Rain, hail and grail. Heavenly menus with endless options now made easy.

For some, ordering wine can be one of the most daunting tasks on a night out, especially when confronted with wine lists that stretch out to the hundreds. If you love a red but also enjoy a white, the options can sometimes be endless. If only it was as easy as popping your head underneath a free-flowing wine fountain similar to those found in northern Spain.

Found tucked away in Sydney’s bustling streets, Fix Wine Bar + Restaurant is almost a minute away from Hyde Park. With an impressive wine list of over 250 bottles to purchase and over 100 wines to order by the glass, Fix’s wine menu seems almost like an encyclopedia, hosting an expansive range of wines from natural to small handcrafted and of course, the most unusual wines from all around the globe.

Thankfully, with the help of Stuart Knox, owner and sommelier of Sydney’s premier wine bar, Fix Wine Bar + Restaurant, we’ve compiled the top five tips to consider when ordering from a wine list with over 100 options:

1. Don’t read it at all. Put yourself in the sommelier’s hands. But give them parameters, particularly with the budget. Sommeliers always like to show off different wines you may not know but it’s easier if they know the budget straight away instead of trying to guess.

2. Look at some of the lesser-known regions and varieties to offer a bit more bang for buck. If it’s on the list, there’s a good chance it’s there because the sommelier thought it was worthy.

3. Look to your guests and what they might normally like to drink. It will always make things clearer for yourself or the sommelier if you have some clues. No point cracking open a grange when everyone only drinks sauvignon blanc.

4. Big lists need some time to read, so, if you’ve got a bit of time, check it out online prior. Don’t make final decisions, but some research will allow the guests to get a feel for what the list has to offer.

5. Pinot noir, chardonnay and shiraz are the big sellers, so instead look at gamay, semillon or cabernets. You may well find a wine with a little more age and complexity in these sections.

In June this year, we had the pleasure of eating and drinking at Fix Wine Bar + Restaurant, here’s what we thought.

Fix Wine Bar + Restaurant
111 Elizabeth St, Sydney NSW 2000
Food: Monday to Friday 12pm – 9pm
Drink: Monday to Friday 8am – 11pm
(02) 9232 2767
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