Wine - Service

Wine basics | Faults in wine | Wine jargon | Wine glasses | Wine service | French Wine | Italian Wine

White wine will be served always chilled; red wines will be served at room temperature unless instructed otherwise by your headwaiter or supervisor. The host will be shown the bottles label and offered to taste the wine. Bottles will either be placed on a spider rack or on a base plate. Pour not more than a third until to a half of a glass.

Prior to opening a bottle present it to the host to allow them to check that it is the ordered one. Open the bottle within view of the host, in the hands or on a flat surface; - never use the legs as a clamp. Cut the foil beneath the raised lip, and then wipe the top of the bottle with a napkin before pulling the cork. A waiter's friend is still the most effective method when in experienced hands.

Offer a small amount for the host to taste. In theory this should be purely to check for cork taint or other faults and to check that it is the desired temperature, if a customer has a complaint it is difficult to insist that there is nothing wrong with a bottle. However, it is important for the person serving to realise there is no fault, as to offer the same wine again would be invite the same complaint. It is best to offer an alternative.

Begin by serving the host's guests first, female before male in order of seniority. Then returning to fill the hosts last, always pour from the right. Hold the bottle showing the label and carry a napkin to catch any drips. To fill the glass 1/2but not more then 2/3 full is accepted practice. A gentle twist when lifting the bottle away from the glass will lessen the chance of any drips.

Return the bottle to the table or ice bucket; remember that over chilling a white wine will reduce its flavour. For each additional bottle ordered the procedure should be repeated, offering clean glasses for each fresh bottle.

When pouring, full measures must be given. All measuring instruments or capacity measures must be government-stamped.

Wine by the glass will be served on the tray in the marked glass of the correct size to customer's requirement by using a coaster.