The great wide world of wine can be a scary thing. In a Wine 101 state of mind, it's not a good time to go to a place to eat and have no idea what kind of wine to order. This is especially true if you are with another person. You may actually be judged on how you make your wine 101 decision. Visit Wine 101 http://ivorytowergroup.net/wine-101/ for additional information.

1. Wine 101

2. The great wide world of wine can be a scary thing. In a
Wine 101 state of mind, it's not a good time to go to a place
to eat and have no idea what kind of wine to order. This
is especially true if you are with another person. You may
actually be judged on how you make your wine 101 decision.
Well, choosing wine does not have to be a huge wine 101
task. You can make a reasonable choice most times.

3. The primary thing you need to understand is, wine 101 is
a personal experience. You really don't have to go with
everyone else on your decision. Let me make a case in
point.

4. When you were young, you were probably told a wine
101 factoid: there is a simple rule for selecting wine with a
meal. If you are having red meat, choose a red wine. If you
are having seafood or vegetarian, choose white. Poultry?
Perhaps a blush or pink wine.
Well, those are excellent starting points, but that's all they
are. They are merely suggestions.

5. If you have little to no experience choosing wine, next time
you go to a restaurant and you are confronted with the wine
list, ask the waiter. They are trained to give you reasonable
advice, so don't be afraid to go with what they say.
Believe it or not, they do not make it a habit of telling patrons
something really crazy so they can return to the kitchen
and laugh about your decision with the chef. Well, maybe
in some of the ultra posh eating establishments, but do you

6. really want to eat there anyway?
After you are feeling a bit more confident, ask the waiter to
suggest two wines that would go well with your food choice.
Then, note the part of the wine list he is picking them from
and then select your own slightly more expensive bottle.

7. Tell him something like "that sounds good, but you know
what? I've always had good luck with this one" and then
try to say the name of the wine correctly. Pick one you
know you can pronounce. The waiter will most likely say
something like "excellent choice" and that's that.

8. Once the wine comes back and it's time to taste, don't bother
with smelling the cork. That's just a wee bit too snobby.
Instead, just visually inspect the cork and make sure it's not
cracked or otherwise in bad condition.
That's a sign that the wine has been stored improperly, like
standing up instead of on its side. But you still be the judge.
Never be afraid to send it back. They inflate the cost of wine
about 5x from what you can buy it for, so it's no big loss to
them. And they'll probably mix it into the house wine anyway.

9. To get yourself feeling even more confident, go to your local
Beverages and More or similar store and purchase a few
bottles each of white and red wine.

10. Pick some sweet and dry wines. They are usually marked
in the descriptions above each selection of wine. Stay in the
$10 to $20 range with these selections. Bring them home
and try a different bottle each night. See what you like. Drink
with food and see what goes with what. What do you like to
drink with what food? That's the most important thing.
Next time you go to a restaurant, you'll feel much more
confident in your wine selection, and your dining partner
won't feel like you're a wine fool. But remember something:
please don't become a wine snob!
Visit Wine 101 http://ivorytowergroup.net/wine-101/ for
additional information.