Ordering wine in a restaurant ought to be as easy as ordering a meal, but that isn't always the case. Challenges abound, from dealing with a waiter who just happens to recommend the most expensive wine in the restaurant to being handed an inch-thick wine list that's about as easy to get through as a software manual. How do you make ordering wine a comfortable experience? Take my insider advice.

How To Choose a Wine
There are several ways to find a great wine to go with your dinner; some are so easy you don't even have to look at the wine list. Most restaurants, for example, offer a small selection of wines by the glass. Usually, waiters are far more knowledgeable about these wines than the entire list, so don't be shy about asking them to describe each one. Ordering by the glass also means you don't have to shoulder the responsibility of choosing the perfect wine for every guest. If enough people are dining together, it can be fun to start off by ordering individual glasses; then, if one person happens to choose something fantastic, a bottle of that wine can be ordered to share with the entire table.

But let's tackle a harder scenario. Say you want to order a bottle of wine from the beginning, and there are just two of you dining. The waiter hands you the wine list, and your heart sinks. There are dozens of wines, none of which you're familiar with. What do you do?

There are two strategies. One is simply to choose anything in your price range. I know this sounds risky, but it really isn't. Don't forget there was a time when you didn't know what avocados, veal chops, or peach ice cream tasted like, either. Trying a wine you don't yet know is really the same thing.

A second strategy is to quiz your waiter; the more specific your questions, the better. My two favorites are "Which wine does the chef like best?" and "What are your most popular red and white wines?" Don't forget to give a price range. You might say, "I'd like to try a Zinfandel, and I want to spend $25 to $30. What do you suggest?"

Smelling the Cork
What to do with the cork that the waiter has put down beside you? Should you smell it? In a word, no. Nobody is sure how this pretentious practice even began. There is absolutely nothing you can tell about wine from smelling the cork. So why is the cork even put on the table to begin with? Tradition again: It's so you can see that the name stamped on the cork matches the name on the label--a guarantee that no one has tampered with the wine.

Tasting the Wine
Because wine is a natural product, it's possible (though unlikely) that you might encounter one that tastes like vinegar or has some other defect. For this reason, it's customary for the host to taste the wine before it's poured.

Sending Wine Back
The majority of us are not chemists, and we're under no obligation to explain what's gone wrong in a wine that tastes bad. All that matters is that it does. Any restaurant worth its salt will take back the wine immediately.

Remember: Wine, like food, is a lifelong process of discovery, and sharing wine and food together in a restaurant is one of life's simple but enduring pleasures.

MORE WINE ARTICLES FROM KAREN:

Glass Acts
Quality stemware can make good wine taste great.

Essential Wine Etiquette
When to toast, when to tip, when to send back the bottle�these answers will put you at ease.

Wine Tasting
From entertaining to etiquette, expert Karen McNeil makes learning about wine a delicious pursuit.

Decoding Winespeak
Understanding common terms can help you remember which wines you like best.