A possible pitfall when ordering a bottle of wine at a restaurant is that it may need time to decant. Wines — especially those suitable for food — often require some time to open, allowing their best tastes and textural qualities to flourish. Wondering about ways to work around this, a listener sent in the question: Why isn’t pre-ordering wine, decanting before arrival, and prepaying for it a thing in the restaurant space?
Today on the “VinePair Podcast,” Adam, Joanna, and Zach respond to the listener’s question and discuss whether more restaurants should allow — or even encourage — guests to order wine ahead of time. Would ordering in advance instantly make you seem like a pretentious jerk? Are non-fine-dining American restaurants even interested in this kind of service?
Join us for a live podcast recording at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026
Zach is reading: No, Vodka Is Not a ‘Neutral Spirit’
Joanna is reading: What Does ‘Make It Skate’ Mean When Ordering a Martini?
Adam is reading: Noreetuh Turns 10: How a Small Hawaiian Restaurant Became a Fixture of New York’s Wine Community
