Why is ordering wine in front of people more stressful than drinking it?

I’ve noticed that drinking wine itself is relaxing but ordering it in front of other people can feel weirdly stressful. When I’m at home or with close friends, I can just enjoy whatever I’m drinking without overthinking it. But in a restaurant or on a date suddenly it feels like there’s this quiet pressure to choose correctly. It’s not even about the taste at that point, it’s more about what the choice might say about you. The menu has regions, grapes, vintages, price differences and somehow it feels like everyone else understands it better. Even if no one is actually judging it can still feel like you’re expected to know what you’re doing.

What’s strange is that once the wine arrives, all that pressure disappears. You drink it, you enjoy it and the moment moves on. But the act of ordering itself feels like a performance like you’re being evaluated on something that’s supposed to be enjoyable. Is it just the social aspect and fear of choosing wrong or is there something about wine culture that makes the decision feel more intimidating than it really is?