Come with me

Learning Wine Etiquette

By Lacey Michaels

Wine etiquette may seem like a scary and distant quirk of the upper class, but wine lovers everywhere and from every walk of life enjoy taking the time to turn this little thing that they share into a culture all to itself. Within the world of wine, you will find the rare and prized vintage wine that could not be more adored by all if it were served in the Holy Grail itself. You will find that some people get snooty about their wines and their wine etiquette, and that is their choice, but most people just want to truly enjoy the classic drink that is wine.

A girl may not know where to look to get the scoop on wine, but if you want to go to a wine tasting event, you will want to know how to behave in order to fit right in and look like you know exactly what you are doing. Wine etiquette comes secondary to a true love of wine, so if you are a girl in love, read on to learn a little bit more about exactly what to do in the three situations that you might find yourself in: Serving, tasting, and drinking your wine.

Serving Wine

Serve wine to the women and older guests first, and then move on to the men. Proper wine etiquette, like most etiquette, requires the men to wait their turns. When it comes to the number of guests, limit yourself to a number that will fit comfortably around the tasting table. No one wants to feel rushed or crowded out of the way when they are trying to get a great wine experience.

Allow plenty of room so that your guests can take their time and truly enjoy the wines. Also be sure to keep water on hand for those guests who get thirsty during the tasting. They will not want to quaff the wine to satisfy their thirst; after all, some of them may simply want to rinse their mouths out between wines to get the full taste of each. It is a good idea to have a pitcher of water and a basin for wastewater as well, so that your guests can rinse their glasses out as well.

Food can also be offered during the wine tasting, but it should be bland food such as unsalted crackers or unflavored French bread to allow the guests to clean their mouths out without adding additional flavors to the wines. If you want to provide something else, a lightly salted mozzarella is acceptable, but anything stronger should be saved for the meal after the wine tasting itself.

Knowing the proper temperature at which to keep your wine before serving is key. Each kind of wine has a different ideal temperature, and by knowing that you can ensure that your guests get the best experience out of the wine that you are serving.

You will also want to time the uncorking of the wine so that it is ready for your guests when they are ready for it.

Red wines should be uncorked about an hour before you want to drink them, and should be allowed to sit and breathe in order to let the full bouquet of the wine come out. White wines, on the other hand, are best served immediately after you uncork them.

Decanting the red wines is not necessary, however it can add a whole other dimension to the flavor of the wine than had you poured straight from the bottle. For one thing, the wine tends to collect sediment over the years and pouring it helps you separate the sediment out or at least to mix it up so that it does not end up in the last glass. Decanting also awakens the aroma of the wine, allowing everyone to enjoy it before it is actually poured for the guests.

When it comes to actually pouring the wine for guests, especially for those at a dinner party, never fill the glass more than two thirds full and half is even better. If you are serving many wines over the course of the evening, pour even less. If the wine is still, pour it into the center of the glass to allow the smell to waft upward. If it is sparkling, pour it onto the side of the glass to protect the bubbles. And don’t forget to use the right glasses for the wines.

A fine red deserves a wide bowl, while a thinner, more tulip shaped glass is much better to augment the tastes of a good white.

Being a Guest

Wine etiquette dictates that you should hold your wine glass by the stem. This will keep you from leaving unsightly fingerprints on the actual bowl of the glass, and will keep the heat from your hand from warming the wine up as well. If you are at a tasting avoid wearing any kind of scents such as perfumes or hair spray. These smells can affect the taste of the wine not just for you, but for those around you as well. For the same reason, it is considered rude to smoke before the tasting or around the rest of the guests as well. Do not cause your smoke to ruin their enjoyment of the wine!

Do you remember your mother telling you that if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all? This holds true in wine etiquette, where it is considered rude to make negative comments about the wine selection or about a particular wine. This is doubly true if the host of your wine tasting is a vineyard. Respect your host and other guests by being tasteful in your thoughts on the wine.

Attending a Wine Tasting Event

There are several set pieces of wine etiquette that should be followed at a wine tasting, especially at a vineyard. You do not have to taste everything offered to you, and you do not have to finish every glass.

If you do not finish your glass, there is a jar available for you to dump out your excess wine. This is perfectly acceptable. If you love the wine and ask for a second taste, though, it is considered polite (if not strictly necessary) to buy a bottle. Many wineries will let you apply the tasting fee to the purchase of one of their wines.

If you are wine tasting at a very small winery, it is considered polite to make a purchase to help support them, especially if your tasting was done by appointment. You will usually be taken from light, white wines to more full bodied reds, then on to dessert wines last. Keep this in mind at your next tasting so that you will be able to enjoy the wines more fully.

Wine etiquette is not terribly difficult to grasp, and a friend with a little more experience can help to steer you in the right direction if you are going astray. Most of all simply remember that it is all about enjoying the wine.