Have you ever declined a bottle of wine in a restaurant?

[Jims5543]

When we were in an Italian restaurant in the Atlantis Marina Village, we ordered a Napa caberneigh sovereign. The wine list lacked years and when I asked they did not know the year. I was looking for a 1999 or close to it. We ordered it anyway it was about $80 for the bottle and figured it would be decent.

I am no connoisseur by any stretch, my wife is picky about how dry a red is, I like really dry she likes it to just have a hint of it.

So we go through the cork sniff and the taste. I knew right away she would not like it. I actually wasn't impressed with it, it had a bitter taste to it. I am such a weenie though, so non-confrontational. We took the bottle, as it warmed to room temp it got a little better (less bitter) but it was not an $80 bottle. BTW- It was a 2002, from what I have been told that is not a good year.

How do you send a bottle back? Is it polite to do so. I mean I know your paying for it so you should like it. I guess my point is I am too timid to send one back. I guess I am a chump.

[fastpat]

Originally posted by Jim Cesiro
When we were in an Italian restaurant in the Atlantis Marina Village, we ordered a Napa caberneigh sovereign. The wine list lacked years and when I asked they did not know the year. I was looking for a 1999 or close to it. We ordered it anyway it was about $80 for the bottle and figured it would be decent.

I am no connoisseur by any stretch, my wife is picky about how dry a red is, I like really dry she likes it to just have a hint of it.

So we go through the cork sniff and the taste. I knew right away she would not like it. I actually wasn't impressed with it, it had a bitter taste to it. I am such a weenie though, so non-confrontational. We took the bottle, as it warmed to room temp it got a little better (less bitter) but it was not an $80 bottle.

How do you send a bottle back? Is it polite to do so. I mean I know your paying for it so you should like it. I guess my point is I am too timid to send one back. I guess I am a chump.

You just ask the waiter to take it back, if he asks why tell him the truth. The restaurant should have more info in my opinion, the fact that they didn't indicated that they may have been sold a bill of goods in the first place.

I haven't had to send back a bottle, but I have sent back a glass of wine that was obviously from a bottle open way too long. Red wine doesn't keep well, even overnight.

[Dottore]

There is no shame in sending back a bottle of wine. None whatsoever. You just tell your waiter it is off.

A significant percentage of wines are corked or off. I do not hesitate to send these back.

Last week we ordered a local Chardonnay. It was corked - and I sent it back. The next bottle was also corked - and I sent it back. We went through four bottles before deciding the entire case was probably corked. So we switched to another wine altogether.

No problem.

[Cdnone1]

I have sent a bad or turned bottle of wine back before.
Most restaurants do not have a problem if the wine is bad. Restaurants have a problem when people try and return a wine because "it wasn't what they expected or wanted ,or just don't like it" If you order a wine without any questions in regards to the taste and character of the wine you are reponsible for the purchase and the restaurant is responsible to provide the wine as it is meant to be.
People order expensive bottles of wine then try and return them because they don't like the taste,ie; too sweet or too dry. If the wine tastes the way it should and there is nothing wrong with it you bought it. If the restaurant highly suggested it and recommended it for your meal and you don't like it they should comp you the bottle , but don't be suprised if they take the bottle away after you refuse it so they can sell it by the glass.
If the restaurant has a sommlier and the wine has turned it will not be a problem.
Also smelling a cork will not tell you anything except what the cork smells like. You should be looking at the cork to see if the wine stain on it has reached the top of the cork, if it has air has gotten into the bottle and there is a good chance the wine has spoiled. This alone can be reason to return a wine. Also if they are going to decant the wine have them do it at the table so you can see thelevel of the wine in the bottle first. If it is low on the shoulder of the bottle and you are paying top dollar ask for another so you get a full bottle for what you are paying
Hope this helps
Steve

[masraum]

If you buy wine and it tastes "bad" (not that you just don't like it) then definitely return it. I used to bartend, and once or twice had someone return some wine. I tasted it when it came back, they were right, it was bad. No shame in returning a bad bottle of wine.

If you bought some food that was bad would you eat it anyway or send it back?

[pmajka]

Yeah, i returned one...It would have ruined my dinner. It smelled like somthing died in the glass.

i asked for the same wine and new glass.

Boy did that taste better.

[HardDrive]

I would only return it if it were bad. Not being what you expected is not the fault of the restaurant.

[fastpat]

Originally posted by HardDrive
I would only return it if it were bad. Not being what you expected is not the fault of the restaurant.

Well, yes and no.

The restaurant should describe each wine in as much detail as possible. As Jim stated, the restaurant knew next to nothing about the wine, so he was left with a "shot in the dark" as to what it would be.

In this circumstance, if it turned out to not be what I like, I'd return it then too. Keeping in mind, there's few reds that I don't like.

[Cdnone1]

"Well, yes and no.

The restaurant should describe each wine in as much detail as possible."

Um, no.
Lots of restaurants have very extensive wine lists that offer no description of the wines on it. If you stock several hundred different wines you cannot write a description of each wine. They should have a knowledge of their wines but writting a description of each wine in as much detail as possible is just ridiculous! I seen forty page wine lists with just the wines listed let alone full descriptions.
If you don't know about a vintage and it is over a certain price ask.

Of course if your Fastpat you already know everything so your good
Steve

[Don Plumley]

I'll concur with what's been said. I've sent back corked wines - a couple quite expensive. Depending on cork supplier, grade of cork, method of transport (via refrigerated container to hot places like the Bahamas), there are estimates of up to 20% loss due to corked wines. One of the reasons for the popularity of screwcaps for lower cost wines.

But there have been a couple of times when I didn't trust myself to know for sure if it was corked or just something I was unfamiliar with. In those instances, I've asked for the sommilier (or manager if they don't have one), and said, "I'm sorry, but I'm uncertain if this wine is corked or damaged -- would you mind tasting it for me? If you say it is okay, I'll gladly drink it." So far, I'm about 75/25 with them saying something is not right and replacing the wine.

The markup on wine is quite healthy, especially in the more tourist oriented restaurants (Vegas is more than 3x wholesale). So don't feel bad, just make sure it's not a taste issue, but truly a damaged bottle.

Like Steve said, unless you really know the wine list, this is a good reason to ask for recommendations. You tell them what you are planning to order, your taste preference, and price range.

Wine is supposed to help your enjoyment of the meal - Life is short, don't drink bad wine!

[Seahawk]

I augmented my way through college waiting tables at high end restaurants in Oakland (not a mistake) and San Francisco...usually there was no hesitation if a customer declined a wine, which was rare.

I had the benifit of a Sommelier, or wine steward, however...both in preparation for discussing the wine selection and help should the wine not meet expectations.

Have I, after my experiences at a waiter, ever returned a bottle of wine? Twice.

[K. Roman]

2002 was a great year for many Napa wines.

[Don Plumley]

Wayne, you are not a shy guy. I order Porsche parts and I (clearly) don't always know what I'm talking about.

Wine is simply not supposed to taste bad. But the big tip-off for a corked bottle (contamination by TCA) is a musty smell. Think dank basement, even wet dog. If the cork and/or wine smells musty, it's corked.

Oxidized wine is another big problem - especially in wine by the glass. The wine is flat, leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. I think one of the reasons so many folks "don't like wine" is the crappy Chardonnay or Oxidized reds in the jugs behind the bar when someone asks for a "glass of the house wine."

[lendaddy]

I went to a place Friday and ordered a $50-$60 bottle. Imagine my shock when it had a twist off top.

I know that cork is getting expensive and that it has potential problems, but I have never seen twist off on a bottle over $10 before. Both the waiter and the Sommelier(who I allowed to make the choice based on my taste suggestions) came by and explained the twist top. It was a California Chardonnay and it was pretty good, but still? Is this getting more common or did I get hosed?

[Cdnone1]

A $50-$60 bottle of a California Chardonnay in a restaruant in Michigan is probably a $10-$18 dollar bottle here in Cal.
Yes twist top are become very popular for affordable table wines in California. There is a host of reason for both the Winery and the consumer
Steve

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

what is wrong with you? If you're paying $80 and it tastes bad, send it back. Why should you care if you seem uncouth?

[K. Roman]

There is nothing wrong with a twist off. They last longer than a cork. After 20 years most corks need replacing. plastic corks are also picking up speed. But I do prefer the cork.

[Don Plumley]

I'm a part-time vintner - we went through a short evaluation on our first bottling. You are right that corks have a shelf life, but almost nothing made in the new world will last 20 years. Lots of local stuff is peaking at 7 to 10 years. Screw caps are great for whites of any caliber though. Since not much happens in the bottle with whites and risk of TCA is zero, I'm a big fan of Stelvin or similar closures for any white.

I don't like synthetic corks at all, feel, difficulty in removal, etc. They hit a low-end market okay, but my feeling is they'll be overtaken by screw caps. Talking with the bottling line vendors, bottle vendors, etc., there is huge interest in screw tops in the industry.

But removing a cork is definitely a great part of the ceremony of opening a bottle of wine. So we go with a high end 2" cork. Costs almost as much as the bottle (which is a heavy expensive thing) but given our target market, they'll be expecting a cork.

A couple of high end wines (e.g. Plumpjack) are giving screw caps a run. And some mid-tier wines make it a point - like the 3 Loose Screws division of Don Sebastiani and Sons (Screw Kappa Napa) and Virgin Wine. Great marketing.

[stuartj]

Originally posted by lendaddy
I went to a place Friday and ordered a $50-$60 bottle. Imagine my shock when it had a twist off top.

I know that cork is getting expensive and that it has potential problems, but I have never seen twist off on a bottle over $10 before. Both the waiter and the Sommelier(who I allowed to make the choice based on my taste suggestions) came by and explained the twist top. It was a California Chardonnay and it was pretty good, but still? Is this getting more common or did I get hosed?

The Stelvin closure (screw cap) is loved by the indusrty, and we are going to see more and more of it. There are three grades of cork. Most wine is made to be consumed within a very short period of time of release and not to be cellared (because about 85% of wine is consumed within 24 hours of purchase and very little is actually cellared) and gets the low grade cork.

The longer a bottle lays down, even with good cork, the more likely it is cork taint will occur. About one in 12 bottles has some degree of cork taint. One of the "joys" of cellaring wine for yourself is opening a bottle and then tipping down the sink.

The industry loves the Stelvin because it 100% removes cork taint, and because it is consistent in quality, which cork being a natural substance, is not. Even some very good wines, made to cellared wines, are being offered under Stelvin. So expect to see more.

The only resistance in the industry is on behalf of the consumer. We dont like Stelvin on good wines. But, thats an perception, and it can be changed. Serious wine buffs are pretty unanamimous in acceptance of the Stelvin.

Oh and yeah, I send em back. Or more correctly, my wine Nazi SO does. You certainly shouldnt put up with a tainted bottle when you are paying usually twice or more the retail $$ for the priveldge of drinking it in a restaurant.

But what really craps me off is ordering a good, ergo pricey, bottle and then the reaturant failing to provide proper glassware. Im putting on my flamesuit, but this makes a considerable difference.

Vino Veritas

Stuart

[K. Roman]

I'm with you, I need a bottle to be put in a decanter if I'm paying good money. let the thing breathe please!