One popular way to experience several wines without buying a dozen bottles is to pop into a well-run wine bar, but that calls for it to be operated with intelligence.

Alas, most of the places I've visited fail the condition "well-run." The pitfalls are many and can be expensive. For one thing, some wine bars don't serve small tastes for a smaller fee, such as 3-ounce servings.

Ordering full glasses might be expensive, especially if you don't like a wine. Small pours educate.

Also, if I try two sauvignon blancs, I want them to be dissimilar. Sometimes the bar has wines from the same grape but they taste about the same, so if you try two, it's like ordering two glasses of the same wine.

Also, too many places chill white wines so cold that you can't smell them; the aroma is mute, as are the flavors.

Red wines can be even worse. At one wine bar, the red wines all sat on a counter; most of them had half the liquid gone. Most bars know that the best strategy is to open fresh bottles daily. But many places try to save money by simply recorking opened wine that's unsold at the end of the day to serve the following day, or later!

This happened to me in a New York hotel years ago. The red wine I ordered was a mediocre Bordeaux. It was so badly oxidized that I almost gagged on the aroma. I asked the server when it was opened. He said two or three days earlier. Ugh.

I had other drawbacks at three wine bars in Paris, which are often praised for their offerings. All three experiences turned out to be disastrous. Not only were the red wines of poor quality and overpriced, but the primary aroma I got was diesel.

The cafes were located on busy streets and every time the door opened, trucks' diesel fumes wafted in. In one place, I didn't know which was worse: the diesel fumes, the burnt food smell coming from the kitchen or the wet dog that was lying under an adjacent table.

When attending a wine bar, I always ask when a bottle was opened — and I watch the face of the server. Sometimes they defer to the bartender. But it's always good to get a fresh bottle if possible.

Alternatively, if you like rose wines, ask what vintage is and if the date is 2024 or 2025, generally you're OK. Though some 2023s are still in good shape, I would be happier with a younger vintage.

And depending on where you are, ask where the rose wine comes from. If it is from California or the south of France, such as Provence, the wine likely will be fine. But if it comes from a place you've never heard of before, ask to see the wine list again.

To find out more about Sonoma County resident Dan Berger (winenut@gmail.com) and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Ambitious Studio* | Rick Barrett at Unsplash