure the date goes well. At the very least, you will be able to impress her with your wine selection. The rest, as they say, will be up to you.
Eliminate The Easy Options
When you’re heading out to a restaurant for a first date, you should keep in mind that the girl you are about to see will be looking for you to surprise her with your wine selection. While going for a safe bet, such as choosing a wine that you already like or taking the first recommendation given to you by the waiter, may lead to you enjoying the drink, it doesn’t show much initiative on your part.
Take a little bit of time to familiarise yourself with the wine list before considering the choice you are going to make. Read each description carefully and consider your own tastes and those of your date. If there is a wine on the list that looks like it may match those tastes in addition to offering something a little but different, then that may be a good place to start.
Don’t Ignore The House Wine
Many people make the choice to ignore the house wine on principle, without every actually giving it a chance. This is likely because many men think that by going for the house option they are showing very little initiative and may even be spending less than they think that their date would want them to spend.
This needn’t be a consideration when you are selecting a wine, particularly if you know the house wine is a very good vintage. You are looking for quality in addition to a wine that will inspire conversation, so if you know the house wine is good enough for the meal and interesting enough to give you something to talk about, it is still worth considering. However, we will add the extra caveat that you may need to justify the purchase a little bit. Make sure that you have something to say about the wine once it arrives, such as a little conversation about the company that makes it or a deconstruction of its various elements once it arrives.
Always Buy For The Meal
Before selecting your wine, it is always a good idea to know what you and your date are going to be ordering or the meal. Simply buying a bottle of red isn’t going to cut it if you are going to be enjoying a light starter or your main doesn’t contain too many rich foods. All that will happen then is that the wine will overpower the food.
Instead, enter the date with a good knowledge of what types of wines go best with various types of food. Speak to your date to find out what they are considering ordering and then place your wine order based on that knowledge. It may be worth considering buying by the glass, rather than the bottle, if you are going to enjoy a three-course meal or more, as this will allow you to cater your selection to each course, rather than trying to pick a wine that will go well with everything that you order.
Ask Questions
If you are lucky, the restaurant will have a sommelier on staff who can help you with any questions that you might have about the wine. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t enter the meal without any information at all, but rather that you can make use of the resident wine expert to guide you a little when you have narrowed down your options.
Ask about the history of a vintage that you are considering and how well it will go with the meal that you have in mind. Try to ensure that each question is succinct and has a point, rather than leaving things vague, as this will not only give the sommelier more to work with, but will also demonstrate that you have actually made a little bit of effort and are just searching for a second opinion.
Don’t Think You Have To Spend Lots
There is a big difference between a cheap wine and an inexpensive wine. Again, it all comes down to the finer details. If you see a wine that you know is of high quality for an inexpensive price, make sure to take advantage of it.
This will then afford you the opportunity to discuss the wine in more detail, showing that you have put thought into the decision rather than buying the most expensive things on the menu in an effort to impress your date. Most women will enjoy the fact that you have made an informed decision and will be interested to hear about what you have to say in regards to the origins of the wine and why it will go well with the meal that you have ordered.
Avoid Wines In The Second And Third Spots
Many people make the mistake of choosing the third least expensive wine on the list, under the mistaken assumption that it will be better than the house wine. It has become something of an unspoken rule for some, but it is one that should be avoided.
Remember that the house wine needs to maintain a certain level of quality because it is being recommended. The same does not hold true for wines lower on the list. This does not always mean that they are of low quality, but making an uninformed decision may lead to you drinking a terrible wine.
The Final Word
With all of these tips in mind we hope that you will now have all of the tools that you need to make a great wine choice. Good luck with your date and we hope that you can use your new-found knowledge to get the girl.
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