Choosing wine can be highly intimidating, especially when you’re going through a complicated menu full of words that you can’t pronounce let alone understand. Raise your glass if you’ve ever ordered something randomly out of being under pressure and because you didn’t want to keep the whole table waiting.

To put an end to your grumbling for once and all, here are some tips to help you pick something that would satisfy your palate.

1. First stop in choosing wine is to consider the food you are pairing with the wine.

A happy party in your mouth makes eating out an adventure, especially if you choose a wine that agrees with a wide range of the food you ordered. Versatility is the key, consider the taste, texture, and aromatic elements when choosing your wine and you may just find the magic.

Also, highlight the specific flavor characteristics in wine by pairing it with food that has a similar flavor. Always serve light-bodied, low alcohol wines with light dishes and full-bodied, ripe, high alcohol wines with heavy foods.

2. Be decisive.

Want to know the secret to cutting half the wine list from where you’ll choose from? Decide if you want red or white with your meal. It’s that simple.

3. Don’t Hesitate to Ask

Sommeliers and waiters are your friends, they are there to help and guide you. Ask them about the available wines on the list. What do they taste like? What dishes do they match? Don’t be intimidated. Keep in mind to also ask for a small serving or order by the glass, that way you can try different wines without ordering the whole bottle. The best case scenario, your sommelier may suggest you options that work with the food you’re eating.

4. Paying more doesn’t guarantee a better wine choice.

Does price have anything to do with the quality and taste of the wine you chose? Not really, there are tons of $10 – $30 wines that are just as good as much better-known of $50 – $150. The difficulty is finding these gems. How?

Find out more on the next item on the list.

5. Choosing wine can be intimidating if you know nothing about wines. Go on a wine tasting tour on your next adventure.

A wine tour will introduce you to some varietals that you haven’t tasted before thus upping your wine game to impress everyone. It’s an excellent opportunity to visit the cellars with such wonderful aromas of oak and wine and to see the magic behind winemaking. So the next time you’ll be tasked with choosing the wine for your meal it can be really fun and enlightening experience.

Looking for an awesome wine tour to start with? Book a group guided wine tour with us! Mile High Wine tours provide an intimate experience and taste the best that Denver urban wineries have to offer. Enjoy a VIP experience when you book a tour and learn about winemaking directly from winery owners/winemakers. For more info send your questions to info@milehighwinetours.com.