Always be polite to your waiter.
Dining out at your favorite restaurant should always be a pleasure. Good company, fine food and a relaxing atmosphere can all be enhanced by the right wine. Whether you have your own wine preferences and make your own selection, or accept assistance in choosing a wine that will bring out the best in your menu choices, following proper table etiquette when the waiter brings the bottle of wine to your table will make the experience even better.
Presenting the Bottle
Once you've made your selection from the wine list, it is customary for the waiter to bring the unopened bottle to your table for inspection. Check that the bottle matches your selection and that the vintage is the one specified on the wine list. Politely confirm that everything matches. If the selection is not what you chose, politely, but firmly, challenge any discrepancies. Do not be afraid to change your order if you're not satisfied. The vintage you ordered may be out of stock; good waiters will normally advise you if this is the case when you order.
Opening the Bottle
The waiter will open the bottle in front of you to show that you are receiving a fresh bottle. He may sniff the cork and present it to you for inspection, though this is so that you can match the vintage on the label to the one printed on the cork. Sniffing the cork, contrary to popular belief, reveals little about the wine.
Tasting the Wine
Your waiter will pour a little wine into your glass. You should first swirl the wine around the glass to help release the full range of aromas. Smell the wine to detect any evidence of corking; this will be evident if there is a moldy smell from the wine indicative of contamination from a moldy cork. Small particles of cork floating in the wine is not indicative of a corked wine. Finally, taste the wine to make sure there is nothing amiss that was not evident from the smell. If you are satisfied, your waiter will pour wine for the rest of your party.
Pouring the Wine and Topping Up
The waiter will traditionally pour clockwise from the person who ordered the wine, and will serve the women first. The person who ordered the wine will be served last. Glasses will be filled to only around a third of their capacity to allow the aromas to aerate in the glass as you swirl the wine. Finally, the waiter should come by your table from time to time to top up your glasses; you should not have to do this yourself.
Tags: waiter will, your selection, your table, from wine, ordered wine
