Selecting wine can be as intimidating as buying your first home or car was. Selecting wine gets even more challenging when you are in a busy nightclub, and have to make a quick decision. Here are some tips to help you pick the right glass or bottle of wine, or as a server, to help you customers choose.

Wine can generally be split into two categories: red wine and white wine. Red wine is generally heavier, while white wines tend to be sweeter. If you remember nothing else, remember this old rule of thumb: red wines are best for beef because the flavors stand up to the rich taste of the meat, while white wine is recommended for lighter dishes such as fish and chicken.

Within red wine and white wine, however, there are a wide variety of different wines based on the different varieties of grapes that they are made from, and the processes that are used to make the wine. Wines that are described as “dry” will be less sweet, while wines that are described as “dessert wines” or “sweet” will be just that, sweet due to a higher sugar content. Dessert wines are perfect for dessert, but may be overly sweet for pairing with savory meals.

When selecting wine in a liquor store, you spend time perusing the wine bottle labels, but you may not have that opportunity in a nightclub. Look over the wine list when selecting wine in a nightclub when making your choice. Remember, that while the vintage of a wine means that that was the year it was bottled in, it does not always mean that an older wine is a better choice. A quick trick is to look on the menu for a 1990 vintage wine, as 1990 is considered by wine experts to have been an all around good year for wine.

When selecting wine by looking over a nightclub’s wine list or wine menu, look for whether wines are described as being “full bodied,” “medium bodied,” or “light bodied.” This indicates the alcohol content level that the wine contains. Alcohol is measured by percent of alcohol by volume, with full bodied wines containing over 12.5% alcohol by volume. Lighter wines, or light bodied wines, will contain as little as 7.5% to 10.5% alcohol by volume. If you are the driver, take note of this measurement when selecting wine so know how much alcohol you are drinking for a responsible evening.