Most Americans won’t order a French wine…not because they don’t like it, but because they’re scared to say it out loud. That tiny hesitation changes what ends up on restaurant wine lists everywhere.
In this clip, Andrew Hurley breaks down how pronunciation anxiety and social pressure shape what sommeliers actually choose to pour. It’s not just about flavor, it’s about psychology, comfort, and pride.
If you’ve ever pointed at a menu instead of saying the name, this one’s for you. Like, comment, and subscribe for more deep dives into wine, service, and the strange quirks of human behavior.
#wine, #frenchwine, #sommelier, #hospitality, #psychology, #americans, #winelist, #servers, #restaurantlife, #finewine, #bartenderlife, #serviceindustry, #mindset, #humanbehavior, #servesyouright
2 Comments
That seems crazy. If you want something, you politely say "I"m not sure how to say the name of this wine, but I would love a glass. How do you pronounce it?
The French and English both have a grand tradition. If americans are doing something, they are doing it wrong. So even if we said a name right, they'd suddenly decide there are 19 silent q's in the name that somehow completely change how it's pronounced. School circulation would change to reflect this and all French would immediately start acting like it'd always been that way.