Ordering Wine

Ordering a bottle of wine at a fine restaurant can be an intimidating experience, particularly when entertaining important guests.

The Basics:

When the wine steward brings the bottle, check the label to be sure it is the exact wine that was ordered.

The wine steward should know if the wine needs decanting.  Older red wines with sediment in the bottle should be decanted.  This also allows more air to come in contact with the wine which releases the bouquet.

Feel the cork after the wine is opened.  Check for moistness, which is one way to determine whether or not the wine has been properly stored.  A cork that is too dry or damaged will let air into the bottle and damage the wine.

Smell the cork to make sure there is no unpleasant odor.   A hint of vinegar will indicate the wine has gone bad.

The first taste is offered to the host/hostess, who will take a sip and indicate approval or disapproval.  The host/hostess is served last, after all the guests have been served.   

Note: There is a difference between something being wrong with a wine and a wine not meeting your expectations. Before sending back a bottle, be sure you know the difference between the two.  It is perfectly acceptable to refuse a wine that has gone bad.

Holding a Wine Glass

Why does everyone make such an issue of holding a wine glass properly?  You might think that they are just trying to be a wine snob.  However, the answer is more common sense than snobbery.

One of the important steps in proper wine tasting is "Appearance."  If you hold the wine glass by the bowl, rather than the stem, you will get fingerprints all over the glass.  

When tasting white wines, in addition to fingerprints, you will warm up the properly chilled glass of wine.