We all know how big and fascinating the wine-centric world is, having won acclaim around the world for thousands of years, however, over the past few centuries, more and more people have ceased to view wine as a A simple drink, people have poured respect and love into the wine.
For nearly five centuries, the “Manners” of Bishop de la Casa have shown us the proper behavior that each of us should have at an elaborate banquet, obviously including the service of drinking, and we can say that many of these rules are still strictly applied to a simple The truth is that, in addition to showing elegance, they also greatly facilitate the analysis of taste.
Today, of course, much of the red tape laid down by etiquette is considered obsolete, especially unnecessary in convivial gatherings with friends, and appropriate only at official state events and events of some public significance, many of us What people need in their daily life is to simplify the process.
The host, even if he invites his guests to the restaurant, is also responsible for the success or failure of the event, so he decides on the level of formality to be employed, sets the rules, and needs to listen to a professional.
Depending on the procedures to be followed during the banquet and the food served for the occasion, the wines will be selected and served according to different rules, determining the order, type, colour, vintage, alcohol content and organoleptic characteristics.
If guests make requests that are not planned, every effort will be made to accommodate them, but if this does not happen, custom will include starting with sparkling wine or light still white wine, then moving to rosé and red wines, respecting recent vintages And the priority of the same color, tasting from lightest to most intense.
Formal tasting meetings need to be equipped with different types of wine glasses according to different types of wines. For example, flute-shaped glasses should be used for sparkling wine, and white wines and red wines have their own exclusive tasting glasses.
Water can be served in a classic cylindrical glass or in a medium “tulip” glass.
Next came the larger wide-mouthed wine glasses for rosé and red wines, as well as the “butterfly” for sweet sparkling wines and the “petite tulip” for still sweet wines.
Wine must be served at the same time as or immediately after the first course arrives, and there are two basic guidelines to respect here:
The first is pairing: it must be ensured that the character of the wine enhances that of the food and vice versa;
Personal adaptations to taste inevitably arise during the course and it is therefore necessary to increase intensity,
Perception of juice and aroma. If this does not happen, or worse, the opposite happens, then the supplied
Dishes and wines lose flavor and intensity and are disappointing.
On the other hand, it is necessary to serve the wine in the best possible way: uncorking, checking, decanting, serving temperature possibly using an ice bucket
degree, decanter filter…
When opening the bottle, the cork must be removed carefully to avoid the risk of “cork residue” and the “vibration” that in some wines can shake long-dormant deposits.
For this reason, and in order to avoid indecent procedures, it is absolutely necessary to avoid the “boom” when opening sparkling wine.
Bottles must always be displayed to the left of the guest and always poured on the right of the guest, with the label facing the customer for visibility, also taking care that the neck of the bottle does not touch the glass, after serving is complete , we try to avoid spills by gently turning the bottle and wiping it with the napkin provided towards the bottle.
Cups should be more than one-third full, while flute cups can be two-thirds full, but always fill in two stages, waiting for the foam to subside and avoiding overflow.
If a diner stops drinking for some reason, he can convey it with a gesture, a nod in the eye, a softly spoken, discreet word, without touching the glass.
Once all the stemware has been served, the bottles that still contain some wine can be left on the table or in the ice bucket, but guests are encouraged to leave them on the table when they run out.
When everything is planned to ensure maximum enjoyment by the diners, all that remains is to follow priorities, with due respect for those present.
Disregarding the presence of distinguished guests such as some high office of the State or the Church, who, because of their institutional prestige, must always be served first, let us try to imagine how we should behave if we were in a private event Be respectful of form and ‘decor’.
Priority is obviously reserved for ladies except in exceptional cases, which is taken for granted, including the hostess, but as a courtesy to the guests, the director may be served last, starting with the elders.
Having said that, the banquet has started, and the guests don’t have to worry about it, because everything is done by the host or the restaurant service team, but from this moment, the first duty of the guests begins, after all, they are just in front of a glass of wine… …
The glass is precisely shaped so that it can be held with the fingers either by the stem or the bottom, and is kept as simple as possible, avoiding the need to grab the glass from the glass like a cognac, thereby avoiding the process of warming the wine with warm hands.
The glass should be on the table while the wine is being poured, and once filled, never spin it like a “centrifuge” as it will not be used to verify the consistency of the wine or achieve the desired level of oxidation, except perhaps will cause hilarity. When the size of the pour suits us, a simple thank you, as mentioned, is enough to interrupt the operation without removing the glass from the table.
Wine should be delivered to the mouth, making sure there is no food left in the mouth and tasting after wiping lips with a napkin, avoiding any marks on the glass before and after sipping.
Do not talk with food in your mouth and avoid any noise from food.
A toast is only foreseen at certain special events, such as anniversaries, ceremonies or special events, and always at the invitation of the host or guest of honor: on these occasions, you stand up and raise a glass in honor of famous people and others.
With the arrival of dessert, with the consent of the host, the wine glass used at that time can be removed and replaced with a dessert wine glass, which can be a butterfly glass or a small tulip glass.
