Getting Wine Service Better

Yesterday, I wrote about ruining wine service. And, while wine service is certainly not my area of expertise and, in fact, wine generally is not exactly that either (you can find my real expertise in a different blog, but if you're reading this one, I expect that one will bore you to tears), one of our readers asked me to comment on what makes for good wine service.

In my opinion, what is good wine service at a family-oriented chain restaurant is quite different from what might be good wine service at a fine dining restaurant and even that is quite different from good wine service at a restaurant that truly prides itself on its wine. We'll try to start with the basics and work our way up.

While there is much here that doesn't apply to the other than wine paradise establishments, you can figure out which ones are which. The higher end the restaurant and the more hifalutin the wine list, the more of these niceties you should expect..

The first thing that should be done is to present the wine list. Of course, if the list is part of the regular menu, this step can't happen. If the primary wine service is by the glass, a separate list should be presented to each guest, always from the right, always ending with the host(ess), ladies first (chivalry still exists in proper wine service). When doing things this way, the wine list should not be placed on the table, but should be handed to each guest who would like wine. If the restaurant focuses on wine by the bottle, it is appropriate to ask who will be selecting the wine and that person should be handed the list again from the right.

Be prepared to answer questions. At a family-style restaurant, I would not expect much help there. But, at a fine dining establishment, servers should be able to help by answering questions about pairings, quality, and vintages. Often, there will be a sommelier on the floor who can help out where your server cannot.

Once the table has decided on a wine, repeat the order back to confirm. This applies particularly where a restaurant has a particularly expansive wine list that might carry multiple-sized bottles and multiple vintages of particular wines. A server will want to ensure that the wine they bring to the table is exactly what has been ordered.

At a fine dining establishment, glassware service is an important part of excellent wine service. Select glasses for each wine that was ordered making certain that each glass is appropriate for the wine(s) ordered. Inspect each glass making sure there are no stains or chips in the glass. Polish each glass with a soft cloth to give it an extra shine. Once this is done, touch the glass only by the stem. (If the glass is one of those strange stemless types, your establishment is failing at proper wine service ... sorry, I'm a snob in this regard.)

Wine should be served at proper temperatures to enhance the wine. If a restaurant does not have wine storage that allows them to do this, it should have a wine chilling mechanism that allows servers to get it close. In my experience, if a wine is served at an inappropriate temperature, whites will be served too cold and reds too warm. 

When the wine is brought to the table, the bottle should be presented to the person who ordered the wine, showing them the front label. The wine's identification should be repeated to that person, for example, 'a bottle of the 1999 Chateau la Domaine.' Once approved, the foil should be cut about half an inch from the top of the bottle and removed. The bottle should be opened, never touching the table, label continuing to face the guest who ordered the wine. After the cork is removed, it should be gently wiped and presented to that guest for inspection. Similarly, the lip of the bottle should be wiped clean of cork and other small debris. A small taste is poured for the guest who ordered for their approval.

Once the wine has been approved, the wine service truly begins. The tradtion is that the oldest woman at the table be served first and other women are served clockwise around the table, always from the right, followed by men at the table, and concluding with the guest, male or female, who ordered thw ine. The lip of the bottle should be gently cleaned after each pour. Pours for by the bottle service should never be more than a few ounces.

If the bottle still has wine in it after this exercise, it should be placed to the right of the host, label facing outwards. The server should return to the table periodically to pour more. When the bottle is empty, the table should be asked if they would like another or a different selection.

Obviouuly, at a family-style restaurant that happens to have a dozen or so wine selections, very little of this is expected. Just getting the wine properly into the glass is a good enough start. But, at, for example, a restaurant that touts its wine awards, or even more so, at a Michelin "starred" restaurant, you have every reason to expect that anywhere from some of this to all of this should be done perfectly. At a 3-star restaurant, you should expect that every wine glass is varietal-specific and that the proper glass is chosen for each wine. You are paying for it, trust me, so you should have maximum enjoyment of your wine.