How To Sip and Serve Wine Like an Artist
“Wine is the only artwork you can drink” — Luis Fernando Olaverri
If you know me personally, you’ll already know my passion for wine and the experience of wine overall.
Don’t worry, I won’t bore you with room temperatures and such; I’m very aware that the best aspect is drinking it, and I wouldn’t dare take the fun out of this for you.
What I will share with you are some tips on improving your wine etiquette, as you can never know too much, and since knowledge is power, what’s sexier and more powerful than understanding the art of wine?
Whether you want to impress at a dinner party, a restaurant date, or simply want to learn something new, keep reading.
Choosing the Wine
Let’s say you are hosting a dinner. After asking your guests for their wine preferences, decide how much you will spend and head to the store to choose.
If you’re choosing a wine for yourself and a casual evening in, a trip to the supermarket will probably do. However, for dinner, you'll want to go the extra mile and treat your guests to something a little more thought out.
Visit your local wine shop and speak to a sommelier; they are more likely to be able to help you pick out the best wine suited to the evening.
Serving wine is a skill, one that is fairly easy to get the hang of.
If you are serving champagne at your dinner party, slowly releasing the cork preserves the bubbles and tastes much better for your guests.
Because unless it’s New Year’s Eve and you’re popping bottles to ring in a new year, having the cork fly across the room is an amateur move.
Pop your cork with class by doing so quietly and subtly.
Serving
To pour, hold the bottle by the base instead of the neck.
If you’re feeling confident enough, place your thumb in the punt of the bottle. This is the dimple you’ll find at the end of the bottle in the base.
Although you’ve done the hard work of organising a lovely dinner for your guests and therefore deserve most of the wine, be sure to fill your guests' glasses evenly with your own and, more importantly, less than halfway; this allows the wine to breathe.
Good hosting skills and table manners require you to always offer your guests a second round before pouring for yourself. If you are serving a variety of wines, remember to pace the serving and make sure your guests have had the chance to try everything.
Keep a list of what you bought in case your guests want to find it for themselves.
Sipping Wine like an Artist
Whether you’re the host or a guest, when it comes to drinking wine, particular techniques apply and can be used to leave a good impression at business meetings, formal gatherings, upscale dinner dates or meeting the parents (there’s nothing quite like humbling a potential mother-in-law who swears her son is too good for you with wine etiquette, which she might not be armed with).
Don’t take it too seriously; I can’t imagine you’ll be severely judged by the way you hold your wine glass, although, depending on the company, understanding wine etiquette can earn you extra brownie points.
Holding the glass by the stem instead of the bowl helps avoid messy fingerprints, and it also prevents your hands from changing the wine's temperature.
Warm wine is not the nicest way to drink it, so the less you wrap your palms around it, the better.
When wearing lipstick, always drink from the spot your lipstick print sits on the glass.
Wine is tasted primarily through your nose, so it's perfectly normal to swirl and sniff before tasting.
Once swirled, hundreds of scents are released, making the experience much more enjoyable.
More Things to Know
Research the right glassware you’ll need, as each will differ for red, white and dessert wines
Hydrate. Too much alcohol causes dehydration; remember to have a good supply of water at hand on the table to hydrate your guests and avoid slurring your words before the mains have arrived
If you’re a guest, take a bottle for your host. It doesn’t have to be alcohol. It could be a non-alcoholic wine or cordial.
Don’t be offended if your host doesn’t serve it on the night. The offering alone is a nice gesture
