Great Wine Made Simple - Andrea Immer [104]
What you should do:
Ask for the wine list (and wine-by-the-glass list in case they’re separate) as soon as, or even before, you’re seated (maybe the host can pick it up as you’re led to your table).
Assess your table’s needs (either to yourself or in discussion with your party)—budget, likes and dislikes, one wine or several—so you’ll be able to focus your search of the list and your questions for the waiter.
Ask to keep the list with you during the meal so that it’s handy when you’re ready to choose something new.
What the restaurant should do:
Make sure that every table gets a copy of the wine list upon seating (be sure you have enough lists; with laser printers, this is easy). If a guest has to ask for the wine list, chances are they won’t.
Take the first wine order and serve it right away. People hate to wait, especially at the beginning of their meal.
Leave the list with the guest if they’d like it, or at least be ready to return with a copy before the last wine is finished. Good service means always anticipating the guest’s next need.
Serve the wine before the accompanying food dish. While guests wait for the wine they ordered to drink with this appetizer or that entrèe, sizzles turn to fizzles, sauces congeal, and garnishes wilt—not what the chef or the guest had in mind. And when waiters have to play catch-up with wine service, mistakes (like opening the wrong wine) happen.
BASIC WINE SERVICE RULE #2: WINE SERVED IN GOOD CONDITION This is usually harder for the customer than the server. The cork is presented, the ritual taste is poured, and you’re on—performance anxiety at its worst. If you don’t like it, is that the wine’s fault or yours? It depends.
What you should do: If the wine you order is simply not to your taste, you’ll have to chalk it up to experience, because it’s not appropriate to send it back. (The exception is if you put your choice in the hands of the sommelier; more on this in Chapter 10.) It’s different if the wine is actually flawed (again, we’ll discuss this more in Chapter 10). In any case, the first taste of any wine is a shock to your tastebuds, so give the wine and your sensors a moment to warm up to each other before you make a final call.
What the restaurant should do: If the wine is flawed, the waiter should replace it immediately with another bottle of the same wine or an alternate, your choice.
Beyond the Basics—Getting Really Good Wine Service
And great wine service? It starts with fundamentals, like the wine list. Size isn’t everything, and to many guests, a big list is a hindrance. What serves the customer well is a list that’s legible, simply organized, and thoughtfully selected at every price point. Great restaurants put as much passion and enthusiasm into their bargain offerings as they do the boutiques, because they want guests of every budget to be happy. It also makes good business sense to sell a twenty-dollar bottle of wine rather than two iced teas, because both the bottom line and the customer will be better satisfied.
I also believe great wine service means creativity and flexibility. If you and your cohorts can’t decide between white and red, the waiter suggests a half bottle of each. If you’re undecided among two wines by the glass, they’ll offer a small taste to help you pick. Many restaurants these days also offer half glasses—half the amount, half the price—so that you can try several different wines. And when there is a problem with a wine, great wine service is a restaurant that really cares, and knows what to do: get something else on the table that’s