A Bottle of Wine is part of The Adios Puerto Rico, Hola España Trip Report. Read, Why a Second Residency?, to see why I am here.
I write down lessons during my time travel or during residency (see Travel Lessons & Expat Lessons) to prevent myself from making similar mistakes in the future. After an underwhelming dinner at Cadaques where I received 6 pieces of shrimp and a bottle of wine, for an outsized bill (see Don’t Take All Advice: Meh Restaurants in Madrid), I decided that ordering a bottle of wine at dinner should be eliminated for future evenings out: Here’s why:
- Pre-Dinner Drinks: In Madrid, it is common to go to a few tapas bars before dinner (see Best Tapas Madrid: No Budget Cuts Here). By the time I arrive for dinner, I have already had a few glasses. Alternatively, if I went straight to the restaurant, I would order a martini before ordering a bottle of wine. Pure vodka before vino is overkill.
- Good till the last drop?: I enjoy perusing the wine list and I enjoy the pomp and circumstance of the sommelier opening a bottle of wine. It is a treat when the sample is poured and the result does not disappoint. Besides that experience, I have to question whether it is worth splurging for the whole bottle. By the time I finish my fourth glass, I am too inebriated to distinguish this fine bottle versus something basic.
- Cost: When I go on a TPOL adventure, I typically run around for 24 days. When I go on a residency it is for 5 weeks. A $100 bottle of wine at dinner is cost-prohibitive.
- Unnecessary Pressure: If I purchase a full bottle, I am compelled to finish the bottle for two reasons: First, I paid for it. Second, I cannot let good wine go to waste.
- After dinner outing: Assume I drank before dinner and assume a whole bottle of wine was consumed at dinner. That is a significant amount of alcohol. The wise move would be to go home, but that is not fun. Neither is the hangover the next day if I stay out all hours.
Solution?
Going on a pub crawl or tapas tasting in new cities, I fool myself into believing that the effects of a drink from one bar do not carry over to the next. The number of drinks consumed does not reset just because I enter a new establishment or because I switch from liquor to vino. Accordingly, my new rule is to order one drink when I am first seated, cheers to the experience, and sip slowly. From there, the time should be centered around enjoying the food. Indeed, being too buzzed detracts not only from embracing the intricacies of the wine but also from savoring the taste of food. At the time, I know that the wine and food are delicious, but the next day I cannot vividly remember the subtleties of the flavors. That is regrettable.
Caveat: The one-drink strategy at dinner may not always work as I found out in Copenhagen, where I had the wildest Michelin experience (see Punk Royale Copenhagen: Michelin Restaurant on Acid). After that dinner, I should have gone home instead of overindulging (see Guns & Butter: Copenhagen Travel Guide).
Here’s TPOL’s tip from that Travel Guide: Don’t overlook the alcohol consumed at the 16-course Punk Royale. I learned this the day after.
Overall
In order to maintain figurative and literal balance in my life, I am giving up the pleasure of ordering a bottle of wine at dinner. I will reserve the experience of trying new wines at wine tastings (see Global Vineyards) or at home where my Coravin Wine gadget allows me to sample a fancy or souvenir bottle of wine without opening the bottle itself.
A Martini is made with gin. A Vodka Martini (also called a Kangaroo Cocktail) is made with Vodka. I suggest changing “Martini” above to “Vodka Martini”
If this was the 1950’s you’d be right but just as a normal Manhattan is made with bourbon rather than Canadian whiskey nowadays, martinis have largely shifted to vodka. I own a bar so I’m pretty familiar with these nuances.
You missed the point
That was for the carafe comment.
That’s not true and I’m a formally trained bartender. I will not be changing it.
You’re in Europe, just order a small carafe.
Eminently sensible, relatable (who hasn’t had trouble remembering dinner’s flavor nuances while rehydrating the morning after?), and practical! I wonder if Professor TPOL is reaching a new level of maturity? I suspect you’ve already heard the suggestion of drinking 8-16 ounces of iced water between each alcohol-containing drink – but if not, that idea could be another tool in the plan to savor and enjoy dinner, plus a potential blog entry, and it’s much easier to accomplish at dinner than during a pub crawl
I have tried the water trick many times. It does not work. I either forget to remember to drink water or say forget it I’m not doing it as the alcohol starts to take over. It also kills the enjoyment when it’s regimented. Better to do something automatic than try and implement and unsustainable regiment. I don’t know about mature but I know that I regret not remembering the greatness of the food or wine as a result of over indulgence.