Wine Drinking Etiquette

What is the best wine drinking etiquette?

This article include:

• A story of etiquette
• Wine etiquette
• Serving etiquette
• Restaurant etiquette
• Social etiquette
• Uncorking etiquette
• Drinking etiquette
• Toasting etiquette
• Clinking etiquette

Let’s start from top.

 

A story of etiquette

The air conditioning was doing its best to chill the room but the heat of the debate was so intense that all the four people around the table had undone some button on their clothes to give their body some more room for the feeble fickle wind to circulate, except for the only lady in the group, who occasionally flapped her shirt collar to strengthen the wind reaching her neck.

For one full hour, Mike had been trying to persuade these delegates, who were representing a famous manufacturer in the market, to give his little company the deal. It was a matter of life or death for his business and it was getting nowhere yet. Another half-hour of desperate debate passed and he finally ceased a quiet moment to get up and bring a bottle of wine to drink. He sighed and got up, making a short groan from fatigue. He went into the kitchen and came back with a tall bottle of red wine and 4 glasses In hand. Everyone was still quiet, and if it hadn’t been for the wine, they would have already gotten up and left without even saying goodbye.

He carefully placed the glasses in front of himself on the table and held up the bottle to uncork it. He used the corkscrew cautiously and uncorked the bottle. Then he poured half a glass for everyone and put one glass in front of each person, placing the bottle back on the corner of the table, while they were scanning his every move with their scrutinizing eyes. In fact, The wine was the last thing on their mind at that moment and they just wanted to chug it and leave, but Mike was not yet done. He lifted his glass in a way to propose a toast and the others did too in an act of social courtesy.

“To the business, we are never going to do!” said Mike, half sarcastically and half desperately.

The others were fixated on him with blank looks but the sentence had apparently struck a chord with them. The first to smile was the head of the team and others followed immediately. The smiles soon turned into chuckles and all glasses came up for the clinks. Mike was not expecting this and now he was feeling top of the world. He lifted his glass and reached out to clink it with the lady’s, which was in front of him on the other side of the table. His enthusiasm had overwhelmed him and he thrust his glass forward to meet hers; the glasses clinked at the top and cracked instantly. Pieces of glass spread over the table and red wine splashed all over the lady’s dress. Then a short but high-pitched scream silenced the room again.

Totally embarrassed and flustered, Mike hastily got up to bring something to clean the mess up, cursing at himself for his stupidity along the way to the kitchen.

 

Wine etiquette

It is true, you just have to do things that make you happy and drink in any way you and your friends enjoy, in any way you like; but there are times that you might mess things up, like what Mike did at the meeting. He did everything right, and even offering wine was a perfect decision; however, the way he clinked was the problem and he messed up everything.

 

1. Serving etiquette

I gather social customs came into existence to make us live more easily together, and deep inside, a lot of them are devoid of any original meaning. I mean, there is nothing divine about them. However, some of these customs are so deeply rooted in our culture that living without them seems impossible. So now let’s talk about some of the customs regarding wine.

Needless to say, and logically, this journey must start from the scratch, that is, how to serve wine. First and foremost, don’t fall for the trap that wine must be served at room temperature; yes, this is true, but room temperature means somewhere between 50 to 55˚F, not a boiling temperature like 80. So if necessary, leave the bottle in the refrigerator for around half an hour.

Secondly, in order to give your guests time and opportunity to fully appreciate the wine, try and serve wine in order, with a logical order being from light to heavy, or from the driest to the sweetest. In the case of white wines, you can start the occasion from Sauvignon Blanc or dry Riesling and end up serving Viognier. And in case you are going to serve red wine, you might want to kick off the evening with a light red like a Rosé and end it with a Nik Pegasus Cabernet Sauvignon, which is quite bold with a long-lasting finish, or a Malbec.

Besides, remember to take food into consideration as well. Well, I have already talked about wine and food pairings in another article and there is a bulk of advice on it everywhere you look on the net. I wouldn’t recommend listening to any advice you read or hear; you are the judge after all and don’t confuse yourself with all controversial opinions that are found everywhere, but there is a common belief that heavier bolder red wine goes better with steak or grilled meat. Anyway, the point is you should not turn a blind eye at the food you are serving, it can matter.

Another piece of advice on serving; if you are in charge of pouring wine, be careful to pour wine an equivalent amount in each glass. Try being an egalitarian in wine serving at least!

 

2. Restaurant etiquette

When in a restaurant with you being the host, a thoughtful action would be to order a sparkling or white wine before everyone arrives; this way, you have prepared the grounds for everyone to break the ice after they have been seated and before the main course. Also, why not order both red and white wine for your meal occasion? Your guests are probably going to have different entrées and this way, everyone can match their wine with the food they are having, which will make you a thoughtful host.

Also, there are days when you want to celebrate your solitude and offer yourself a treat, right? So if you are alone in a restaurant and you have ordered wine, there is a good chance that the sommelier brings you a bottle to check. In such a case, take a look at the bottle and check if it is what you have ordered. If you are expected to taste the wine, do so by first smelling the wine, letting your senses get ready for the taste, and then taste it. In any case, always show your approval by minimum talking and politely too; a nod or a shake of the head will do. After all, a wine drinker is expected to be classy!

 

3. Social etiquette

Well, one thing is for sure; when friends get together, there are no rules of etiquette and that figures. However, there could be times that you are invited to a get-together where the atmosphere is somehow formal. In such case, I would recommend that you accept any type of wine offered to you; you know? You don’t need to make a big deal even if you don’t like it. You don’t have to drink it, but accept it; this is called etiquette.

Another word of note; in a case you need to pour a second, offer wine to others as well.

 

4. Uncorking etiquette

Before getting acquainted with wine, wine opening was always a mystery to me, a technique known only to few people, pretty much like ninja techniques; and this dates back to a long time ago, that is, almost three and a half months! Well almost joking. Anyways, uncorking a wine bottle has its own story and numerous industries have over invested on it, introducing some new contraption every once in a while. Well, having a different way of opening a bottle is one of the distinct features of wine, making it unique among other types of liquor after all.

As for uncorking, firstly, if I were you, I would go for the same old-fashioned corkscrew, which is easy to use and fits even in your pocket. These modern widgets that come into the market need a 20-page manual to come in with them; I don’t know about you but I can’t use them; if you can, then go for one of those. But a traditional corkscrew will do; you just need a little practice to get the knack of it. Now, as you have noticed, wine bottles usually come in with a foil on the top. Remove the foil with any widget you have, like a cutter, and then uncork the bottle. It is a good idea to wipe the bottleneck clean after uncorking it so as to prevent pieces of the cork from getting into someone’s wine. To make the experience more mysterious, uncork the bottle slowly, and with precision; this will make you look like a pro.

Finally, when pouring wine, hold the bottle towards the base, it gives you a better grip.

 

5. Drinking etiquette

Well, this is what the whole wine world is all about; everything you hear or read is to help you have a better experience of wine drinking. To begin with, the whole point is for you to enjoy, so you don’t have to listen to all the wine snobs giving you dos and don’ts. Try to experience as many wine varieties as you can, try different wines from around the world and give your palate adequate time to develop its taste. If your palate tells you that the wine tastes good, then drink it. However, just to help you feel like being a member of the wine-drinking world, here are some tips, and I should say that some of them really matter!

We kick off with the very first step: holding the glass. Try to always hold your glass at the stem or the base; this will give a better grip, and of course, it is classier and more common. Then lift the glass to your nose and give it a whiff, smell the wine and taste it first, think about it; wait till the fragrance entices you to drink it. This will help you appreciate the wine more. Once you feel your senses are ready for the experience, start taking sips of the wine. Never drink wine in gulps, in other words, don’t chug your wine. You will miss out on the different notes and flavors incorporated in the wine. Let your taste buds feel each layer of taste one by one. Sip in small amounts and focus on the taste. Never gulp it down like you are drinking water after a marathon!

Oh,I almost forgot to say; try to fill your glass less than halfway, let the wine breathe in the glass.

 

6. Toasting etiquette

Well, we all know that wine drinking is, by and large, social activity and there are a number of unwritten rules concerning wine gatherings as well. Making a toast is a common practice among wine drinkers. It customary for one person in the group to lift their glass, sitting or standing, and say what is on their mind, which is usually an optimistic wish or a positive mood; then the other members of the group lift their glasses and say whatever they wish as well. Once they are done speaking their words, they start sipping at their wines (and remember! they won’t chug their wines).

 

7. Clinking etiquette

More often than not, the toasting ceremony is followed by clinking, that is, friends clink their glasses together and then drink it. Well, there is only one piece of advice on this; don’t clink your glasses like you are attacking the other person; it is a friendly gathering not a fight for God’s sake! Clink gently and preferably at the curve of the glass so you reduce the possibility of breakage. This is what Mike did wrong and ruined his evening, remember?

Oh, now back to Mike. Well, the Nik Pegasus wine he poured on his guest’s dress didn’t cost him much and he actually got the business deal he was craving. It could have been the mystical effect of Nik Pegasus, though; although I’m still not convinced!