Tonight, you bring wine for dinner?

Picking a bottle of wine should be a good moment. But it can be a nightmare for some people.

True, when you have hundreds of options, how can you make up your mind?

 Let’s try finding a way to make it a comfortable experience, and don’t let yourself be impressed by the endless wine department...

Shall I go north, west or South?

Close your eyes and imagine yourself, arriving in this supermarket’s wine section, with the best intention ever: picking the right bottle of wine to both impress your girlfriend and match perfectly the dinner you will share.

But then, the nightmare begins.

Not one or two or ten bottles... but hundreds of them everywhere staring at you, trying to convince you through their ostentatious behavior and big flashing promotions that there are better than their neighbors.

Don’t panic. Breathe. Don’t listen to them, and try to focus. And look at the options below.

IF you don’t know anything at all about wine.

Dude, as much as I want to help, it’s a tough one.

My advice: don’t go to a supermarket, but go to a specialized wine shop (caviste in French). Those shops should provide all the advices you need. Just remember that the person helping you needs a little bit of guidance, so why don’t you help him / her by giving your dinner menu or explaining your taste?

Use food as a language (big, juicy, fresh, spicy etc.) We don’t need to know technical words to describe a wine.

These details should – normally – help this person find the right match and save you from disaster.

But please. Try to have some basic knowledge, in order to spare that poor wine vendor next time.

IF You know about wine

Well, even if that is the case, standing is the middle of that massive wine section can remain a big challenge. So, relax and remember those tips, to make that moment more enjoyable.

Here are few questions that may guide your decision:

1/ What style of wine do I like?

Red or white? Light, medium or full body? ‘

Remember your wine basics. Light reds are often associated with cooler regions (northern France, New Zealand, Germany etc.) and grapes like Pinots, Gamay would be just perfect. While, bold, fruity, fat reds should take you more towards Cabernets or Syrah from hot regions (California, Australia, etc.)

2/ What is the menu tonight?

If you are lucky, the menu will match your style of wine.

If not, let’s again go back to basics. Red Meats, cheese, gravy, etc. are best with reds. Lighter dishes, seafood, usually go well with whites.

This is very basic. As wine & food pairing is a real art, and if you are adventurous, you will see that there are plenty of interesting combinations you could make out of one dish.

But basic will be ok for this time. It will prevent you from sweating too much while trying to find the good bottle.

3/ Look at the ratings and the medals.

Some people think it is pure marketing but once you have short-listed 3 similar wines to match both your taste and your dinner, with similar prices, how can you decide which one is the best unless you actually taste them? Ratings / medals might help for the final selection.

Of course, you cannot trust it 100%. You never know where this medal is really coming from, and maybe one of the wines was not enough lucky to be part of the contest.

Well, I would personally say that if you’ve been through step 1 and step 2, this last little trick might convince you to take that bottle.

The risk you have in this kind of situation: always end up with the same bottle. Or kind of.

So it makes me come to the last tip...

4/ Be curious !

Why don’t you try Italian wine tonight? or South African?

Don’t be scared, and if it’s not your favorite... well, at least, you will know for next time.

There’s no magical formula when it comes to selecting the right bottle. It takes time, patience and education. So if the choice of the bottle is important to you, it means that you care about it, and that you may consider to start writing down the names of the wines that you have recently enjoyed. It will help you widen your selection next time.

This is why specialized wine shops are for... to help you discover new wines that you would have never considered otherwise, so when you have time, go for it, and discover new flavors!

And better than wasting time on facebook, check internet, as so many websites are today a great reference for wines. They can help you pre-select your bottle even before you go to the wine shop. smart phone apps are also a must.

Good luck for dinner tonight, I’m sure you will shine!!