Karen, it’s an old question, but in a restaurant, when is it considered acceptable to send a wine back?

August 21, 2026

“Karen, it’s an old question, but in a restaurant, when is it considered acceptable to send a wine back?” The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.

Patrick, in my 40 years in the wine industry, I’ve sent a bottle back maybe four times. But I’ve sent wine glasses back probably 200 times. In many restaurants, wine glasses go through the dishwasher with plates that can have everything on them from scraps of salmon to crusted pork fat. Those aromas can get trapped in the glass, because of the way wineglasses are shaped and the inside of a wine glass is microscopically pitted. So with a wine that seems funky, the glass is often the culprit. In that case, I just ask the server for a fresh glass, explaining that the wine seems a little odd, but I think it might be the glass not the wine.

Three of the four most famous wines made in Tuscany are:The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.

A. Chianti, Barbaresco, Brunello di Montalcino

B. Chianti Classico, Barolo, Amarone

C. Chianti, Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino

D. Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Brunello di Montalcino, Barolo

Fifty Pounds and a Gazillion Seeds

Lodi, the self-proclaimed “Zinfandel Capital of the World” (it produces over 40% of California’s zin), is also home to over 130 different grape varieties, more than any other California region. These include: The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.