Rules for serving wine to the table
You can serve wine without any special knowledge. You just need to bring in a bottle and place it on the table. But the correct serving of wine turns the whole process into an exciting spectacle that amuses guests and warms up interest in the drink. We will consider the important nuances of wine etiquette, knowing which, even in an ordinary apartment, you can hold an unforgettable tasting.
The wine serving process consists of the following steps:
1. Preliminary preparation
If you plan to serve young wine, then 1-2 days before the event, it must be put in an upright position. A bottle of old wine is usually placed on a special stand at an angle of 30-40 degrees. The fact is that during long-term storage, a sediment appears in the wine, which, in an upright position or at an angle, moves to the bottom of the bottle, without interfering with the tasting.
The most important aspect is the serving temperature of the wine, as the aroma of the drink depends on the temperature. The richer the aromatic bouquet of the wine, the higher the serving temperature should be. I recommend focusing on the following values:
- Dry white, rose and sparkling wines – 7-10 ° C;
- Quality white and liqueur wines – 9-12 ° C;
- Young red wines – 13-15 ° C;
- Old red wines with a complex structure – 15–17 ° C.
Wine glasses and proper table setting play an important role. The choice of glasses was discussed in one of the previous materials, now we will not dwell on this. When setting the table, the glasses are placed behind the cutlery on the right.
If you plan to taste several varieties of wine at once, then the glasses are placed in the following order: to the right are glasses for red wine, to the left are glasses for white varieties, even to the left is a glass for champagne. It is not accepted to put more than three glasses on the table. If a special kind of wine is to be served with a certain dish, then wine glasses are brought to it later.
2. Making the bottle
Correct wine presentation involves demonstrating the bottle and its label to everyone present even before opening. At the same time, the guests are solemnly announced the name of the brand, manufacturer, harvest year and appellation (the geographical region where the wine was produced).
Then the sommelier answers the guests’ questions about the drink. If you wish, you can tell in more detail about the brand of wine or its producer. It is always more interesting for those present to drink wine about which they know at least something.
3. Opening the bottle
A bottle of old wine should be uncorked exactly in the position in which it is in the stand. If there is a danger that the wine may spill when opening, the bottle is slightly raised. After that, carefully remove the foil and wipe the neck with a cloth napkin.
Then they move on to uncorking the bottle. You can open the wine without a corkscrew, but it’s still better to use this tool. The corkscrew (sommelier’s knife) should be set exactly in the center, screwed in one turn, pulled a little and swayed. This will loosen the plug. Then the corkscrew is screwed in four turns.
It is very important not to pierce the cork through, otherwise pieces of it will end up in the wine, which will ruin the taste and appearance. Then the cork is pulled out three quarters, the corkscrew is removed from it, and the cork itself is pulled out with your fingers.
The edge of the neck of an open bottle is wiped with a napkin, the cork is inspected and sniffed on the sides and bottom. This is how it is determined whether the wine has deteriorated. The markings on the cork must match the markings on the label. The removed cork can be put on a small saucer and put on the table, it looks very nice.
4. Filling the glasses
The wine is poured so that it does not come into contact with the remains of the foil on the neck of the bottle. Ladies’ glasses are first filled. The person serving should be on the right side, holding the bottle with the label facing the guest. If it is difficult to reach the glass from the right side, then you should go to the left, take the glass and pour the wine by weight, wine etiquette allows this.
Fill the glass with white wine by two-thirds, red – half. The bottle is kept as close to the glass as possible, but they should not touch. This concludes the wine serving ceremony, the host invites guests to enjoy the drink itself.