When you dine out and order wine, do you buy your wine by the glass or by the bottle? And what about half bottles (like the one I enjoyed that is pictured here) or flights?
If you’re up for adventure and want to try something new, ordering wine by the glass, or, better yet, a flight of several wines is the way to go. You can sample all sorts of flavors without any commitment.
Depending on the restaurant or wine bar, the sommelier or bartender might customize a flight for you, so if you’re curious about a few wines, it’s always better to ask. I often like to ask for a few suggestions of wines beyond my own initial choices. By doing that, I’ve been able to enjoy new wines I might never have selected on my own. Have I loved every one? No. But you’ve got to try all kinds so you can find out what you DO like.
But what if you’re pretty sure you know what you want, but you only want a glass or two? Or at least you think you’ll only want a glass or two?
Oftentimes when you know you, or those with you, will want more than one glass of a particular wine, it is better from a price standpoint to order the wine by the bottle.
Typically, a bottle of wine holds 4 or 5 glasses of wine, yet if you compare prices of the same wine by the glass or by the bottle, it’s not long before you realize a bottle would be a better buy, even if you only enjoy 3 glasses.
In Texas, and many other states, you can close the wine bottle back up once you’ve enjoyed the first glass or two and take it with you. Because of that, purchasing wines by the bottle at restaurants and wine bars almost always seems a better economic choice to me than buying by the glass. Plus I get a delicious souvenir to take home and extend the evening!
Does a bottle sound like too much wine, but a glass not quite enough?
Consider ordering a half bottle of wine. This could be the perfect portion size without worrying about waste of money or wine. Many restaurants offer half bottles of excellent wines. Plus, Sasha Kadey of King Estate pointed out to me that these days many restaurants, when asked, will sell you a half bottle of most of the wines on their list. They’ll just decant the other half and possibly offer it as a chalkboard special that evening.
So what will you order next? Glass? Flight? Half bottle or full bottle? Will you take some home to enjoy later?
If you need a few ideas of wines to try, check out the VineSleuth 5 Wines to Enjoy series…
Whatever you order, enjoy every sip!
