Why taste wine before pouring

Don't get intimidated or confused by this move — the waiter is simply making sure they didn't make a mistake. If you want to look like an expert and have a proper glass of wine, check the temperature of the bottle with the palm of your hand.

Are my red wines too warm? Are my white wines too cold? If the temperature feels off, Tesauro suggests asking your waiter to either ice a too-warm red or leave out a too-cold white. Tesauro explains: "They are not asking you whether or not you like the wine. They're asking you whether the wine has survived. Did the wine make it from the vineyard, to the importer's containership, to the distributor, to our cellar, to your glass correctly? General rule of thumb: if it smells fruity and fresh — not musty, or like vinegar — the bottle is fine, and you should not return it.

By not sipping the sample, you're also taking your first drink with the rest of the table — after a toast, of course. There are only two reasons you should send the bottle back: if the wine has technically gone bad, which you should be able to detect by smelling it, or, if the waiter recommended the wine and you really don't like it. For you. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. The person who orders the wine gets to taste a small amount before it is poured.

However, this assumes a lot of knowledge on the part of the customer. So let me explain. First, you order the wine. The sommelier fetches the wine, brings it to your table, and shows you the bottle so you can check what you have ordered.

Then, one of two things happen. In most places, they will open it table side and pour a small amount for the person who ordered it. If a female orders the wine and a male is given the taste, the sommelier has failed. In some places and I like this procedure the sommelier will open the wine at a station distant from the table and taste it first. Then, if it is faulty, they can discretely change the bottle. So, if you are given the wine to taste, what are you looking for?

You are looking for an obvious wine fault, and usually this means cork taint. Theoretically, you could reject the wine if it was heavily bretty or reduced, but it would have to be pretty far gone for this to be appropriate.

I would reject a wine for this, but it would take an accepting and skilled sommelier for this not to be a potential problem. What you are not doing is tasting the wine to see if it is just right for you tonight. The only acceptable reason to reject a wine is faultiness. Full stop. The big issue here is what happens if you think the wine is cork tainted, but the sommelier disagrees. This should never happen: if you think it is cork tainted, the wine is cork tainted. Sommeliers: you can only lose if you start entering into a negotiation over cork taint or not.

This has only happened to me twice. Once I was in Sancerre and I got a bottle that was horridly corked. I mentioned this to the sommelier. He took the bottle away. Good, I thought. Young French guys with challenged egos. They brought a replacement under duress, but refused to try the two together.

The second time was in one of my favourite London restaurants. I ordered a wine I know. It was slightly corky. I sent it back.

I said, I know the wine, this is also a bit corky as well as being reduced. I stood my ground very politely. It is done routinely, and no one really knows the correct protocol, or the rules. This is an attempt to provide some clearer understanding. They may offer you the cork for inspection, see if it appears too sodden, or equally too dry and crumbly. If you are the host, the waiter will pour a little of the wine into your glass for you to taste.

Look at the appearance of the wine against a white background, like the tablecloth. Inspect the colour of the wine, and check there is nothing suspect floating in it sediment is to be expected in some styles. Swirl the glass a few times to aerate the wine and release its aromas, this is most smoothly done by keeping the glass on the table. Then take a small sip and roll it around your mouth, focusing on anything that seems at all unexpected or unpleasant.

Written by Laura Seal for Decanter.