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Wine Etiqette
The topic of Wine Etiquette has received much attention for decades and yet it still seems to escape the comprehension of so many. Perhaps this is because it is often presented from a too rigid view or maybe because it is made to sound like it is a set of rules - something that our modern society appears to simply reject on principle. Moreover, wine etiquette for a large group of the population is probably classified in the same basket with manners, yes manners, a concept that appears not to be promoted any more and therefore is rapidly becoming an endangered concept. However, for those who wish to truly immerse themselves in the total enjoyment and experience of wine, wine etiquette is part and partial to it. On this page, you will find what might be considered a short list on the subject of wine etiquette that, in our opinion, touches on the more important and somewhat basic topics.


Use the correct glass - Now some people would say that the only requirement is that the glass chosen actually holds liquid. There is some truth in this as you will experience if you ever visit Italy where it is not uncommon to enjoy a glass of everyday 'vino' with lunch served in a regular tumbler. However, this is really the exception rather than the rule. If you examine available lines of stem-ware in most stores, you will find glasses classified for red wine, white wine, champagne, port/sherry, etc. The classification is essentially a reference to a size and style of glass. Wine etiquette says that red and white wine glasses are of a standard goblet style with a stem and with the white wine glass being larger than the red wine glass. Champagne glasses are typically of a fluted style with a stem (they can also be the less popular coupe or saucer style) while port/sherry glasses are again standard but quite small. This wine etiquette principle has evolved over time so as to present the wine in such a manner as to allow sufficient room for oxygenation (breathing), thuspermitting the flavors and aromas to develop to their fullest and best while pouring a modest, not over-indulgent quantity of the wine. In addition to these classifications, you will also find actual size differences for each classification depending on their country of origin. For instance, a typical wine glass in Europe is smaller than its equivalent in North America. Most wine tasters and wine- makers prefer the larger style.

The wine etiquette of using the correct glass is usually not a problem in a restaurant as hopefully your wine waiter knows the difference - but if they don't, it is acceptable to help them out if you choose. But when entertaining at home, it is up to you to set the table and choose the correct glass. For most of us when entertaining at home, we will be serving either a red or a white wine or both. It is a good idea to have enough of each in your cupboard so as to be able to display this basic wine etiquette guideline.

Typical stem-ware from Waterford and
Vera Wang



Serve at the optimum temperature for the wine - Some people say that this is a load of nonsense. These are probably the same people that say that cheese should be served straight from the refrigerator. There is no doubt that wine and cheese benefit from being served at a temperature which has been determined to bring out the very best in the them. Every style, type, varietal and bottle of wine has its own perfect serving temperature. It would be wonderful to know eexactly what that temperature is right from the mouth of the winemaker. But this does not happen unless you live in wine country and know them personally. However, as a rough guide, you should try to serve any white wine at 55°F (13°C) or below and red wines below 68°F (20°C) and maintain them at the serving temperature until fully consumed. You may also wish to refer to our Best Served At chart for a more definitive list of serving temperatures.



Don't fill the glass - This is a fairly basic concept that is not unique to wine etiquette. In fact, it is considered bad manners in most situations to fill the drinking vessel to the top. It is unfortunate that a trend of filling a drinking vessel to the rim has developed in many, mainly western, cultures because of a perception that, if it is not filled, "I am being ripped off". Whether this perception is a result of consumer greed or retail profiteering, is a matter for another discussion at another time and place. In the case of wine etiquette, there is a very valid reason for not filling a glass to the rim. It all goes back to the actual purpose of having different glasses for the different wines - allowing the wine to breathe and attain its level of perfection. This concept is considered so important that it is the main reason for the evolution of the larger wine glasses in certain regions and countries. It is not so that we get served a larger portion. To make our lives easier, some stemware today even comes with a small line etched on the side of the glass to indicate the appropriate filling level. Whatever you do, wine etiquette and common manners suggest that you only pour a modest quantity of wine into the glass

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Dealing with mistakes - This principle of wine etiquette also connects in with other aspects mentioned above. Let's face it, mistakes happen and the serving of wine is no exception. Think of the simple little things that can happen to your wine server, such as accidentally selecting the wrong wine or choosing the right wine but the wrong vintage. Believe it or not, it is as much your responsibility as the person ordering the wine to ensure that you get what you ordered as it is the wine server. This is why a wine server will come to your table with the bottle of wine and present it to you before it is opened. Don't just pass a cursory glance and nod your head, read the label and be sure that this is what you ordered or question the waiter immediately. Remember that once you have given your approval at this point, the onus is upon you to pay for it unless it turns out to be spoiled.

Now we come to a sticky point - what if the wine server presents you with the right wine but a much superior vintage (a 2002 for instance instead of the 2008 that you ordered) - what should you do? There are all sorts of thoughts that could go through your mind as in "Did he do this on purpose so that I get a bonus?" (Unlikely), "Did he do this on purpose so as to up my check?" (Not very likely), "Does he think that I am stupid and wouldn't notice?" (He is too busy to think about this possibility), "Did he make a simple mistake? (Probably) Now what should I do, make him pay for being careless or be honest and tell him?". Wine etiquette and the basic principles of life make this a very easy decision. Remember, we all make mistakes at times, you included. And think about it, if the wine server made the mistake in the first place, did you not also make a mistake by advising him that this was the correct wine? BE HONEST!!

Remember, once the bottle has been
opened it is usually too late.


Take the time to confirm your selection


Taste the wine - Wine etiquette has always suggested that it is a good idea to taste a wine before pouring. Some would say that there is no reason to try a cheap wine. We disagree. There is just as much likelihood of you being faced with a bad bottle of cheap wine as there is a great wine. Our section on Packaging & Transporting will explain why this can be so. In general, wine, that is all wine, can spoil if it is not packaged, transported, handled and stored correctly. The idea behind tasting the wine is to make sure that the wine that you selected suffered en-route from the winery to your table; that it is not vinegary. This brings us to a very important understanding of the wine etiquette of tasting the wine and that is that the purpose here is to ensure that the wine is good for drinking, not that it is to your liking.

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Sending the bottle back, when and why - As we pointed out above, the wine etiquette of tasting the wine is so as to provide you, the head of the table, with the opportunity to ensure that the wine is good for drinking, not that it is to your liking. Unless you have a special relationship with the restaurant or host, once you have selected and requested a specific wine, it is yours unless it is considered spoiled. It is very important to understand and accept this concept as with most things in life, there are consequences - if a wine is rejected because it is spoiled, there is no problem as the restaurant or store owner has recourse back to the merchant; but if the wine is rejected because you just don't like it or chose the wrong one, the waiter may well have to cover the cost personally. So follow good wine etiquette, DO taste the wine but DON'T reject it frivolously.

Advise the server to pour or not - Once again, we see where wine etiquette overlaps with basic and commonsense manners. Wine etiquette guides us to either request the wine server to go ahead and pour the wine or to take it back and replace it because you consider it spoiled or undrinkable. All too often, you will see this courtesy reduced to a movement of the head, a swish of an arm or a flick of a finger. Consider this, does your wine server arrive at the table with your chosen bottle of wine and stand there silently while thrusting the bottle in your face, saying absolutely nothing? Does he then open the bottle, pour a little in your glass and wait, still saying nothing? No! Your wine server uses the power of speech to communicate with you. So do not show your ignorance or feeling of superiority by using gestures instead of your voice to communicate back to him/her. As you are probably guessing at this point, wine etiquette is engulfed in the general principles of manners, courtesy and respect. In this case, respect for the wine server and, indeed, yourself. Oh and by the way, if by some chance you are faced with an unsatisfactory wine, you will be amazed how much more receptive the wine server and the establishment will be to a calmly explained rejection instead of a swish of an arm and a disgruntled look or an abusive tirade.

Direct your wine server - Wine etiquette just does not stop after the first pour. Wine etiquette, like manners, continues throughout the entire dining or indulging experience. One of the most ignored guidelines of wine etiquette is the idea of advising your wine server as to whether you wish them to attend to your parties glasses or that you will handle it yourself. Taking this step will usually avoid the possibility of unpleasantness and in appropriate accusations. We have all come across situations where the server is extremely attentive to the point that it is obvious that they are pushing for you to order a another bottle - bigger check = bigger tip thinking. In doing this, they may well be successful but, in reality, they just show their inexperience. When this happens, it is not uncommon for management to be called in and accusations to fly. Use your knowledge of wine etiquette and avoid the situation from occurring by simply advising your server upfront that you will attend to your parties glasses or that you would like them to. It is simple and neither they or you can have any complaints. However, if you decide to handle things yourself, be sure to do it or you may be subconsciously labeled as being cheap or stingy or a tightwad - heaven forbid!


Don't be a showoff - This guideline of wine etiquette is valid in so many areas of our life. Accept it, nobody likes showoff and especially not when it comes to wine. However, it seems that when you combine a little bit of knowledge with a small amount of wine, there is an inherent risk that one or several of the people at your table or in your party will suddenly become wine officienados. What is even worse, is when the person so professing happens to be yourself. I can recall being a member of a vineyard tour many years ago. There were about 25 people in the group. The group was made up of people who just arrived at the vineyard on the day and so most did not know each other. Before we had even reached the vines, I noticed one male person making industry conversation with the guide, quite loudly. My first thought was "Why are you even here?. It wasn't too long before I noticed that the guide was also answering loudly and mostly correcting or contradicting this person. Soon, everyone had picked up on it - we had a showoff in our midst. Well human nature is what it is and you can imagine, I am sure, what happened during the rest of the tour. In the end, our showoff developed a real glow. I wasn't sure whether it was due to the sense of frustration that they must be feeling, the egg on their face (figuratively speaking) or the sun that day but it probably wasn't from the latter. It is a great idea to think back to your early days in school and remember that you learn a lot more from listening than you ever will from speaking.

Make every time an experience to remember - OK, you are correct, this is not really a point of wine etiquette but it is a really good idea to keep in mind whenever you have the opportunity to enjoy these fermented beverages. Whether you are standing in the tasting room of a world famous winery sampling an incredible selection of ultimate varietals, the cellar door of your favorite vineyard trying their latest vintages, sitting at a table with family or friends enjoying a glass or two or sipping away at a glass of what you had available during a peaceful moment, make that moment a wine experience to remember that while we believe that Wine is the Essence of Life, we also believe that adhering to the guidelines of wine etiquette greatly enhances the experience.