Dealing with the Cork:
Once the bottle has been approved, the waiter will
remove the cork with a corkscrew. It is acceptable for the bottle
to be placed on your table for stability or a more accomplished
waiter may hold the bottle in the air. In either instance, the waiter
is usually standing to the right of the wine host. Once the cork
is removed, it will be placed next to the wine host for inspection.
There are very few things you can tell from inspecting the cork
that will not be evident from smelling and tasting the wine but
the cork can give you clues of potential problems with the wine.
There is no need to smell the cork. There is nothing you can smell
that you will not smell when it is time to taste the wine. You may
also get mislead with moldy or musty aromas from the outside end
of the cork. It is very common for a little mould to develop on
a cork just under the capsule. It does not affect the wine in the
bottle. Smelling the cork will mark you as a rookie. Look for the
name of the winery on the cork. Nearly every winery of quality has
their name branded on the cork to keep from having their labels
applied to less expensive wines and sold as counterfeits. If the
name on the cork does not match the name on the label of an expensive
wine, be suspicious. With high quality (and high priced) wines,
the vintage is also often branded on the cork. If there is no vintage
on the cork, don't worry; but, if there is a vintage on the cork
that does not match the vintage on the label, be suspicious. Bottled
wines are stored in winery cellars without labels until the wine
is prepared for shipment (because a wine going to the U.S. will
have different label requirements than a wine going to Belgium)
so mistakes in labeling can (rarely) occur. Finally, look to see
if there is a stain that runs the entire length of the cork on one
side (especially visible with red wines). This can indicate that
the seal of the cork was faulty and that wine was able to leak out
and air able to leak in. It could indicate that the wine was stored
at too high a temperature or stood upright for too long at some
point in its life. This will not tell you that the wine is bad or
good, but it should raise a red flag for you to inspect the wine
more closely when you taste.
Tasting the Wine:
Once the bottle has been opened, the waiter will
pour a small portion for the wine host. This is an opportunity for
the bottle to be approved or rejected for cause. It is possible
for a wine to be 'corked',
oxidized, lightstruck or have some other flaw that would make it
unsuitable for consumption. These conditions rarely occur with most
wines but can increase in older or poorly stored wines. If the wine
host should detect one of these conditions, the waiter should be
informed and the bottle rejected. If you are not familiar with the
characteristics of these flaws, taste the wine and if it tastes
'off', tell the waiter. This is not an opportunity to send a bottle
back just because you ordered badly or find you just don't care
for the taste. If a bottle is rejected, it will be removed and either
replaced with another bottle of the same wine or a different wine
could be suggested by the waiter. In the great majority of cases,
the wine will be perfect and that should be communicated to the
waiter. Depending on the wine and the point in the meal, the wine
will should be poured, decanted, placed on the table or set in an
ice bucket. Wines that are old and likely to have sediment should
be decanted by the waiter or sommelier. Wines that are not fully
mature or are 'closed' will benefit from exposure to oxygen. This
is known as letting a wine 'breath' and can be accomplished by decanting
the wine or by pouring it in the glasses of the guests with the
understanding that it is poured early and should not be consumed
until later in the meal. For instance, a big red wine that is scheduled
to accompany the main course might be opened and poured during the
appetizer or soup course while the guests are enjoying a white wine
with the early courses. If a wine needs to breath, it should be
removed from its bottle. Just pulling the cork and placing the bottle
on the table does not allow enough contact with the air to have
much effect. Wines that are ready to serve but are for use later
in the meal may be placed on the table or in an ice bucket depending
on the preferred serving temperature.
Pouring the Wine:
When it is time to pour the wine, proper etiquette
is for the waiter to pour the wine for the ladies first clockwise
from the wine host, then the men in the same clockwise manner with
the wine host last. An exception is that a guest of honor should
be poured before other guests regardless of gender. In a banquet
setting (eight or more guests at a table), the waiter may pour around
the table clockwise from the wine host to all guests regardless
of gender. If the number of guests is greater than 5 or 6, the waiter
may suggest to the host that another bottle is in order. Whatever
the decision of the host, the waiter should ensure that all guests
receive a nearly equal amount even if it means that guests receive
less than a normal pour. Only a very poor waiter will run out of
wine before making it around the table.
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