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Ordering the wine at a business function is not unimportant. Business people are judged by just about everything they do, and an ability to order wine crisply and well probably takes on far more significance than it should. When we first wrote about this issue in 2000, we quoted someone who still remembered a young associate, 20 years earlier, nervously looking over the wine list and finally telling the sommelier, 'I think we'll try the Lancers.' In fact, this situation is even more fraught than it was in 2000 because of the recession. Back then, the person forced to choose the wine could simply focus on a California cult Cabernet or some other fancy bottle and everybody would be happy. These days, the bottom line when it comes to wine really is the bottom line. Successful business people are supposed to be able to identify value - and the wine list is no exception. This is where the 'cheap' comes in.
And here's where 'cheat' comes in: More and more restaurants have their wine lists online. Find it and study it before you go. See what fits into your budget and look up the wines online. By the time you are handed the list, you'll be able to make a snap judgment that will make it appear you know what you're doing and are a quick decision-maker to boot. If the wine list is not online, drop by the restaurant in advance, look over the list and talk with the sommelier. It's a small investment in time that will pay big dividends.
Even if this isn't possible, at least spend a few minutes doing some Web browsing on the type of wine likely to be listed. Northern Italian restaurant? You probably will see a delightful, well-priced Barbera. Greek restaurant? At least you can remember that Assyrtiko is the famous white wine from Santorini. If this simply isn't possible, here are some tips:
1) Move fast. The longer you stare at the list, the more your associates will assume either that you know nothing about wine and you're lost or that you know a lot about wine and that the wine you order will be the greatest experience of their lives.
2) Skip anything that's familiar. No one is going to be impressed if you order Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay or Yellow Tail Shiraz and, in fact, they will be outraged at the restaurant's price. You will be punished for staying in your comfort zone. More broadly, for value, avoid the whole long lists of the most-familiar wines: American Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. A wine that is unfamiliar is more likely to impress your associates.
3) If the list is geographically broad, it will be hard to go wrong, for a white, with Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and, for a red, with Malbec from Argentina.
4) If there is a sommelier, don't be shy about using his or her help. Good business people know how to delegate, after all, and you are just showing that skill. But here's the key if you're really stuck: Once you decide how much you want to spend, choose an interesting, unusual wine around that price and then call over the sommelier and say, 'This looks interesting to me. Do you think this is a good idea or is there something else you'd suggest?' - but the whole time you are doing this, be pointing at the price, not the wine. Sommeliers are used to this. They understand.
On the other hand, maybe it's all simpler than that. We were discussing this with our old friend Mark Nadler, a Chicago-based management consultant to CEOs at Oliver Wyman Delta, and he said, 'Here's my advice: The worst thing you can do is try to fake it. There is no shame in acknowledging to the table, 'You know what? I enjoy wine, but I wouldn't begin to describe myself as an expert. So I'd like to turn this over to one of you who really knows what they're talking about.' Believe me, you can bet there will always be at least one person who can't wait to grab the wine list and show off. Let them do the honors, and you earn easy points for humility.'
參考譯文：
在商業場合上點酒的能力并非無關緊要。商務人士的一言一行都會被當作判斷其能力高低的依據，點酒是否干脆老練且讓人皆大歡喜，或許被賦予了遠遠超出其本身的意義。我們記得當我們的文章在2000年首次涉及這個話題時，我們引述了某個人講述的20年前的故事。他記得有位年輕的助理緊張地看著酒單，最后告訴侍酒師，“我想我們就嘗嘗Lancers吧”。事實上，由于目前經濟的不景氣，這種事情的發生比2000年還要頻繁。在那個年代，被迫點酒者可以索性將重點放在加州California cult Cabernet酒或其它精美的酒上，而這樣做也會讓人皆大歡喜。如今，點酒的底線還真的是指價格的底線了。成功的商業人士都應該是識貨的，在點酒上也不會例外。這就是我們所說的“便宜”的意思。
現在我們說說“忽悠”是怎么回事：如今越來越多的餐館把其酒單放在網上。請你上網找到酒單并在赴宴前對它進行一番推敲，看看有什么酒在你的預算之內，然后在網上了解一下這些酒。這樣，當你拿到酒單時就可以迅速做出判斷，且這會讓你看起來像是很懂行而且是能迅速拿主意的人。如果網上找不到酒單，那就請事先到餐廳走一趟看下酒單并與調酒師聊聊。時間上的這點小投資會讓你有大回報的。
即使在上述條件不允許的情況下，你至少要在網上花上幾分鐘對可能出現在酒單上的葡萄酒做些調研。去北意大利風味的餐廳嗎？那酒單上可能會出現令人愉悅且價格公道的Barbera酒。去希臘風味餐廳？那你至少可以記住Assyrtiko是著名的產自圣托里尼島（Santorini）的白葡萄酒。如果所有這一切都不可能，那么下面還有一些建議給你：
1. 爽快地點酒。你越是對著酒單發呆，你的同伴們越是會認為你因對酒一竅不通而一頭霧水，或是會認為你是個葡萄酒行家因而你今天花如此大心思點的酒會令他們喝了終身難忘。
2. 跳過大家熟知的酒。如果你點了Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay或Yellow Tail Shiraz，沒有人會覺得你挺在行。而事實上，他們還會為這種酒在餐廳里賣到如此貴的價格感到憤怒。為了不出錯而保守行事，你會受到懲罰的。也就是說，為了物有所值，你應該避開最為大眾熟知的那一長串葡萄酒名字如American Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon和Chardonnay。點上一瓶無人知曉的葡萄酒，會更讓你的同伴們對你刮目相看。
3. 如果酒單上的酒五花八門產自世界各地，那出錯的可能性就很小。如要點白葡萄酒，那就點產自新西蘭的Sauvignon Blanc；如要點紅葡萄酒，那就點產自阿根廷的Malbec。
4. 如果餐廳配有侍酒師，那就別羞于讓他或她幫你一把。優秀的商業人士畢竟都懂得如何把任務委派給他人，現在就是展示你這種能力的時候了。但假如你真的陷入了困境，這里還有個殺手 ：一旦有了預算，你就在預算內挑一種有點意思的但不落俗套的酒，然后把侍酒師叫過來說：“這種酒看起來挺有意思的。你覺得這是個好的選擇還是你有什么別的建議？“ 。但整個過程中，你的手要指在價格上而不是在葡萄酒名字上。這種場合侍酒師們見得多了，他們會明白你的意思。
另外還有或許比上述都更簡單的做法。當我們和我們的老朋友馬克•納德勒（Mark Nadler）討論這事的時候，他是位于芝加哥的奧緯公司（Oliver Wyman Delta）的一位專門向首席執行官們提供咨詢的顧問，他說，我的建議是：沒有比不懂裝懂更糟糕的了。對整桌人坦承自己是葡萄酒外行并非是羞恥之事。我會說，“盡管我喜歡喝酒，但我不會以專家自詡。因此，我想把點酒的任務交給一位真正懂酒的人。” 相信我，你可以打賭至少會有一個人急不可待地一把奪過酒單并開始炫耀其酒經。把此項榮耀讓給他們吧，而你又能輕松地在謙虛的美德上得分。
