or a successful business meal, it’s not enough for you to show up in your Mercedes. One of the hallmarks of a successful CEO in the social setting is the ability to handle ordering and drinking wine. Believe it or not, some clients are watching to see how comfortable you are with wine, and will consider your ability to handle wine as a reflection of your character.
Here are a few things you can keep in mind that will be sure to impress at your next business meal:
Pay attention to your guests.
Ask whether your guests have any interest in wine. If the answer is distant or your guest seems uninterested, she probably doesn’t know or care much about wine. If she answers in a specific fashion, such as naming her favorite wine, express an interest in that wine and order it if it is available and appropriate for the meal.
Make the server your ally
Ask for help in a subtle way. When you receive the wine list ask “is there anything of special interest I ought to know about?” or “have you tasted anything lately that’s distinctive?” Both of these statements imply that you know something about wine, and that you’re asking the server to fine-tune your selection process with his knowledge of the particular wine list.
Handle red wines carefully.
Expensive red wines should age at least six years. This rule applies especially to French Burgundy, Bordeaux and Rhone Valley wines, as well as Italian triple crown winners and Spanish Vega Sicilia Unico wines. Ask that older red wine be decanted, and ask for the larger red wine glasses. Both of these procedures add flavor to the wine.
Know how much to spend.
Wine is another part of the meal, not just a beverage. Don’t order the most expensive wine on the list or you may seem pretentious. Order wine that is priced about the equivalent of the full meal for a single person. If the average meal price is $100, then you’ll want to spend $100 for the wine to go with the meal. This demonstrates that you care about quality, but aren’t foolish with company money.
When you’re courting an important client or meeting with significant people in your business, make sure your car stands out as much as your knowledge about wine. Bring your Mercedes in to your local Mercedes dealer in Philadelphia, South Jersey or the Delaware Valley for routine maintenance and to make sure it’s in top condition.
