links

title

Pachter's Pointers:
Business Etiquette Tips & Career Suggestions


11.13.2014

Avoiding Blunders: 5 Tips for Ordering Wine at a Business Meal

A colleague of mine just sent me a news story about a man who ordered what he thought was a $37.50 bottle of wine, but, unfortunately for him, the cost of the wine was $3,750.  Big difference!

A few days later, that story was included in an article on MarketWatch, a website for business and finance news, about five wine-related blunders that turned out to be very costly. Here are some guidelines for ordering wine so you don’t end up on that list: 

1. Learn about wine. You will make a better choice, whether as host or guest, if you know something about the product. There are many books and websites with lots of information about wine. You can take a class at an adult-education school or wine store.  Visits to wineries also can be helpful. The general guideline is that white wine is served with fish and poultry and red wine with meat, but there are numerous exceptions.

2. If you are the host, you are in charge of the wine selection. As mentioned above, knowing a little about wine will make your decision easier. You can ask the wine steward, or sommelier, to recommend some wines. Most of them are very knowledgeable and will be happy to pair your food choices with wine. Just make sure you are clear about the price!

Participating in the wine-tasting process is also part of the host’s responsibility. The wine steward will present the bottle’s label for your review and then pour a small amount of wine into your glass. You should taste the wine and (usually) nod approval. Send wine back only if it is spoiled. Do not send the wine back because you do not like the taste. (The five wine-tasting steps are explained through my acronym LaCEST™, and can be found in my book, The Essentials of Business Etiquette: How to Greet, Eat, and Tweet Your Way to Success.)

3. Check the wine list ahead of time. Many restaurants post their wine lists on their websites. Pick a few bottles and research those. Though not all restaurants have prices on their website wine list, your research will give you a general idea of the price range for a wine. Keep in mind, however, that restaurants mark up the price.

4. Know your budget. Have a general idea about what you want to spend before you go to the restaurant. There are many good, reasonably priced wines to be found. Look for wine that you have enjoyed before.  And remember that the most expensive bottle on the list is not always the best.  If you are celebrating a big occasion, or your guest loves a certain wine, you may choose to increase your budget.  You can give the sommelier your price range by pointing at a price – not a wine – and saying something like, “I was looking for something like this.”

5. Be cautious if you defer to your guest. He or she may order a bottle outside of your budget. Some salespeople have reported that when they have deferred to their guests, those guests sometimes ordered very expensive bottles of wine. But that’s not always a bad thing. One director told me, “My client just gave me two million dollars’ worth of business, so he can order whatever he likes!”

Regardless of the wine chosen, or whether you are the host or the guest, do not drink too much. You need to stay sober. It is easy to blunder when your faculties are impaired by alcohol. 

Pachter & Associates provides training and coaching on business etiquette and dining. For additional information, contact Joyce Hoff at 856.751.6141 or joyce @pachter.com







19 comments:

  1. Anonymous12/01/2014

    Present instructional course load and also specific review is irrelavent in finest. To be able to correctly asses a student may merely be achieved by employing modern following and also database technological know-how. essay writing service wikipedia reference for all of the students to prepare term papers or, any college papers.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What was C. Fowler suppose to say? Clearly there is bias. The first time Oregon lost they were dumped from the top ten. Top SEC teams had to lose twice. Then favored A&M, Georgia and Your Place to Discover the Worlds Wines

    ReplyDelete

  3. Understanding all the basics of essay writing prepares you or any other student for tougher options in high school or college. It's tough because you will need to think from a broader point of view, analyze topics critically to make your entire essay relevant. Remember, you can always purchase your term paper at the custom research paper writing service

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hmmmmmmmmm, these tips are right what is needed.P.S. The history of wine is here at best-custom-essays.com.

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is really nice to know about your hospitality. thanks. custom-essay-online

    ReplyDelete
  6. Nice post. Tips are very useful. Thanks for sharing.

    best vegetarian restaurants in hong kong

    ReplyDelete
  7. Good ideas. I like it. Thanks for sharing.
    Catering Services in West Mambalam

    ReplyDelete
  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Get the highest grades with our writing service!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Great tips. you shared useful post. Thanks for sharing.

    Best Brahmin Catering in Chennai

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wonderful tips. Thanks for sharing such a useful post.

    Best Wedding catering Services in Chennai

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wonderful tips, thank you so much for posting it! It seems that the author of this article is simply a professional writer cuz because the article is written beautifully. I wish I could write at the same level but I have to look for a websites where I may buy a term papers for sale.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Pleased to know about this information on how to order a wine in business meet. I am arranging my company’s outdoor event in couple of weeks and in search of lovely venue Houston TX. Hope to find the best venue and have excellent event.

    ReplyDelete
  14. You’ll master the art of academic writing sooner or later. Look best iphone college essay writing students. If you want to speed up the process, you can always buy well-written college essay from experts online.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Yes, education in school it was very simple. But now I`m a student of technical institute. And I often use this service http://paidpaper.net/term-paper-reviews/
    when I need an essay or term paper cuz, some subjects are very difficult.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I’ve read a few just right stuff here. Definitely
    worth bookmarking for revisiting. I wonder how a lot effort you place to make such a excellent informative
    website.

    Parabola Tv Muslim ::: Parabola Tv Muslim :::

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi there to all, how is the whole thing, I think every one is getting more from this
    web site, and your views are good designed for new users.

    * Toko Olahraga Online Murah, Lengkap, Aman dan Terpercaya
    * Franchise Minuman Coklat, Waralaba Minuman, Nyoklat, Nyoklat Super
    * Cara Mengatasi Anak Susah Makan dengan Laperma Platinum

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.