The Tricks for Making Sure You Don’t Drink Too Much Italian Wine

We know what you thought the second you read that article title…

“Too much Italian wine? Surely there’s no such thing as too much?”

We fear that you may have a little bit of a selective memory there, friend. You may only need to cast your mind back a bit to find a time where you may have had a touch too much. And while the occasional overindulgence isn’t going to harm you, drinking too much too often could have serious effects on your health.

As we’ve always said, the best way to enjoy your Italian wine is in moderation.

But there’s a problem with this…

So many places and things make it easier for you to drink more than you intended. Even when you’ve gone out with the intention of only having one or two, it’s far too easy to end up drinking more.

We’re going to shine a light on some of the tricks that you can use to make sure you’re not drinking too much.

And that starts with…

Trick #1 – Ask for a Smaller Glass at Restaurants

Have you ever wondered why it’s so common for you to end up with a large glass at a restaurant? Unless you’re drinking a sparkling wine, in which case you’ll probably get a flute, you’re often going to have a larger glass than you expected.

There’s a good reason for this.

Let’s say that you order a bottle of Italian wine. The waiter brings it to the table alongside a couple of oversized glasses. You pour without realising that you’ve poured a little more than intended. After all, the large glass makes it look like you haven’t poured much wine into it at all.

Before you know it, you’ve consumed the wine in the glass. So, you pour again only to find that you empty the bottle with the next round.

So…what do you do?

You ask the waiter to bring another bottle of wine to the table.

It’s a very subtle trick, but it’s one that restaurants and bars have used for years. And it’s not done with the intention of getting you drunk. It’s just a way for them to get you to order a little more wine that you might have intended.

The best way to counteract this is to ask your waiter for smaller glasses. They should usually nip back and grab some for you. And now, you have a better handle on just how much wine you’re drinking.

Trick #2 – Drink Water As You Drink Wine

Let’s be honest…it’s not just restaurants and bars that try to trick you into drinking more. Your own tipsy brain can work against you at times. When you’ve had a couple of glasses and you’re in a good mood, it doesn’t take much to convince you to have a third glass…

…Or a fourth…

Or a fifth!

Before you know it, you’re just a little bit drunk. If only your sober mind had managed to get in the way and prevent you from ordering those extra glasses.

The good news is that there’s a way to make this happen. It’s not completely foolproof but it will help you to avoid the tipsiness that leads to bad decisions.

The simple trick is to order a glass of water alongside your glass of wine. 

Then, sip both!

The trick here is twofold. Firstly, having a glass of water to sip on means that you’re not constantly sipping on your wine. That means the glass of wine lasts a little bit longer.

Secondly, that water will have a sobering effect on you. Don’t get us wrong, the wine will be stronger than the water. But you may find that you stay a touch less tipsy, which may be just enough to help you make the decision to not order more than you should.

Trick #3 – Cut Out the Pre-Drinks

You’re heading for a night out with your friends. You’re determined that you’re only going to have a glass or two of wine as you head out to meet everybody at a friend’s house.

But when you arrive, a glass gets put into your hands. You’re drinking before you’ve even gotten to the place where you’re going to drink more.

Such is the curse of pre-drinks!

Of course, it’s not a bad idea to get together with friends to have a drink before you head out. In fact, it’s a lot more cost-effective as a bottle of wine at home costs less than one at a restaurant or bar.

The problem arises if you don’t take those pre-drinks into account when you go out. You already have one glass of wine under your belt before you even arrive at the bar. That means you’ve got to make sure you’re ordering with that extra little bit in mind.

Skip the pre-drinks if you can, or stick to water before you go out.

Trick #4 – Know What You’re Getting Into With Cocktails

There are plenty of great Italian wine cocktails out there, of course. And as an added bonus, you’re getting less wine in those cocktails than you would in a standard glass of wine.

…But you’re also getting shots of other alcohols on top of the wine!

Cocktails are particularly dangerous because they’re often sweeter than their alcohol content suggests. It’s far too easy to have a couple and not even realise just how much alcohol you’ve consumed.

Again, we’re not saying that you should avoid cocktails at all. Just make sure that you know what you’re getting with them if you’re trying to watch how much you drink.

And by the way…bars and restaurants love it when you order cocktails. They get to charge more and will get you tipsy faster, which means you buy more!

The Final Word

In the end, it all comes down to keeping track of how much you drink. Bars, restaurants, and your own brain will play tricks on you to get you to drink more than you intended.

Understand what those tricks are and you should be fine!

Of course, the best way to control how much you drink is to drink Italian wine at home. And we have plenty of options for you to choose from if you check out our catalogue.