By the Glass

This is the subject everyone dreads: how to get a decent glass of wine at a restaurant? The answer, 98% of the time is: you don't. Even a $10 glass of wine comes from a bottle that cost $10 at Costco (or worse). Restaurants mark up their wine about four times, which means you rarely even get a good bottle from the wine list for under $120.

I try a lot of wines by the glass, and I don't finish most of them. I often ask for a few tastes (may I have a splash of the most expensive cab, please?), but in the end I'm rarely pleasantly surprised. I enjoy most of my wine at home, in my wine glasses, with my friends and a few snacks or with dinner.

The best advice I can give is to always ask for a splash before ordering. If you find a decent glass one out of ten times, you're doing great. Remember that disappointment is a function of expectation.