Is ordering wine by the glass (not a bottle) at restaurants sort of a cheapskate move?

[Anonymous]

Only in DCUM land do people worry about the optics of buying wine by the glass vs the bottle. Pure insanity. Maybe I wouldn't buy a bottle because I don't want to get drunk at dinner and need to drive home?

[Anonymous]

I would think a restaurant or bar would have the responsibility of making sure the bottles they’ve opened are still safe and enjoyable for consumption, just the same way they would make sure the milk they use for certain drinks or dishes is still fresh enough to use x days after opening.

There’s no need to have wine opened same day, weirdos.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Only in DCUM land do people worry about the optics of buying wine by the glass vs the bottle. Pure insanity. Maybe I wouldn't buy a bottle because I don't want to get drunk at dinner and need to drive home?

This. Talk about being tone deaf of how bad this looks.

I’ve eaten at all the nice restaurants in dc over the last 10 years and i have never ordered a bottle. If the restaurant is good, they do make sure the bottle is freshly opened or they give you a taste first. I would be weary ordering a glass of wine at a bar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a $200,000 wine collection, and we sometimes order wine by the glass. Sometimes you only want one glass, sometimes you want to try something new, or sometimes you and your dining companion(s) can't agree on a wine.

LOL

[Anonymous]

No

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Only in DCUM land do people worry about the optics of buying wine by the glass vs the bottle. Pure insanity. Maybe I wouldn't buy a bottle because I don't want to get drunk at dinner and need to drive home?

+1

Thank you.

[Anonymous]

If it tastes bad, send it back.

We frequently order by the glass b/c we're eating different things. Usually that's more than if we ordered a bottle.

[Anonymous]

I've never ordered a bottle of wine at dinner. I like to enjoy a cocktail first and then a glass with the meal, and it's a waste to get a whole bottle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a $200,000 wine collection, and we sometimes order wine by the glass. Sometimes you only want one glass, sometimes you want to try something new, or sometimes you and your dining companion(s) can't agree on a wine.

LOL

Why is this “LOL”? These are all valid reasons for not ordering a bottle and instead ordering by the glass. And you do know that some people invest in collections as a hobby? Admittedly not the norm, but it does happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a $200,000 wine collection, and we sometimes order wine by the glass. Sometimes you only want one glass, sometimes you want to try something new, or sometimes you and your dining companion(s) can't agree on a wine.

LOL

Why is this “LOL”? These are all valid reasons for not ordering a bottle and instead ordering by the glass. And you do know that some people invest in collections as a hobby? Admittedly not the norm, but it does happen.

Exactly. Every single tech person I know who came into quick money has a vast wine collection. It's an investment for people who went crazy rich fast.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I could never finish a whole bottle of wine, and often DH and I don’t drink the same kind. It’s not cheapskate to order by the glass.

How do you know if the wine is freshly opened? Is that a concern?

It's always a concern, but if it tastes bad, send it back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No way. If it’s not fresh or tastes off, send it back.

Oy vey, that sounds like an annoying, anxiety-inducing situation. I'd gladly overpay for a bottle we might not finish than have any parts in a conflict accusing the server/bartender/management of serving me a glass of wine from an old, long-opened bottle--which I think doesn't taste "fresh".

They really don't care. It happens all the time. I've seen plenty of bartenders or servers take a taste of an open bottle, determine it's not fresh, and open a new one.

[Anonymous]

I order wine by the glass all the time. Sometimes it's because it's on special by the glass but not the bottle. Other times it's because I'm the only person drinking it and I only want 1-2 glasses. Sometimes it's because I want to try a couple/few different things on the wine list vs. just one. Or I'm in a situation where it would be inconvenient to buy a whole bottle. (Like if i'm sitting at the bar with a bunch of friends and my friends would drink all of my wine and then i'd end up buying more just to have a second glass.)

We tend to go to places that do a lot of volume so I rarely have the problem of a glass not being fresh. And most good bartenders will let you take a taste to see if you like it before committing to a glass. If I'm at a place that does low wine volume or isn't likely to have good wine, I order something else. (a hard seltzer or a cider.)

[Anonymous]

The only time I'll order a bottle is if there's several of us drinking it. I can't fathom ordering a bottle of wine for myself solely because I was concerned about it being fresh (?). If the glass tasted off, I'd send it back. NBD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I could never finish a whole bottle of wine, and often DH and I don’t drink the same kind. It’s not cheapskate to order by the glass.

How do you know if the wine is freshly opened? Is that a concern?

It's always a concern, but if it tastes bad, send it back.

So the server and/or bartender will lie and claim they just opened the bottle or are about to open a new bottle for you even when the bottle is old? In other words, managers push them to sell one or two or three day old wine?

Is there a clever way to tease out the freshest wine? As in, asking which reds offered by the glass they sell the most of? But maybe they'd just default to respond with the most expensive to pump the tab.