Long wine lists can be daunting. Beyond the hard-to-pronounce names and esoteric grape varieties, the hefty price tags on restaurant bottle menus add extra pressure to make the right choice. So when you spend extensive time and effort selecting a $100 bottle that ends up disappointing, it hurts a little more than picking a $10 appetizer that didn’t quite hit.
If you find yourself saddled with a wine that really isn’t for you, what can you do? After the bottle hits your table, is it a sunk cost or can you ask to try something different? VinePair tapped Patrick Kattner, head sommelier at NYC Italian restaurant Foul Witch, to share some advice on how to handle this tricky situation.
Technically, once you order a bottle, you’re committed to it. When a somm brings it over for you to taste it, that’s actually to check for flaws, not delectability. But if you’re really not enjoying what you ordered, Kattner suggests speaking to the somm or server helping you. That way, you can figure out the best solution together.
“Honesty is always the best policy here,” he says. “The server is on your side. At the end of the day, we want you to have a good time and drink something you’ll actually enjoy.”
If you do decide to bring the issue up, it’s important to do it with respect. “Be clear about what it is you don’t like about the bottle you ordered, and as long as you’re gracious and open