special occasions.
…At home as host
“Wine to me is passion. It's family and friends.
It's warmth of heart and generosity of spirit.
Wine is art. It's culture.
It's the essence of civilization and the art of living.”
- Robert Mondavi
There are many venues in which to serve and enjoy wine. Your home is probably the most important one because it is where you are at your best in offering hospitality. The following sections are meant to serve as reminders of the value of good wine etiquette.
The duty of the host toward his/her guests is one of the most ancient and enduring forms of etiquette in human civilization. When serving wine, making sure that your guests are comfortable with the process should be your paramount concern.
Before serving, always allow wine time to breathe at room temperature. Never pour wine for guests immediately after opening. It is the host's responsibility to discreetly ensure that the wine is sound and unspoiled. This should be done away from company, and a small amount should be sampled.
Always serve wine to your guests in clean, spotless glasses. This may seem obvious, but it is a very common mistake to use spotted glasses. Additionally, if more than one wine is served, make sure that they are poured in a logical progression.
Especially with older wines, be aware that there may be a significant amount of sediment at the bottom of the bottle. Keep this in mind when deciding the portion given to each guest. Avoid the embarrassing instance of the last person receiving an unacceptable amount of solids in their glass. If this is a concern with a particular bottle, refrain from pouring the last half glass.
It may be necessary or beneficial to decant a wine to either remove sediment or to expose it to oxygen. Be cautious with this practice, as older wines may quickly fade if left in a decanter for too long. See the section of this book on Decanting for details.
There are some very basic rules to keep in mind when you uncork a wine. For red wines, you should remove the cork about an hour before you drink it. The oxidation process will shape the bouquet of the wine and help you discern the full flavor of the vintage. The expression "let it breathe" certainly applies here.
The proper etiquette of wine serving and drinking should be one of complete informality and ease. It does not require long planning and great care of execution, except, of course, in the case of great and old wines.
Some general rules to follow:
Red table wines should be left standing in the dining room approximately 24 hours before the meal for allowing any sediment to settle, and then cooled to 65 F. Red wine is improved if the bottle is uncorked about one hour before the meal. Wine is a living body. It is dormant in the bottle, and, as soon as the bottle is uncorked, the wine is "awakened" and starts "breathing." It absorbs oxygen from the air, and this oxidation activates the development of the "bouquet" and the aroma. One hour or so of "breathing" gives depth and smoothness to red wine.
White and Rose wines are served slightly chilled (around 55 F.), and one hour on the shelf of a refrigerator will bring them to the right temperature. White and Rose wines have a very delicate fragrance which would lose its freshness if it were exposed to air for too long a time. Therefore, the bottles are opened just before serving.
Champagnes and other sparkling wines should be left in the refrigerator for a few hours to bring the temperature down to 45 F.
Decanting is pouring wine into a plain, clear glass container before serving. Decanting is typically only necessary for older wines or Ports, which contain sediment that can add bitterness to the wine. Wine decanters allow the wine to breathe and may improve the flavor of older red wines. Younger wines also benefit from the aeration and rest that decanting provides. But a wine decanter can also be used simply for aesthetic reasons.
Before decanting a wine that contains sediment let the bottle rest upright allowing any sediment to sink to the bottom. Then slowly pour the wine into the decanter keeping the bottle angled to prevent any sediment from making its way into the wine decanter. The wine can be poured through a wine filter to help filter out any wayward particles. Decanting wine should be done out of the guests' sight.
The other main reason to decant a wine is to expose it to oxygen. Years of air deprivation and vacuum life builds character in a red wine but when it comes time to uncork, it begs a release into a container with an open mouth.
The chemical reaction that follows releases the aroma of the wine, a key component in your total enjoyment of it. Red wine glasses have wide rims for a reason. Decant the wine slowly and let it rest for up to an hour at room temperature. The result will be a taste quite different than if you had gone straight to the glass.
An alternative to decanting is pouring wine into a glass through a wine sediment filter. These small, funnel-shaped devices contain an ultra-fine stainless steel screen that effectively filters out wine sediment. Keep a small dish nearby to rest the sediment filter between uses. Wine is poured as soon as food is brought to the table. It is the host, rather than the hostess, who serves the wine and sees to it that glasses are replenished all during the meal.
In the world of wines, you have those with bubbles and those devoid of bubbles. If your wine sparkles, pour it down the side of the glass to protect the precious bubbles. If your wine is still, pour it in the center of the glass to let the bouquet permeate the vessel and float upward.
To control drips, twist the bottle slightly as you tilt it upright. Hold a serviette under the neck of the bottle to prevent untimely drips onto the table or your guest’s lap. There are also several aids to prevent dripping. One is a small aluminum foil disc that you curl up and insert inside the neck of the bottle. Another is a metal ring lined with felt/material that slips snugly over the neck of the bottle. Preventing wine from dripping on your guest’s plate or lap is a concern that one must take into account to create a good dining experience at home.
When pouring a red wine, fill the glass no more than one-third full (about 5-6 oz). This will allow your guests to swirl the wine, smell the bouquet and check out the wine's "legs." A glass can always be refilled if desired. At a dinner party, serve wine to the women and older guests first, then the men and end with your own glass.
…As guest at someone’s home
“Religions change; beer and wine remain.”
- Hervey Allen (1889-1949)
When you bring a bottle of wine as a gift, you should expect the host to open and serve it. Wine is about communal sharing and fun. So unless you specifically request the host to keep and enjoy it later, the host should serve it. If the host already had a wine they planned to serve, they should serve both if the wine goes with the planned main course. Tasting both wines will be an educational experience. Some people mark the gift bottle with the initials of the donor on the wine label. When they drink the bottle of wine later, they call the giver and tell them how much they enjoyed the wine with their meal and how much they enjoyed thinking of that person while dining with their wine.
Конец ознакомительного
