The wine list is not your enemy.
Sure, there will be times when you feel out of your depth with winemaker and regional names that simply don't ring a tasting bell and superfluous information that confuses more than informs.
One well-known restaurant, for example, lists the DOC and DOCG status of its Italian wines. This is possibly over-kill on its behalf.
Another arranges its Burgundies by village, which may be way too much information for most of us.

A good list, like a good sommelier, should never intimidate, confuse or fluster. A good wine list is there to serve. How does it do that? It offers a range of wines by the glass at, most importantly, a range of prices. These are often presented on the second page of the wine list, after the beers, so don't dive madly into the list or you'll miss them.

Wines by the glass give the sommelier a showcase for his or her skills, encapsulating in perhaps 10 or 20 wines what the rest of the wine menu is all about. If there are many imported wines being served by the glass or small producers dominate the listing, or it's heavy on big, robust reds, that's probably what you'll see a lot of inside. Get used to reading the signs. Also, this is where you'll see some of the greatest innovations in wine service in the last five years.

Many wine bars and good restaurants now offer a wine flight, a selection of two, three or four wines served together, sometimes on a tasting mat, and covering a theme. The theme could be New Zealand pinot noir or maybe even New Zealand versus Aussie pinot or Mornington Peninsula chardonnays or hey, maybe 2005 Burgundies and the wines won't be full glasses but 'tastes.'
If you're just getting into wine, wine flights offer a terrific wine education.

The other great innovation has been the range of wine 'serves' now offered by some restaurants. Increasingly, lists will not only offer wine by the glass, half bottle or bottle but also by the 40ml or 60ml serve and carafe (250ml). The opportunity is there is taste a few different wines over lunch and dinner and still be right to drive.
Now, you wouldn't have known that if you had just ordered the same old,, same old without looking at the list would you?

Once past the introductory wines by the glass, lists are usually arranged under sub-headings according to grape variety, wine style or origin. Remember, from here on in wines will be served mainly by the 750ml bottle. There might, or might not, be a separate section offering half bottles or the odd magnum.
Size it up quickly, and you won't get flustered.
If the wines are listed by grape variety, go with your instincts and head straight to something you know you will be comfortable with, a sauvignon blanc or a shiraz. If it's by country, stick with what you know. Some people love the freedom of a big wine list but others shut down with too much choice. Give yourself time to feel comfortable around wine menus before you go exploring into the great unknown. And always feel free to ask the sommelier for advice. A good sommelier will ask you about your taste in wines and suggest a range of styles at a range of prices.
Under each menu sub-heading, wines can be arranged either alphabetically or by vintage (from youngest to oldest), or price.
Once you understand the layout of the menu and, remember, each wine menu will be subtly different, it should then be in your control.

Seize the list and enjoy!

Handy Hint: Mark-ups can be difficult to calculate. Are you getting good value? A simple rule is to go to a wine that you already know well and note the price being asked for it. If the listed price is double the normal retail price, you're in the usual 100 per cent mark up ballpark - more than that and prices could be on the high side. If that's the case, it should be reflected in attentive sommelier service and quality glasses.