Having good wine etiquette is appropriate for all occasions, but remember, to have fun and enjoy yourself, especially among good friends. There are several setting you may find yourself in where knowing wine etiquette will be important.
Wine Tasting
A great place to taste wine is at a winery. It's also a place where wine etiquette is important.
Don’t feel you have to know a lot about wine to visit a winery. As a matter of fact, a winery is an excellent place to learn about wines. Most wineries will have knowledgeable staff to assist you.
While wine tasting, it is perfectly acceptable to discard wine you don’t like. All tasting rooms will supply a receptacle for you to pour the wine you don’t care for into. It’s also acceptable to ask for another small taste of a wine you weren’t able to completely understand the first time.
It is not good wine etiquette, however, to ask for a second pour on every wine. If you find a wine you like, it’s in much better taste to purchase a full glass.
Bringing Wine To Dinner
When you are invited to someone’s home for dinner, it’s always appropriate to bring a bottle of wine. It's not good wine etiquette to expect your wine to be opened that evening. Do not bring a bottle of white wine already chilled. This assumes you expect the host or hostess to open it.
Most will have their wine planned out ahead of time to pair with their meal. When you are a guest at someone else’s home, it's good wine etiquette to allow the host to serve your wine for you, unless he or she suggests you help yourself.
Wine At Home
If you’re serving wine at home during your own dinner party, basic wine etiquette tells us that you serve a wine that pairs well with food. If your guests would like to enjoy a glass of wine before dinner, a lighter white wine or sparkling wine is most appropriate. This doesn't mean you can't serve a glass of Pinot Noir if you know your guests well and this is their favorite.
When you serve your guests, it’s nice to use the appropriate wine glasses.Try not to serve wine in plastic or paper, if possible. Never fill a glass to the top with wine. Try to leave at least 1/2 the glass empty, sometimes closer to 2/3 depending upon the type of glass.
Dining Out
Wine is a perfect compliment to a nice restaurant meal. If you are a new wine drinker, it’s easy to feel intimidated when the waiter presents you with the wine list. If you're unsure which wine to order from the menu, consult with your waiter or the sommelier (wine steward). They will suggest a wine that perfectly compliments your meal and they'll gladly do so. It’s helpful to decide what you’re ordering before choosing your wine so your wine steward can recommend a wine that pairs nicely with your meal.Restaurant wines can be very expensive. A wine etiquette tip is that it’s perfectly acceptable to bring your own bottle of wine to a restaurant. Be sure to find out ahead of time what the restaurant charges to open your bottle (the corkage fee). At high end restaurants it can be as much as $20 or $25. When your server brings your wine, he or she should always show you the bottle label before opening. This is so you can be sure this is the bottle and vintage (year) you ordered. Your server will then pour a small amount into your glass for you to look at, taste and give your approval to. Next, the wine cork is placed next to your place setting. This is so you can see if the cork has any mold on it or if it too dry. Mold will indicate the wine may be too old. A dry cork can indicate the wine has not been properly stored.
If a sommelier has assisted you, it’s good etiquette to tip them 10% - 20% of the wine price.
Bringing Wine To Dinner
When you are invited to someone’s home for dinner, it’s always appropriate to bring a bottle of wine. It's not good wine etiquette to expect your wine to be opened that evening. Do not bring a bottle of white wine already chilled. This assumes you expect the host or hostess to open it.
Most will have their wine planned out ahead of time to pair with their meal. When you are a guest at someone else’s home, it's good wine etiquette to allow the host to serve your wine for you, unless he or she suggests you help yourself.
Wine At Home
If you’re serving wine at home during your own dinner party, basic wine etiquette tells us that you serve a wine that pairs well with food. If your guests would like to enjoy a glass of wine before dinner, a lighter white wine or sparkling wine is most appropriate. This doesn't mean you can't serve a glass of Pinot Noir if you know your guests well and this is their favorite.
When you serve your guests, it’s nice to use the appropriate wine glasses.Try not to serve wine in plastic or paper, if possible. Never fill a glass to the top with wine. Try to leave at least 1/2 the glass empty, sometimes closer to 2/3 depending upon the type of glass.
Dining Out
Wine is a perfect compliment to a nice restaurant meal. If you are a new wine drinker, it’s easy to feel intimidated when the waiter presents you with the wine list. If you're unsure which wine to order from the menu, consult with your waiter or the sommelier (wine steward). They will suggest a wine that perfectly compliments your meal and they'll gladly do so. It’s helpful to decide what you’re ordering before choosing your wine so your wine steward can recommend a wine that pairs nicely with your meal.Restaurant wines can be very expensive. A wine etiquette tip is that it’s perfectly acceptable to bring your own bottle of wine to a restaurant. Be sure to find out ahead of time what the restaurant charges to open your bottle (the corkage fee). At high end restaurants it can be as much as $20 or $25. When your server brings your wine, he or she should always show you the bottle label before opening. This is so you can be sure this is the bottle and vintage (year) you ordered. Your server will then pour a small amount into your glass for you to look at, taste and give your approval to. Next, the wine cork is placed next to your place setting. This is so you can see if the cork has any mold on it or if it too dry. Mold will indicate the wine may be too old. A dry cork can indicate the wine has not been properly stored.
If a sommelier has assisted you, it’s good etiquette to tip them 10% - 20% of the wine price.
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