The Beauty of Returning Wine

Sometimes people return a bottle of wine they have either ordered or I have suggested. Does it hurt my feelings? Am I irritated or annoyed? It depends. It depends on the mood I’m in and it depends on whether or not I have the chance to learn from the experience.

Whenever I make a recommendation to a table, I always finish my sales pitch with the line, “If you don’t like it, we’ll try a different bottle and I’ll enjoy this one with dinner later.” The great thing about this line is it’s the absolute truth.

I dream about what I will be drinking at the end of the night. I obsess with the idea of opening a bottle that will either go great with my dinner or just arrived from the distributor earlier that morning. I fantasize about how delicious it will taste going down and how much better I will feel after it is absorbed in my body. I guess you could say I feel about wine how Will Ferrell felt about beer in Old School. “Once it hits your lips….”

Tonight a customer returned a bottle of Pinot Noir from Monterrey. He said it was too alcoholic and too light-bodied. Don’t get me started on how little sense his comments made, but regardless, he didn’t want the bottle.

As he’s explaining to me why he doesn’t care for the wine, I have to hide my pleasure and excitement about what I’ll be drinking at the end of my shift. I cannot hear his statements about what he normally likes to drink because all I can think about is that cherry-concentrated cola with alcohol that is soon to be mine.

Scary? Maybe.

Sad? If you say so.

I don’t know how one may judge this fascination I have with all things wine, but all I know is I’m drinking it while I write my blog and I’m enjoying every sip.