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Frequently Asked Questions

Hello there! I'm Dr. Vinifera, or "Vinny" for short. Ask me your toughest wine questions, from the technical aspects of winemaking to the fine points of etiquette. I hope you find my answers educational and even amusing. Looking for a particular answer? Check my archive and my FAQs.

Dear Dr. Vinny,

What is the recommended procedure when dining at a restaurant, one orders a '99 wine off their highly touted, detailed wine list and is served an '02? This sort of thing seems to happen more often lately. Thus far my procedure has been to just shut up and drink up. What do you think?

—Craig H., Rapid City, S.D.

Dear Craig,

This "bait and switch" might be an innocent typo or an honest mistake by a server who grabbed the wrong bottle from the cellar. Most often, the problem is that the new vintage arrived before the wine list was changed. This can be good or bad, depending on the relative quality of the vintages, but the discrepancy should always be signaled by the server. If not, you should certainly point it out.

—Dr. Vinny

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