(BonAppetit) - I get it. You just sat in traffic for an hour, finally made it to dinner, and all you want is to get a glass in front of you. But rushing through your wine order is the quickest way to totally blow it, and quite possibly your meal. From the crutch of Cabernet to the perils of penny-pinching, here’s what not to do when ordering wine.

Don’t Open the Wine List Before Opening the Menu

Unlike having a classic cocktail go-to that any bar can throw together like a vodka soda, it’s not so easy to have a wine picked out by the time the waiter or waitress makes her first round. It’s tempting to want to quickly order something you recognize to get the evening started, but you shouldn’t choose a wine before checking out the menu.

Unless you’re somewhere like the Cheesecake Factory, a restaurant usually has a specific genre they’re going for, and you want to choose a wine that complements it. You don’t want to order a bottle of Nero d’Avola and then end up ordering all delicate seafood dishes. Patience truly is a virtue, and can save your meal from becoming Clash of the Tannins.

Don’t Go Straight for the Bottle

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been excitedly scouring a list, only to find that most of my party is ordering beer or is on some dumb LA juice cleanse that prohibits alcohol (but is somehow fine with chocolate cake, but whatever). Ordering a bottle only makes sense if you’re planning on drinking more than three glasses, or if you’re into leftovers and the restaurant is cool with letting you take it corked. Going BTG (by the glass) makes sense if it’s just you having a few, but it also makes sense if you love wine and the spot has a bangin’ wine list. Don’t lock yourself into a bottle when you can get adventurous by the glass.