How To: Choose the Right Wine

Wine. Vino. To many college students, the world of fermented grape juice brings only two things: stains and terrible, awful hangovers. Not to mention, all the gadgets and glassware involved in opening and serving the wine. But, if you can manage not to spill the red stuff over your white shirt and be smart about how much you consume, wine can be a great addition to dinners and parties. However, certain situations call for certain types of wine.

So, the question remains: how do you get the confidence to order the right glass or bottle of wine while out at dinner? There are a few small tricks that can help.

Knowing What You Are Ordering

While wine is generally pricier than beer, it is best not to grab the cheapest bottle on the menu. One night, while with a buddy in New York, we decided to treat ourselves. Not knowing much about types of wine, we mistakenly ordered a white zinfandel.Oops. When two guys at sunset order white zinfandel, which contrary to its name, is pink, the waiter may get the wrong idea. Not until the wine came to the table did we realized our mistake. Thankfully the rest of the restaurant was too bombed to care about our faux pas.

Doing it Right

The general rule of thumb when choosing a wine is to match its color with the type of meat you are ordering. Reds with steak and whites with fish or chicken.While there are “correct” ways of drinking and tasting wine (ala the movie Sideways), for the average Joe, you don’t have to act like Paul Giamatti to impress your friends. Think of it more as a 12 percent beer in a fancy glass.

Wine Parties

A good occasion for wine drinking is everyone’s favorite pretentious gathering: The Wine and Cheese Party. In between hobnobbing with your friends, wearing nice clothes, and eating cheese and crackers, you may need to open a bottle or pour a glass of wine.The worst thing a person can do is to try to open the bottle of wine without knowing how. Often time, one will destroy the cork and, end up pouring not only wine, but small bits of cork into the glasses.

The best way to avoid being the jerk of the party is to take it slow, and do your best to keep the Swiss Army knife in your pocket. It can do many things, but opening wine is not its strong suit. Use a real wine opener if available.

So, the next time the words cabernet or pinot grigio come up, don’t be frightened, be glad. The world of wine is not as intimidating as it first seems.

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