Master Class

When it comes to ordering wine in a restaurant, the headache may arrive well before the hangover. Not only are some of the city’s top wine lists long enough to qualify as encyclopedias, there are also the delicate matters of wanting to stay within a certain price range, what to do when presented with a cork and how to tip. We asked some of the city’s wine directors how to navigate these potentially awkward situations.

1. How do I order inexpensive wines without looking cheap? “A sommelier is good at understanding discretion,” says Mark Bright of Restaurant Michael Mina. “Point at a price on the list and say that you want something in that range.” Other strategies include asking about a few wines that fall within your price range or mentioning a wine you’ve had recently that’s of comparable value. Your date will be none the wiser.

2. How do I politely decline a $150 bottle? “A simple, ‘This isn’t quite what I had in mind’ should do,” says Kent Liggett of 1550 Hyde Café & Wine Bar. Or, try to steer the sommelier in a different direction, or simply say you’re going to give it more thought.

3. What do I do when the sommelier places the cork on the table? Keep it as a souvenir? The answers on this are all over the map. One is to give it a look: If a cork appears completely dry or soaked all the way through, the bottle might have been stored improperly. If you want to smell it, go ahead: “A really musty-smelling cork can be an indication that something in the wine is off,” says Edward Ruiz of Incanto.

4. Swirl, sip, swish—what’s a foolproof way to taste wine? Try a swirl to release the bouquet of the wine, followed by a few quick sniffs. Off smells include rotten eggs, burnt matchstick, wet cardboard, the chlorine-like smell of a swimming pool and pungent manure. (Don’t dismiss all barnyard aromas, though. “A little bit of manure is OK for some wines,” Myth’s Alex Fox says.) And don’t worry too much about aerating the wine while it’s in your mouth. “At a luncheon, this guy next to me was making all these hideous noises, which isn’t necessary,” Liggett says.

5. Can I send a wine back if I think something’s wrong? Ask to speak to the wine director, tell him you believe something is wrong with the wine and offer him a taste. But if the wine just isn’t to your particular liking, that’s different: “Would you open a bottle of wine and return it to the vineyard?” says Alan Murray of Masa’s. “Still, we don’t want you to sit there and suffer through a bottle of wine you don’t like.” The best bet is to ask plenty of questions before you order.

6. If I just want a glass, is it OK to ask for a taste? Usually, the by-the-glass bottles are already open, so asking for a taste or two is fine. But don’t abuse the privilege: “If you’re looking for a white, and you taste four whites, and then go to red, that’s a little rude,” Fox says.

7. Will the sommelier scoff if I bring my own wine to the restaurant? If it’s a special bottle, by all means bring it. Fox recommends calling ahead to see if a wine is on the list—“You wouldn’t bring an already-cooked piece of chicken to the restaurant, would you?”—and to find out what the corkage policy is. (Most restaurants will waive the fee for the bottle you bring if you buy an additional bottle while there.) But why bring a $10 bottle of wine that you snagged at the corner liquor store and then pay a fee on top of it? “We’ve put a lot of work into our list, and I can find something better for that price, since I have access to smaller producers,” says Murray.

8. Is it tacky to ask to take an unfinished bottle of wine home? Not at all. The restaurant should cork it for you with no problem—and there are no legal issues in California about transporting the bottle home.

9. How do I tip when the bill comes? My bottle of wine cost $200, but doesn’t it take the same amount of effort to open as a $30 bottle of wine? Yes and no. “Your wine cost is based on the cost of the ingredients, and the labor required to select, secure, properly store and present that wine to you,” says Fox. “From an etiquette standpoint, if you want that sexy bottle of expensive French wine, then expect to pay for it on the bill and when you are tipping.”

10. Our sommelier was excellent. Should I tip her separately? “It’s certainly not expected, but it’s appreciated,” says Shana Dilworth of Campton Place. Answers on how much to give vary wildly; one sommelier has received everything from $5 to $100. Give your tip directly to the sommelier to say thanks for a job well done.