You know the scene. You're with several of your girlfriends - or work colleagues - and you're gathered for a drink after work, a special time to get together and chat and the waiter arrives to take your drink order. Asking what you'll have to drink, the most immediate response from women is "I'll have a glass of wine" followed by the me toos at the table. The waiter without naming the exact wines poured will rattle off that they have a Chardonnay, a Pinot Grigio, a Sauvignon Blanc, etc. etc. No vintage year is mentioned - no prices or size of the pour indicated. There's three of you and you each say Sauvignon Blanc and the server returns with your glasses of wine. A bit later - depending on how long you're going to linger (and whether you have to drive home) someone waives the server and you request another round. Not because the wine is great - or even good - it's just a habit. The check arrives and YIKES - the cost of 6 glases of wine is somewhere between $48 dollars and $72 dollars (if you live in a major metropolitan area) or more. The glass of SB has set you back between $8-12 per person per round. You were never given the wine list - nor did you request one. The server didn't suggest to you that you check it out to make your selection which would have immediately showed you that the wine that you ordered was probably one of the cheapest on the wine list - if available at all - and probably cost as must as your first round (i.e. half of what you spent). Do the math. There's 25.4 oz of wine in a bottle. This means that you can get 6 pours of a little over 4 oz a glass for the same price as the first round that you ordered. In fact, if you had ordered a bottle to share amongst the three of you - you essentially were getting a second glass for free. Even worse - when you order 1 glass of wine by the glass, you're just covered the bar or restaurants cost for the whole bottle - the rest is pure profit. And finally, to make matters worse - for the amount that you've spent - between $48 and $72 dollars - there's some really interesting and wonderful selections on the wine list. Stay tuned for Part II to find out how you can order smarter and get more pleasure when you're out for a casual glass of wine.... -
By Julie Brosterman
julie@womenwine.com
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