In Which Order Should Wine Be Served?
Wine is fashionable. It's a pleasant alternative to beer or distilled spirits. A knowledgeable wine merchant can serve not only as guide but also educator in the choice of wine but the accomplished host knows serve and in what sort of glass to serve wine, too. A short consultation with a good source on etiquette is useful for formal occasions but today's more informal attitudes toward entertaining have made correct service a bit less intimidating.
History
For centuries, each region of the wine-growing old world specialized in a specific type of grape. The heavy reds of the Mediterranean and the lighter varieties of the North each developed in isolation and were traded infrequently. In addition to unique winemaking methods, each region developed a beaker to use to drink its wine that, over the years, was adapted to enhance the qualities of the wine. Many of these regional beakers, like the Rhine wine glass and Roman chalice, are still available today. The French court set the first absolute rules for dining and order of service in the 17th century and in the 19th century Victorians codified dining etiquette and uniform standards for wine service still in use today.
Types
Wine, such as sherry, which is served before dinner with appetizers, is an "aperitif." Champagne often precedes dinner after appetizers. White wines are traditionally served first with the soup or fish course. Red follows with the meat course. Dessert wines, like port, follow with the sweets and a fine brandy or cognac is served with coffee. Most wine is served in long-stemmed glasses that allow the drinker to hold the glass without holding the bowl and warming the wine. The snifter, used to hold brandy and certain other after-dinner wines, is the exception, built with a short stem and overly large bowl so that the contents are warmed by the diner's hand.
Identification
Aperitifs are served in a variety of small glasses. Champagne or sparkling wine is served in "flutes"---tall, narrow stems that allow the wine to "sparkle" from the base of the bowl. Light wines that are served cool, or at "cellar" temperature, are served in straight-sided stems. Full-bodied wines, usually served at room temperature, are served in larger bowl-shaped stems so that the aroma of the wine can sit in the glass until it is raised to the nose.
Considerations
Most modern entertainment is not nearly as complex as that designed by the Victorians of the late 19th century. Most of us have cocktails or champagne, one wine with dinner and brandy or a sweet drink with coffee. The service of multiple wines with dinner has boiled down to a progression from white to red or sweet to dry. We have retained the custom of serving white wines with fish, chicken or soups and red wines with meats. New varieties and ever-changing tastes, however, have changed the old habits so that today's wines are matched with food based more on complementing the taste of the food with the qualities of the wine rather than any strict rules about the color of the wine.
Expert Insight
Sturdy, general purpose wine glasses in a couple of heights should be an early purchase for the new hostess. These, some inexpensive aperitifs and a couple of brandy snifters will tide her over until, one piece or set at a time, finer stems can be purchased.
Tags: wines with, 19th century, each region, Order Should, Order Should Wine
