I know nothing about wine. How do I learn the wine list, and sell it?

The wine card

Turn each wine by the glass into one card. The blanks are filled from your restaurant’s list, its tasting notes, and your own tasting:

Quiz yourself front to back, out loud, until you can do the whole by-the-glass list cold. Then add bottles only if your test or your section needs them. Not tax or legal advice.

Plain English

Why by the glass first

It’s the short list, so you can learn all of it first. The full bottle list can wait until you’ve got the glasses cold, unless your manager says the test covers it.

How to study it

Use the cards above and answer out loud before you flip. Learning research finds that practice testing beats rereading, and that saying the answer helps more than picking it from a list (Dunlosky and colleagues, 2013; Rowland, 2014). That research was done with students, not wine lists, but the method carries over: nobody at the table gives you multiple choice.

Pronunciation

Ask your manager or bartender how the house says each name, then say it out loud a few times before your shift. If you blank at the table, point to it on the list. That’s better than guessing.

Describing wine honestly

• Use your three style words and the dish it goes with. Start there.
• Only describe what you’ve tasted or what the house notes say. Don’t make up flavors.
• If a guest asks something you don’t know, say you’ll find out, and ask the bartender or manager.

Selling wine without being pushy

• “What do you usually like to drink?” Then point to one or two glasses that fit.
• “With the [dish they ordered], the [wine] by the glass goes really well.” Only if you believe it.
• If the house offers tastes, offer one to a guest who can’t decide.
• If a table is ordering several glasses of the same wine, mention the bottle.

More on suggestive selling, including the one study behind it and when to hold back: How do I upsell as a server?