Professionally pouring wine is both an art and an exact science. In a restaurant setting, it is commonly done by a sommelier, who is a person specifically trained in the knowledge of wines and food pairings. When a sommelier is not available, the job usually falls upon the food or beverage server. In any case, the presentation and pouring of wine rarely ever falls upon the diner.
Instructions
1. The first step in professionally pouring wine is identifying the host of the table or party. This is fairly easy, as the host will most commonly identify herself at the first occasion by asking for a wine suggestion. Furthermore, the host will be the person who orders (and thus presumably will pay for) the wine.
2. Once the wine is selected and retrieved, the product label must be shown to the host. While the host views the product label, the wine producer's name, the name of the grape and the vintage should be verbally announced to the host's party. Before presenting any wine, its temperature should be noted. Red wines should be served between 62 to 65ºF, and white wines between 44 to 55ºF. The temperature of a wine directly affects its taste. If a wine is too cold, the bitter and astringent flavors are accentuated. If a wine is too warm, the sweetness, alcohol, acidity and effervescence are exaggerated.
3. Next is the opening of the wine. This step is vital to maintaining the professional appearance of any establishment or dinner host. An error could lead to pieces of the cork falling into the wine or even the breaking of the cork itself, leaving part of it lodged in the bottle neck. Make sure the bottle is opened in view of the table, as it should not leave sight of the table until it is fully poured, unless requested otherwise by the host.
First, the foil covering the neck of the bottle should be cut below the second rim with the small knife attached to the corkscrew. The foil above the cork should be removed.
Next, the corkscrew should be inserted down into the cork slowly. A rushed or sloppy job on screwing the corkscrew into the cork could result in the cork breaking or flaking. Screw the corkscrew only to the maximum point allowed for the corkscrew's lever to be applied to the rim of the bottle.
Place the corkscrew's lever against the rim of the bottle and pull straight upward. Do not bend the cork while pulling it out of the bottle neck. This is a common error made while removing the cork, as it is sometimes assumed that the cork should be removed on the first pull. Rarely will the length of the corkscrew allow enough leverage for the entire cork to be removed on the first attempt.
To ensure no breakage of the cork, once the cork has been removed as far as the leverage allows, reinsert the corkscrew farther into the cork, reapply the lever to the rim of the bottle and finish pulling the cork out from the neck of the bottle.
4. The cork is then presented to the host for inspection. A common misperception is that this is done so that the host may test the quality of the wine by smelling the cork. This is completely inaccurate. The olfactory characteristics of the wine on the cork are insufficient for determining anything about the wine. It is true that by feeling the cork, one may determine whether or not it has been correctly stored on its side, but this is not a proper determination for the host to make. The cork is presented to the host so that he or she may compare the winemaker's brand on the cork to that on the bottle. The reasoning behind this is to prevent restaurant owners or individuals from filling an empty bottle with a different, often cheaper, wine and selling it as the wine on the label. Comparing the brands from the cork and bottle ensures that the bottle has not been recorked.
5. After the host is satisfied that the wine is authentic, the pouring of the wine commences. Wine should always be poured from the right in this order:
Older women first,
Then the younger women,
Older men,
Younger men
And lastly, the host.
After the wine is poured, lift the neck, twist with a half turn and dab clean with a cloth napkin.
6. Finally, ask the host's permission to remove any corks and finished bottles.
Tags: pouring wine, into cork, bottle neck, cork should, cork should removed, corkscrew lever, falls upon
