Great Wine Made Simple - Andrea Immer [111]
Waiter’s tip: Don’t make a big deal about presenting the cork. Just place it down casually, then wipe the bottle top with your service napkin. This creates a pause for you to see if your guest cares to do anything with the cork. If not, proceed with service.
Pour a sample taste for the person who ordered the wine. This is a crucial step, needed to verify that the wine is sound. If you are buying wine in a restaurant, do not pass on the sample taste. Many wine professionals point out that it is difficult to tell from one quick sip if a wine is flawed. You should pause to smell the wine and taste it, as we have done so many times in the tastings in this book.
But also remember this is about the condition of the wine, not whether you like it. Fortunately, you have all the knowledge and tasting experience you need to make satisfying wine choices. The exception would be if the waiter recommended a wine that you weren’t previously considering. In that case, it’s okay to send the bottle back in favor of a different choice.
Most of the time, the bottle will be fine, but like any natural product, wine can spoil. If the bottle is not sound, a fresh bottle should be brought. Below, I will tell you how to spot spoiled wine although it is not always obvious at first, especially if the flaw is subtle—for example, very slight oxidation or corkiness (see below). I have said to customers who seemed uncertain after the first taste, “Let’s give it a moment of air, and then I will check back with you to see if you’re happy with the bottle.” And I have myself asked a waiter to come back in five minutes because I wasn’t sure about a wine at first whiff. A restaurant that is serious about wine has no problem with this.
Pour for those who wish to drink wine. It sounds straightforward, but here are a few things to keep in mind:
Pouring order. Traditional serving order is ladies first, then gentlemen, with the person who ordered the wine last (regardless of gender), clockwise around the table.
Pouring correctly. This takes practice. Do not touch the bottle to the glass rim (the guest drinks from there). Hold the bottle about one and a half inches above the rim to pour, and stop the flow before you pull away by tilting the bottle tip up, and twisting your wrist slightly. Wipe the bottle with the service towel every time you pull it away to catch any drips.
Pouring evenly. Share the bottle evenly among those who are drinking. It is not appropriate to “run out” so that a second bottle is needed to serve the rest of the table. That is the guest’s choice, which means you must stretch what they have ordered to fit the group size. Chances are, someone will pass on wine or order something different, and you will have more to go around than you thought. If so, it is perfectly fine to top up glasses to the proper level (see next) after everyone on the table has been offered wine.
Pouring the right amount. When serving a bottle of wine, which is a little more than twenty-five ounces, three or four ounces is about right for the first pour, unless more than four people are sharing the bottle. In that case, a little less will ensure you have enough to top up the glasses of those who need it. Some guests may want to drink less wine than others, or may drink more slowly.
Place the bottle appropriately. (Depending on the wine and the restaurant, this may mean on the dining table, at a nearby side stand, in the ice bucket, etc.) The capsule and empty bottles do not belong on the table or in the ice bucket. Remove them from the dining room.
Remove the cork and