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Wine etiquette: how it is served
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| At home or in a restaurant, a good wine should be served following precise rules which are almost a codified ritual resulting from centuries of oenological tradition. From uncorking the bottle to its presentation and decanting, this is the etiquette of the perfect sommelier. |
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After the bottle has been taken from the cellar -with due care as wines do not appreciate being moved- and has been left to sit for a while, it is presented at the table. This is when the first and perhaps most important operation of the serving ritual is carried out: uncorking the bottle.
If we are in a restaurant, the label must first and foremost be shown to the customer who can thus check that the right wine has been brought. Then, using the appropriate knife, the person serving- the waiter or sommelier - cuts the capsule and cleans the cork and neck of the bottle. At this point, the so-called "worm" of the bottle opener is inserted into the cork, levering on the edge of the neck with the part of the bottle opener known as the "lever". This phase is the most delicate: it is absolutely essential to avoid the bottle opener piercing the cork completely, as otherwise pieces of cork fall into the wine. On removing the cork, it is necessary to keep the bottle still, as otherwise any deposit could float upwards, acting only on the bottle opener and the cork, which should be pushed upwards with a rotational movement.
When the cork has been removed, the neck of the bottle is cleaned and the cork should be checked: this should be smelled and the state of the cork inspected, as this is also indicative of the state of the wine. If the wine is particularly fine, the cork will be left on the table on a small plate.
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UNCORKING A SPARKLING WINE |
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Unlike other wines, sparkling wine requires a different uncorking technique: the pressure developed by this wine does not require any special instruments for pushing the cork away. Although it might seem like a natural procedure, precise movements are required to avoid clumsy gestures and small inconveniences, like spraying the wine over a guest or hitting someone with the cork. The bottle should be kept still to limit the amount of gas released which makes the cork fly off in an uncontrolled manner. With one hand, it is necessary to hold the neck of the bottle firmly, resting the thumb on the cork, whilst using the other the metal cage is removed. The hand should then move downwards from the neck, and keeping the cork between thumb and index finger, it should be removed by rotating it. If this should prove difficult, special pincers exist for helping with this operation. Finally, it is worth bearing in mind that etiquette frowns on popping the cork into the air, although at some celebrations exceptions can be made. The uncorking of a sparkling wine and champagne should in fact be accompanied by a dry and discreet sound, and the foam should not exceed the edge of the neck.
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Once the bottle has been uncorked, the sommelier proceeds to taste the wine using a small round and metallic recipient, a taste-vin. If the wine is sparkling, this first tasting should however take place with the use of the appropriate glass. After having checked the wine's quality, the sommelier proceeds to the pouring, always remaining to the customer's right, holding the bottle with the right hand and following a precise order: the first person to be served should be the one who ordered the wine, followed by women, older persons and the youngest last.
The presentation of the bottle varies according to the type of wine: whites and rosés, after having been uncorked, should be kept fresh with water and ice in a bucket or more recent cylindrical containers with double walls that maintain the temperature constant. Sparkling wine and champagne should also be kept fresh in the bucket for a perfect tasting; however, in addition to water and ice it should be topped up with salt, which allows the ice to stay solid longer. Sparkling wine also has a particular pouring method: it should be poured holding the bottle at the bottom, with the thumb in the recess. The glass should be filled in two steps, allowing the foam to settle. It is also the only case in which the glass should be filled almost completely, over three-quarters full, to allow the perlage, the bubbles which form the most defining characteristic of this type of wine to show through.
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Important and aged red wines are normally served after decanting, a procedure that is now rather widespread. The advantage of decanting lies in the exclusion of sediments that form over the years in the bottom of the bottle. These are separated from the wine to be served in the glass, which must always be clear. The instruments necessary for decanting are a crystal carafe, or decanter, and a candle. The bottle is transported from the cellars in a wicker basket, maintaining it in the same position it was in so as not to agitate the deposits at the bottom. After having uncorked it, the wine is poured into the decanter illuminating the neck of the bottle with the candle. The pouring must be carried out very slowly and carefully to avoid pouring the deposit into the decanter. The candle light helps to show when the sediments are nearing the spout, at which point the pouring should be stopped: the remaining wine where the deposit it concentrated cannot in fact be used. At the end of the decanting, the bottle should be left on the table along with the decanter. Whilst decanting is appropriate for aged wines that are still vigorous, as it the bouquet to be released, it should be noted that it is absolutely unsuitable for very old wines, which with oxidisation become acid and undrinkable.
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