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General Restaurant Wine Etiquette
Wine service at a nice restaurant can be an unnecessarily difficult ordeal. The following tips will allow you to follow the customs of wine service with ease and confidence. When choosing a wine from a restaurant's wine list, the main goal is to accomplish a suitable pairing with the entrees of your party. If the food orders are too different to generalize with one wine, consider purchasing splits or ordering by the glass. Waiters and sommeliers are there to answer your questions, but availing yourself to their services and advice will be much more beneficial if your questions are relatively specific. For example, don't ask the sommelier, "What goes well with a rack of lamb?" Rather, ask, "I'd like to balance the spiciness of the lamb with a full-bodied, Syrah-based Rhone. Do you have any favorites?" Your effort will be appreciated and service and interaction will be more seamless. I guarantee you will be pleased with the outcome. After ordering, the waiter/sommelier will retrieve your selection, and then present it, label forward, to the host of the party. This is merely to verify it is the correct wine. The cork is removed and placed on the table. Unless it is clearly tainted, (the waiter/sommelier should notice if it is) do not touch or smell it, as it means nothing. A small amount will then be poured for the host. Swirl the wine in the glass, smell, then taste. This is to make sure the wine is not spoiled and it is not an opportunity to send back a sound wine that you are not crazy about. After approval, the wine will be poured clockwise to the right, ladies first. The host's glass will be topped last.
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