First Date Wines

For a fun topic, I’m curious to hear stories (The good, bad, and ugly) about wines you’ve bought or brought on a first date. I recently had what I thought was a promising first date and decided to bring a $300 bottle of 05 Alban Lorraine (100 points). My thought was, if this works out, what a great memory we can look back on in 5-10 years as our “first date” wine. Sadly, I knew within minutes of meeting her it was not a good match. I enjoyed the bottle nonetheless but now I’m rethinking my first date wine strategy. Haha. Let’s hear your stories…

As my grandfather always said, “candy’s dandy but liquor’s quicker”.

I think Alban is a 4th or 5th date wine.

Most women I’ve dated have not been big wine drinkers when we first met, some eventually came to enjoy it more, others not so much. I really ought to start looking for that female riesling lover.

When it comes to first dates, or dates in general, since I drink pretty broadly (wines, spirits, cocktails, you name it) I prefer choosing a tipple that my partner or potential partner enjoys. For example, it’d make little sense to me to open up an expensive red wine if they aren’t a big red wine drinker and prefer cocktails or white wine instead. Seems to me like that type of wine or actions should be reserved for later dates when you both have an idea of whether you enjoy them as a potential partner and also have a greater understanding of their drinking preferences.

I have oh so many stories from my dating days when a man (always a man, women never pulled this), knowing that I was “into” wine, would bring something or order something he was sure would impress me, or even start spouting off a completely mistaken wine lecture. It rarely worked out.

Yep!

The problem wasn’t so much the bringing of the wine itself, though that was occasionally a little sad, but the lecture that usually came with it.

Then there was the time I was on a first date and we were talking about fast forwarding through TV commercials. He said he always did. I said I didn’t always, because it was the perfect time to get up and pour another glass of wine. He looked at me as if I’d grown two heads and said: You drink alone?!? I replied that yes, I always want wine, but I don’t always want company. He decided I was an alcoholic and left before dinner was even over.

Last first date I had was for coffee, cost me $8.12. Coffee for two was $6.12 and $2.00 to feed the meter… no wine involved. Enough said!

I cringe when I read Sarah’s stories. What beverage consume, alcoholic or not, on a first date really shouldn’t matter. You’re there to get to know someone. What beverage you’re consuming, alcoholic or not, shouldn’t matter. One of the best first dates I’ve been on didn’t even include any drinking, alcoholic or otherwise. It was at a bookstore. It’s all about spending time what your potential partner to get to know them.

Bringing a bottle to dinner on a first date? That seems rather odd and i would bet be weird / embarrassing for the date. Showing off a wine you brought from home and telling them it’s 100 points from blahblahdeblahblah could be taken as a red flag… or at least a warning that you’re a nerd or a show-off.

Id let the mood if the date dictate what I’m drinking. If the woman wants champagne then we are drinking champagne! If it’s cocktails… well then bartender I’ll have a veiux carre and the lady will have whatever she wants.

I’m just there for a good time and to have fun. Even on first dates I still prefer to be at the bar. I love interacting with everyone around me.

My thoughts are to try for easy going food-friendly wines. A first date should focus on your partner and not the wine, in my opinion. Super expensive stuff can make you look like you’re showing off. I also think that avoiding wines high in anthocyanin (Syrah, Zins, full body Cabernet) is ideal; having purple colored teeth on a first date is a real turn off! The last time I had a first date (1.5 yrs ago) I ordered an Alsatian Cremant and it worked marvelously. We’re still together!

And on the rare occasions when it did, what was the wine? champagne.gif neener

Fussing over a bottle on a first date sounds like a surefire way not to have a second.

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I don’t recall alcohol ever being involved in a first date. Makes for a more “sobering” experience.

When I was in college, I would take a date to a lifeguard stand in Newport Beach to watch the sunset, eat Chinese food and drink Sutter Home White Zin. Miss those days.

First date with my now wife.

I suggested we order a bottle of the Baer Ursa off the list.
Figured it’s crowd pleasing. She’s like no I just want a glass. They had it btg as well.

Of course 5 glasses later. I’m like dude we coulda gotten the bottle and it’d way cheaper!
Her: well I didn’t know if you would be good company and didn’t want to commit to a bottle long date. :roll_eyes::man_facepalming:

We laugh about it whenever it comes up. :slight_smile:

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My future wife and I shared a bottle of Barbera and bruschetta on our first date.

When I bring that moment up with my wife, she no longer remembers the wine, but she at least remembers the place and who she was with. To this day, we rarely order/buy Barbera.

Jonathan brought about 10 bottles of superb Riesling to the hole in the wall Chiu Chow restaurant in Hong Kong for what could be considered our first date. As I recall, he invaded the kitchen, speaking not a lick of any Chinese dialect, and came out proudly bearing a large mop bucket full of ice in which to house the menagerie.

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I think it was the second date, my then gf called and asked me to bring a nice bottle of wine over for a meatball dish she was making. We were friends before so I knew her godmother is a phenomenal Italian chef. Way excited. I get there, pop a 2007 Carlisle JB. Took a taste and she asked if it was good, oh yeah. She then proceeded to dump all but a half a glass of it in a pot to simmer for the worst Norwegian meatball dish imaginable. Inedible. Married for 10 years now, but there is a row in the cooler for her cooking experiments.

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I think I had 3 wine first dates with notable wines.

  1. 21 yo. She orders white zin - I was a noob and she was hot- pass
  2. 23 and just getting into wines - I let her order a bottle and she chooses SQN - her balls were bigger than mine
  3. not my first date but a buddies. We were older, I was married, he was single. He and I planned a dinner around a 94 Harlan, 66 Latour and 78 la chapelle that we jointly purchased from a charity auction. We went to a very nice French restaurant in the Chicago burbs where the chef was gracious enough to cook a meal around our wines. Last minute he brings her as an unplanned guest. Now granted, she was into wine but it was half on my dime and it was only a first date after all. Long story short, we obviously had a great night of great food and wine but she flashed her breasts in the middle of prime service. Her rationale was, “ you looked like you could use a nipple”.

Almost 15 years later I still don’t know what to think.I never saw her again and my buddy did not date her long.

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To be clear, I didnt bring a bottle to dinner, I brought it to the beach. She said she liked Syrah so I figured I give her one of the best she had ever tried. I wasnt doing it to show off and never mentioned the 100 pt score. That said, it will still a silly move since she really didn’t appreciate it all that much.