Wine is a subject so shrouded in intellectual pomp, the best advice I could give to a wine amateur is not to feel intimidated by it. As in food, when it comes to wine there’s no absolute right or wrong, good or bad, just personal preferences in what excites our palates and gives us pleasure. So if you’ve been delegated the duty of ordering wine for the table, the real task at hand is simply to decipher the preferences of your fellow guests, not blow them away with the breadth of your knowledge.
To do so, begin by posing the most basic questions to determine the qualities they enjoy in a wine. If it’s white, is it sweet or dry? If it’s red, is it light-bodied or full-bodied. If you still feel daunted, don’t be shy and ask for help! Just because your server may not be an aspiring sommelier does not mean there isn’t one working behind the bar.
Once you’ve made your selection, sit back and enjoy the ritual. However, one of the most common misconceptions I have witnessed is the belief that one is poured a tasting of a freshly opened bottled to determine whether or not they like it. This is not the case. It is in fact only done to determine whether the wine has been spoiled. It is very poor etiquette to attempt to send back a wine simply because one does not like it.
Another rampant misconception is that imported wine is always better than domestic. I’m delighted to contend that this is no longer the case, especially when considering entry-level foreign wines. Extortionate import taxes have elevated even the most primitive European table wines to near luxury status offering local wineries the opportunity to eat into their market share. Fully aware of this reality, Indian wineries have drastically upped their game in an effort to claim their piece of the pie. Competition is steep and consumers are reaping the benefits.
All things considered, there couldn’t be a better time to explore the world of wine and I for one, am tremendously optimistic of what’s to come. But don’t take it from me. Uncork a bottle and decide for yourself. After all, yours is the only opinion that really counts. Nick is the beverage manager at the Olive Bar & Kitchen
