The dos and don'ts of wine etiquette

In recent weeks, I have covered topics such as moving on from Liebfraumilch, expanding your wine list and developing a wine list even further to match a food operation. But no matter how wide the choice of wines you offer your customers, the whole effect can be ruined if the wine is served incorrectly. There is no need to go poncing around or to adopt artificial airs and graces but nonetheless, we need to get the basics right. Some general hints then: l Never apply direct heat to a bottle of wine. If a bottle has to be brought to the table direct from the cellar, the only method that might be acceptable to bring the wine up to temperature, is to decant the wine into a warmed, but not hot, decanter. Better still, tell the customer to pour a smaller quantity into their glass and warm it by cupping the glass in their hands until the contents of the bottle have come up to room temperature. l Never add ice to fine wine. If water is added at the table, it should be the same temperature as the wine. l As a general rule, young red wines such as Beaujolais Nouveau, Beaujolais or Gamay de Touraine can be served and drunk at a lower temperature than other red wines. This is because, although they are undeniably red in colour, their fresh acidity causes them to behave like a white wine. l Chilled wines quickly warm up in a busy pub, so make use of one of the many varieties of wine coolers which are available. l When removing the foil prior to taking out the cork, do not cut the foil off level with the bottle mouth. Instead, remove it from below the bottle flange or take it off completely so as to prevent the wine coming into contact with the metal foil. It has been known for people to become ill where lead-based foil was not dealt with properly. l When removing a cork, first wipe the cork and the mouth of the bottle with a clean, unperfumed cloth. Remove the cork smoothly and, using the clean cloth again, wipe the mouth of the bottle once more to remove any specks of cork which may have adhered. l Champagne and sparkling wines should have their corks removed gently and quietly, remembering that the pressure inside the bottle is the same as that in the back tyre of a London bus and consequently, a flying, metal-capped cork could easily blind someone. The correct way is to grip the cork firmly and turn the bottle. The cork may then be eased out and the pressure released without the loss of any precious wine. After all, the customer has paid to drink the wine, not to see it flowing away and losing half its fizz in the process. l When a bottle of wine has been ordered, it should be shown to the customer before it is opened so that they may confirm that it is the wine which they selected. l This formality over with, the bottle may then be uncorked in the manner described above and a small amount offered to the host customer for scrutiny. It is seldom necessary for the customer actually to taste the wine (although most do), as appearance and smell are enough. l As soon as these formalities are over with, the wine may be poured into glasses, remembering that it is still polite practice to serve women first. l After pouring, there should be enough room left in the glass to allow the wine to be swirled around in order to enhance the bouquet. The aroma, after all, is part of thepleasure.