- There's a certain etiquette that diners should follow when ordering a bottle of wine at a restaurant.
- Rules that commonly get broken include sipping the wine when you should be smelling it, and sending a bottle back simply because you don't like it.
- We talked to a sommelier to get his tips for ordering wine for the table.
Ordering wine can be intimidating. It's a complex drink with a lot of history, and there are certain rules surrounding it that shouldn't be broken, particularly when it comes to ordering it at a restaurant.
While attending Wine Riot, an event that aims to take the pretentiousness out of wine culture, I chatted with sommelier Jason Tesauro, who's also known asThe Modern Gentleman.
1. When the waiter shows you the bottle and announces the name of the wine, they're double-checking it's the one you ordered.
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Don't get intimidated or confused by this move — the waiter is simply making sure they didn't make a mistake.
"They are coming over with the contract. [They're asking] 'Is this what you ordered?'" Tesauro said.
2. The first thing you should do is check the temperature of the bottle.
If you want to look like an expert and have a proper glass of wine, check the temperature of the bottle with the palm of your hand.
"The first thing I do is put my hand on the bottle and feel it. Are my red wines too warm? Are my white wines too cold?"
3. Don't sip it — just swirl, look at, and smell it.
When the waiter pours you a sample before serving the whole table, it's not a taste test.
Tesauro explains: "They are not asking you whether or not you like the wine. They're asking you whether the wine has survived. Did the wine make it from the vineyard, to the importer's containership, to the distributor, to our cellar, to your glass correctly?"
"When they pour the wine, all you need to do is swirl it, look at it, and smell it," he said.
General rule of thumb: if it smells fruity and fresh — not musty, or like vinegar — the bottle is fine, and you should not return it.
By not sipping the sample, you're also taking your first drink with the rest of the table — after a toast, of course.
4. Only send the bottle back if the wine has technically gone bad.
There are only two reasons you should send the bottle back: if the wine has technically gone bad, which you should be able to detect by smelling it, or, if the waiter recommended the wine and you really don't like it.
A good technique is to double check with the waiter.
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