Wine 101: Understanding the Wine Ritual

Wednesdays on the BottleBlog will feature an education session on wine, beer or spirits. Today Shannon Spare shares her experiences as a beginner in the World of Wine.

As I mentioned in my last blog, the "ritual" of ordering a bottle of wine at a restaurant has always confused and bewildered me. Last week I did some research as to the exact reason why a wine could be spoiled, but this week I checked out exactly what's behind this intriguing wine-lover's ritual.

As an aside, your best bet would be to choose a BYOB restaurant and stop by Joe Canal's on your way and have one of our great Wine Managers help you pick the perfect bottle. In the event that you find yourself at a place that doesn't allow you to BYO, you can use this little mini-guidebook as to what to do when presented with your chosen wine, if you're a lover-but-novice, like me.

So, you go through the wine list, and choose a wine you think you and your guests will enjoy. (Knowing your red and white grapes might help you out here.) The waiter brings it to your table, and presents it to you in an oh-so-official way, and stands there holding the bottle. What happens now?

First, you check the label of the wine to make sure that it's right one you ordered - not only the brand and type, but also the vintage, if you chose the wine based on a review or recommendation of a particular vintage. Then, you can touch the bottle to make sure it seems like it's the right temperature - not too cold for a red, and not too warm for a white.

The waiter or waitress will pop the cork and give it to you. This is where you check it out to make sure it doesn't smell funky. Also, you should inspect it visually and touch it to make sure it isn't dry and crumbly or really wet or shriveled. An overly dry or moist cork indicates that air might have gotten into the wine. Either way - if the cork looks fine, or if it seems a little "off" to you, hold off on refusing the wine until after you taste it. The wine might still be fine, but a cork that seems odd could very well lead to a spoiled wine.

Then, a small amount of the wine will be poured into your glass. Swirl it and sniff it to make sure it doesn't smell moldy or weird. Taste it and see if it tastes how you would expect it to taste. If something doesn't seem right about it, it might be a good idea to get the opinion of someone else at your table just to be sure. If there's something wrong with it, this is the time to tell your server. (Do this politely... No matter how tempting and possibly hilarious it might be to spray it all over the table and declare it swill like I've dreamed of doing so many times, it might not go over so comically as you envision it in your head.) Explain what's wrong as best you can. Your server will either bring you another bottle of the same wine, or return with the wine list so you can choose another. Most of the time, the wine is great, and you can nod your head or tell your waiter that it's good.

Your server will pour the wine, and it's time to toast, and enjoy it with your meal!

Have you ever had an awkward restaurant ritual experience? Did you have to return a bottle? I'd love to hear about it, just leave me a comment below!