Wine Enjoyment

If a guest was to ask me about general behavior toward wine in a fine dining restaurant, I would first ask them if they have time to listen, since  the answer to this question needs a fair bit of explanation. There are many hidden rules for wait staff and guest alike. There are indeed rules that should be followed by a sommelier and wine waiter who care about the wine service, especially in fine dining restaurants. The rules are important to guide guests in their enjoyment of wine. In my personal opinion, there are not many restaurants that properly  follow the rules, perhaps because they do not wish to be called professionals or maybe they do not want to show off in any way.

Here are some common faux pas committed in wine service: The waiter doesn’t polish the wine glass in the right way: The waiter holds the wine glass incorrectly causing their finger prints to mark the  glass: The waiter decants the wine over a candle and does not notice the sediment and pours the wine fully into the carafe: The waiter fills the glass more than half full causing the wine to change its drinking temperature too early: The waiter suggests the most expensive wines first only because he/she knows the guest can afford to buy it, judging from the room category in the hotel they are staying in, or the car they are driving: The waiter serves the wine from the wrong side of the guest, thereby disturbing the guest: The waiter knows a wine is no longer good to drink but still serves it to a guest who has little knowledge of wine: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir might be  served in glasses meant for Bordeaux or German Riesling wine: The wine cooler is only half full which shows that the waiter does not care for the freshness of the white and rose wines.