Everything You Need to Know About Wine and Etiquette on a Date

Dates can be a tangle of choices — what time to meet, how to dress, which place to pick – and that’s before you’ve even eased into the night ahead, which is laden with its own set of decisions. On the other hand, going out for drinks is typically a safe option and wine, with all of its seduction and elegance, is the ideal starting point for establishing a good strong impression. These simple rules will ensure that the evening runs well.

#1 – Never Have a Drink Before You Leave for a Date
More so, if you want to use the evening’s wine to demonstrate your etiquette and understanding. It’s tempting to drink one or two for a shot of Dutch bravery, but keep in mind how powerful wine may be. You don’t want to slur your words before your partner has finished their first glass of wine. Especially if you met through an online dating site and this is your first time face-to-face. It will ruin the first impression.

#2 – To Begin, Buy Wine By the Glass
If you’re just getting together for drinks, start with selecting wine by the glass. That way, if you’re clearly not compatible after the first round, you can easily make a smooth exit. Only get a bottle if you’re both on board with the idea of extending the date.

#3 – Inquire with Your Date About Ordering Wine for the Table
Tradition dictates that the male partner orders and tastes the wine, but that is changing (quite properly). If it is your first meeting after chatting on the dating site and you didn’t learn much about the tastes of the girl you asked out, it is better to ask her whether she knows much about wine or if she has a preference, and if she is more informed than you, let her lead the way.

#4 – Take the Excellent Stuff
We’re not proposing you shell out for a bottle of Romanée-Conti, but you shouldn’t ask for the ‘house white’ or ‘house red’ at all. Instead, consider what you’d drink during a get-together with trustworthy pals and try to one-up it or choose a glass of fizz, this doesn’t have to be expensive Champagne, but can start the date off in the right way.

#5 – Request a Suggestion From the Waiter
You want your date to enjoy themselves, particularly if you just met on a online dating site online and you don’t know them all that well yet. Taking a chance to find the ‘perfect wine’ might backfire. If wine isn’t your thing, ask the sommelier or bartender for recommendations, especially if you’ll drink it with food.

#6 – Avoid Bringing up the Cost of the Wine
The main rule of online dating when you go out together the first time is being humble. There’s no need to discuss the price, or even the wine itself, beyond a few words of opinion after tasting unless your date is keen to purchase a bottle of something much out of your financial range. Keep the talk for later when you have more intimate conversations.

#7 – Pour the Wine for Your Date First
On your first date, it is wise, before serving yourself, to offer the wine to your partner if you’ve ordered a bottle. Keep a watch on their glass and offer to refill it when only a mouthful is left. But make sure to refill your own glass as well; you don’t want to appear as though you’re forcing booze on them. Being thoughtful is the best you can do to a person you’ve met through online dating.

#8 – Don’t Swirl the Wine Before Taking a Whiff
To savor the wine’s fragrances, sniff it when it’s initially poured, then swirl it and sniff it again. Unfortunately, swirling can obscure corking evidence, which you’re searching for during the initial sample pour.

#9 – Take Slow Sips
Take your time with each glass of wine since it is not meant to be consumed quickly. If you want to go somewhere else (or just want to go quickly), wait until you’ve finished the wine in an acceptable amount of time. It’s impolite to throw it back and guzzle it down.

#10 – Make a Mental Note of the First Wine You and Your Partner Drank Together
Obviously, you don’t want to get ahead of yourself – after all, it’s early days – but if things seem to be going well, take down the wine label and vintage. A bottle of the first wine you sipped together is a lovely romantic gift if you’re still together in a month, a year, or a decade.