So, you’ve finally hooked up with that girl you’ve been oogling at work and you’re on your first date at a local Italian restaurant. You already know you want some spaghetti, but you’re on a date and you want to impress your woman. One great way to do so is by ordering some wine. If you’ve aren’t much of a connoisseur, don’t pretend to know what you’re doing and order the most expensive bottle. Instead, read through this article and learn just enough to know what to do.

The best and easiest thing to do is simply to order something you’ve heard of. If you already know of a wine that’s good, simply order a glass. Or if you know the wine is good, order a bottle and impress your date (plus if the date works out, you’ll have something to remember it by). The good thing about ordering what you know is that it’s safe. That could also be a bad thing because you could miss up the opportunity to try something new. Because even if you like a wine, it doesn’t mean your date will have the same taste.

Every restaurant carries different wine, so if there’s nothing you recognize and if you’re going to try something new (and it’s advised that you should), ask for the restaurant’s wine list. This way, you’ll be able to see how much each wine costs and the wine’s country of origin without having to ask. From there, you can simply order something at random or ask your date. You never know when you’ll come across a great new wine. And even if the wine you order isn’t any good, it could still end up being a fun experience: Remember back on our first date how terrible that wine was!?

The last option is simply to just ask. Ask for a wine list and then after looking through it for a while, don’t be afraid to ask the waiter which wines are good. He’ll usually offer a few selections based on different types of taste. From there, try a glass. Remember, it’s only a first date; so unless you’re made of money, don’t spend too much (you’re only trying to impress her a little bit). Only order a single glass per meal (some restaurants will think it rude when people ask for a second glass if you didn’t like the first) and don’t ever tell the restaurant that their wine wasn’t any good or that you didn’t care for it.

A few things to remember are that the waiter usually offers you the cork to the bottle you’re drinking from. If you’re only ordering a glass, and not a bottle, don’t hesitate to take up his offer. Remember to swirl your glass and to breathe in the aroma before and while you’re drinking. Swirling it in your mouth a little can also be a nice feeling and may exaggerate the taste. Many people are intimidated about ordering wine, but as long as you have a basic understanding of what to do, it will almost always be worth it and be a good experience.