Certified Specialist of Wine Study Guide Review

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CertifiedSpecialistofWineStudy Guide Review
Wine Etiquette Service
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Professional Etiquette

• Set example
• Encourage moderate consumption
• Respectful behavior at tastings and public events
• Avoid condescension or talking down
• Encourage open-minded discussion and stress
  importance of subjective evaluation
• Act in professional manner always RSVP, always
  be on time, always be respectful
• One is always a student of wine---even when one
  is a master

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Professional Etiquette

• Perfume, aftershave, or other offensive odors
  (such as tobacco smoke) are not appropriate at
  professional events
• Good grooming and appearance are a professional
  courtesy to your peers
• Overt grandstanding should be avoided
• Public wine bashing should be resisted as it is
  not professional

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Wine ServiceThe On-Premise/Restaurant Setup

• Wineglasses carried to table on a tray
• Set to right of water glass and above the knife
• Glassware should be
• free of detergent residue or spots
• Rinsed or steamed clean
• Polished with a dry cloth if necessary
• Clear of residue or fingerprints
• Handled by the stem to prevent smudging

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Tasting Temperatures
Wine should be tasted at the same temperature at
which they would be served for a meal

• Approximate temperature ranges
• Sparkling/Sweet 45-50F 7-10C
• Dry White/Rose 50-60F 10-15C
• Light Reds 55-65F 13-18C
• Full Bodied Reds 62-68F 17-20C

• Some prefer high-acid reds (Beaujolais, Barbera,
  Chianti)to be chilled as well

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Wine Temperatures

• Avoid prolonged cold box storage(make sure stock
  is rotated)
• Do not serve wines too cold!(Numb wine has no
  aroma.)
• 80 of taste is smell ice coldwine has no
  smell, therefore no taste
• In general, the higher the quality, the more
  complex and older a white wine is, the less it
  should be chilled

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Service Protocol

• Repeat wine and vintage back to guest for
  confirmation
• Select glasses, carry to table and place
  properly on table in a clockwise motion
• Bring wine to table and present to host from
  right side, at an angle, label up
• Repeat name and vintage of wine to host
• Do not open until host has accepted the wine

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Service Protocol

• Label should always face host when being opened
• Use corkscrew knife to cut around capsule below
  the raised lip near mouth of bottle
• Remove capsule, place in apron or pocket(never
  in ice bucket or on table)
• If foil tears, remove entire capsule
• Screw cap unscrew the cap and place in pocket
  or out of sight and proceed with service

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Service Protocol

• Waiters or Professional Lever Corkscrew
• Insert tip of worm into cork from 45 degree
  angle, then twist to vertical with cork
• Hold bottle and twist corkscrew until the spiral
  has fully entered cork
• Place lever on lip of bottle and hold in place
  while slowly and gently levering the handle
  upward to extract cork
• If cork shows signs of breaking, back screw up a
  half turn and lever gently (this changes stress
  point on cork)
• If cork is difficult to remove, it is acceptable
  to place bottle on the table top for leverage

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Service Protocol

• Present cork to host for inspection
• In formal service a cork tray or plate is used
  to present the cork
• Bottle should be facing host at eye level while
  he/she is assessing cork and wine

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Service Protocol

• Sniffing the cork tells very little
• Squeezing the cork test pliabilityto see if
  storage was adequate
• Damp/stained cork may be anindication of
  improper storage
• Condition of cork and nature or theseal itself
  is not the sole determiningfactor as to whether
  a wine is soundor not---tasting is!

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Service Protocol

• Wipe rim of bottle to clean and remove mold or
  residue
• Surface mold at this point is NOT an indicator of
  TCA or spoilage normal external phenomenon with
  some wines
• Hold bottle approximately two inches above glass
  and pour host a 2oz. sample for evaluation and
  acceptance
• Only upon hosts approval, pour glasses
• From each persons right side
• Counterclockwise, female guests first
• Clockwise, serve male guests
• Finish with host (whether male or female)

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Service Protocol

• Glasses should never be lifted from table during
  pour
• Fill only 1/3d to ½ full, depending on size of
  wine glass
• One bottle should equal at least a table of five
• Large tables adjust pour appropriately so all
  guests get an equal amount

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Service Protocol

• Avoid dripping twist bottle when lifting from
  glassand wipe with serviette to catch drips
• When finished pouring place bottle to right of
  host on the table or in ice bucket
• In formal service, bottle is placed on coaster
  instead of directly on table
• If a second bottle of same wine is ordered,
  bring the host a fresh glass for approval of
  wine
• If a different wine is ordered, fresh glasses
  are needed for everyone
• Remove any dirty glasses from table---but do not
  remove partially filled glasses unless given
  permission by guest.

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Service Protocol

• If host refuses bottle determine reason for
  refusal---without confrontation!
• If wine is flawed in any way, immediately replace
  hosts glass and present a fresh bottle and begin
  again
• If host simply doesnt like the wine, attempt to
  determine what he/she doesnt like to recommend
  an appropriate substitute
• Follow stated company policy as to returns or
  substitutions, but avoid any critical or hostile
  attitude

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Service Protocol

• Older red wines require careful handling because
  of fragile corks and/or sediment
• Usually bottles are placed upright for awhile,
  cork is removed, and the wine is decanted off
  the sediment
• If the cork breaks in neck, gently reinsert
  corkscrew to try to salvage remaining part
• If cork is unsalvageable request permission to
  decant through cheesecloth to catch cork bits

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Service Protocol

• Sparkling Wines
• Place napkin over bottle. hold with thumb over
  cork
• Loosen wire cage
• Hold bottle at 45 degree angle (away from
  people)
• Rotate the bottle, not the cork
• Allow cork to slide gently out with a slight
  hiss
• Loud pop allows too much gas to escape and
  deflates the bead

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Service Protocol

• Sparkling Wines
• Take extra care in opening---safety more than
  ceremony!
• Make sure bottle has not been shaken and is
  properly chilled (cold reduces internal
  pressure)
• Be careful 6 atmospheres of pressure are in the
  bottle!
• Remove foil from cork and place in pocket

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Breathing and Decanting

• Breathing allows wine to open and improve
• Many restaurants now decant red and white wines
• Two methods
• Letting wine stand open
• Little to no effect
• Minimal exposure to oxygen
• Try breathing through a straw
• Pouring into decanter or carafe
• Significant effect
• Aerates wine for maximum exposure
• Vigorously splashing further aerates

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Breathing and Decanting

• Decanting allows wine to open
• Allows aroma and flavor to develop through
  exposure to oxygen
• Decanting is equivalent to hours of time spent
  letting wine stand open
• Decanting now practiced by restaurants for red
  and white wines as standard policy

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Breathing and Decanting

• Young robust red wines
• Many reds released quickly and still heavily
  tannic and undeveloped
• Masks fruit and shows astringency in mouth
• Decanting softens and mellows tannins through
  exposure to air
• Allows fruit flavors to emerge more fully

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Breathing and Decanting

• Complex wines with moderate aging
• Many wines dictate decanting by nature
• Piedmontese reds, Cabernets, Tannat, Malbec
• Dense, compact, can age for years
• Decanting allows service of wines not fully aged

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Breathing and Decanting

• Fully aged and mature wines
• older wines may be fragile
• Too much splashing may dry out fruit and
  tannins
• Gentle decanting is called for
• Stoppered or closed decanters can protect
  delicate aromas and flavors

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Breathing and Decanting

• Wines with sediment
• Simple pouring will stir up sediment in wines,
  making wine cloudy, bitter and unattractive
• Decant through cheesecloth, sterile gauze (in a
  pinch, an unbleached coffee filter will do)
• Pour slowly, to catch sediment
• Leave last inch or so of sediment-concentrate in
  bottlenot worth salvaging

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Storage

• Can be expensive (wine cabinets) or inexpensive
  (passiveclosets)
• Basic Guidelines
• Cool
• Moderately humid (6575 humidity)
• Constant temperature minimal fluctuation
• Little or no vibrations
• No light---especially sunlight
• Store cork-finished bottles on their sides so
  cork remains in contact with wine
• Screw capped and Sparkling can remain upright
• Labels should be face up to prevent scuffing or
  staining