Need help from the Wine savvy.

I'm taking a girl out for dinner on Wednesday. She likes wine, and I do too, kind of, but really I'm clueless when it comes to wine selection. I know wine taste is subjective, but can someone kindly recommend a safe wine recommendation? I copied and pasted the restaurants wine list. Also, what's better, or more common, glass or bottle?





House Wine By The Glass…

Glass $5.75
Bottle $15.50

Red
Pinot Noir
Merlot
Cabernet
Shiraz
Chianti

White
Chardonnay
White Zinfandel
Pinot Grigio
Sauvignon Blanc
Riesling


Featured Premiums By The Glass:
Charles Krug Cabernet, chocolate and raspberry with oak for a lingering finish, Napa $13 / $37
Buena Vista Pinot Noir, rich cherry, blackberry and elegant earthy spice, Carneros $11 / $33
7 Deadly Zins, seven growers provided their best old vines, Lodi California $13 / $37
Buena Vista Chardonnay, rich, ripe pear and honeydew melon flavors, Carneros $9 / $27


More White Wine By The Bottle…
Matua Sauvignon Blanc, fresh tropical flavors, New Zealand $29
Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio, elegant and crisply refreshing, Italy $24
Los Cardos Chardonnay, complex flavors of pineapple, mango, and vanilla, Argentina $26
Cono Sur Viognier, lively and crisp with hints of spice and toasted nuts, Chile $24

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More Red Wine By The Bottle…
Georges DuBeouf Beajolais Village, sweet, juicy and served chilled, France $28
Chateau St. Jean Merlot, lean and earthy currant with drying tannins, Sonoma $41
Los Cardos Malbec, ripe berries with elegant herb and mocha flavors, Argentina $25
Hob Nob Pinot Noir, a long finish with flavors of oak and cherry, France $26
Gabbiano Chianti Classico Riserva, fine tannins and a fresh, fruity aftertaste, Tuscany $46
Baroncini Sangiovese, perfect for summer with red fruit and subtle tannins, Tuscany $22
Concha y Toro Xplorador Carmenere, supple texture with a mix of plum and cocoa, Chile $19
Yellow Tail Reserve Shiraz, perfectly balanced and highly rated, Australia $24
Greg Norman Petite Sirah, cascading flavors of blackberry, plumb and anise, Paso Robles $38
Cellar No. 8 Zinfandel, earthy with hints of spice and chocolate, North Coast $25
Artesa Elements, earthy currant, dry Bordeaux style blend from Sonoma & Napa, $38
Cayalla RTW, a blend of Cab, Merlot, and Syrah combine to yield abundant fruit, Oregon $28
Chateau Bonnet Bordeaux, a pleasant red with blackberry and currant character, France $38
Chateau De Pez Bordeaux, earth and spice with lots of character, France $51

High End Halves:
These little bottles are the perfect way to enjoy two glasses of great wine.
Rombauer Chardonnay, fig and melon turn smooth and silky on the palate, Carneros, $29
Sterling Vineyards Cabernet, supple and well-balanced, with fine-grained tannins, Napa $26
Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cépages Cabernet, Firm and intense with solid structure, Sonoma $38
King Estate Pinot Noir, velvety with beautifully ripe flavors, Oregon $24
J Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet, intense vanilla bean and oak flavors, Paso Robles $18

I'm not a big wine person...my wife is, but I usually ask what the waiter/waitress reccommends with my meal.

General rule - Stick with Red's (depends on food generally - Think what color is the "meat" and that is kind of what you want the wine to be). Always do the bottom. You want your date to drink not worry about the last ounce of wine in here glass.

I would go with something kind of in the middle. Although the the end will almost always be better, there is no guarantee. Also who's to say either of you will taste the difference between a $14 bootle and a $60. I have a friend in the wine business and I have had the best wine there is and can say that most people had no clue it was a $3-5K bottle compared to the $50.

In that bottle selection I would try Greg Norman or the sterling. Not sure what year the sterling is, but generally this is a great choice.

Good luck!

PS, You may be working too hard. Let it flow....

This is all personal taste, and unfortunately, only you can determine your personal taste. Do you like whites, reds, lighter reds or big & bold? Tasting experience will be the only way you can figure this out.

I love reds, big & bold. I've had the 7 Deadly Zins (from Costco) often and love it - it's "peppery" smelling & tasting like a true zin. Other big reds will be Cabernets, Merlots & Malbec from bolder to lighter. For bolder whites look to Chardonay (dry). Sweeter whites will be Pino Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, White Zin (yuck), and Reisling (generally going towards sweeter. Lighter reds will be Pinot Noir and Shiraz.

Just decide what general taste you want and order from there. It's totally OK to tell the waiter what you're generally looking for and listen to his suggestions. Good luck, have fun!

Originally Posted by buffalow

PS, You may be working too hard. Let it flow....

You may be right. Generally it's a non-issue to me and I just roll with it, but this girl is 8 years older than me so I want to be more prepared...

Thanks for the tips...and great point on the bottle recommendation. I would have never considered that.

Originally Posted by ottog1979

Just decide what general taste you want and order from there. It's totally OK to tell the waiter what you're generally looking for and listen to his suggestions. Good luck, have fun!

ME: Waiter, I would like a wine that will get this girl into bed without effort. What do you suggest?

lol...jk...

ME: Waiter, I would like a wine that will get this girl into bed without effort. What do you suggest?

Then make sure to ask and discuss what wine she likes. Make it good for her and you're in (so to speak)!

I am going to point out the obvious here but why not just be truthful, "I like wine, but am not very experienced, is there anything on the list that you would like?"

Just let her pick. I love wine, but honestly it all tastes the same after the 3rd glass...

FTW

Gabbiano Chianti Classico Riserva, fine tannins and a fresh, fruity aftertaste, Tuscany $46
would be my pick. Its only about $12 in stores (atleast in the midwest). We drink quite a bit of wine (nothing spectacular) and Gabbiano's Chianti is always a crowd pleaser (and usually affordable). Other than that, I think MIke Anderson's suggestion of "I like wine, but am not very experienced, is there anything on the list that you would like?" would be the best way to go.

I'm pretty into wine, but will never claim to know everything there is or have tried every bottle out there. At any decent restaraunt the wait staff should be familiar enough with their wine list to make a recomendation. That's usually the direction I go. If she see's something in particular that she's into, then go ahead and let her make a selection.

Go with the flow man. Good luck.

A good "keep from looking stupid" rule is that red meats generally go well with red wines, and white meats with whites, so you need some idea of what you're having for dinner in mind when you order.

"keep from looking stupid"

Don't bother yourself with worry about this. Like everything else in life, wine is something to enjoy as you like it, no something intimidating or to worry about a protocol or what you SHOULD be doing. I've had reds plenty of time with fish or chicken. She'll be much more impressed if you're into doing your thing, or into discovering something new or into her thing than if you're worrying about what you SHOULD be doing according to who knows what.

Like Evan said, go with the flow. (and enjoy).

Very true, but he did ask for basic tips on wine, not on relationships and self esteem.

She came over tonight...I'm not too concerned about the wine thing anymore...

I need to learn wine though...I wish I knew 1/4 as much about wine as I do about beer