I want to drink wine, but wine seems difficult. For you, we will explain wine etiquette in detail. Knowing wine etiquette will help you enjoy wine more and make your food even more delicious. Please remember wine etiquette and have a fun time with your meal.
Last time, we explained how to choose wine. Once you have selected your wine, the next step is to taste it. In the second part, I will talk about tasting.
What is host tasting?
When you order wine at a restaurant, you are invited to taste it. This is called "host tasting." Remember how to perform a tasting so you don't get nervous because you don't know the etiquette.
Why Tasting?
The first thing you need to know is why you should do a tasting. Some people may think of host tastings as a restaurant ritual, but there's a reason for that.
Wine can deteriorate depending on how it is stored. To check whether the wine is normal, you must uncork it. Therefore, tasting is required. Host tastings are not to judge whether the wine is good or not, but to check the quality of the wine.
When dining, there is a concept of host and guest. The host is the one who invites, and the guest is the one who is invited. In other words, wine becomes something that the host serves to the guests. Host tasting is the process of confirming that the wine is in good condition and suitable for serving to guests.
If you're in the business of entertaining guests, you might be hesitant to drink wine before your guests, but once you understand that it's a way to make sure it's appropriate to serve your guests, you'll understand. Therefore, it is bad etiquette to ask guests to taste wine because they don't know anything about wine.
Host tastings should be conducted by a man if you are a couple, or by an elder person if you are a family or a group of three or more people. In the case of a dinner with friends or colleagues of the same age where there is no role of guest and host, the person who made the reservation at the restaurant or the person who ordered the wine generally conducts the host tasting.
How to host a tasting
So how should we go about tasting? We will explain the host tasting step by step.
wine color and aroma
First, check the label to see if it's the wine you ordered.
The sommelier will pour a little wine into your glass so you can check the color. Hold the wine glass by the stem and tilt the glass slightly to see the color. Check to see if it is cloudy or has any foreign objects. If by any chance you find a small piece of cork floating, tell the sommelier in a low voice, ``It looks like a bit of cork has fallen.''
Next, bring the glass close to your nose and lightly smell the scent. Then, swirl the glass twice and take a deep breath.
Host tasting tasting
Now, it's time to take a sip of the wine and drink it.
You cannot exchange a wine because it doesn't taste as expected or to your liking. This is because host tasting is to check whether the wine is normal, not to judge whether the wine is good or not. Exchanges can only be made if the wine is not in good condition. Abnormal conditions include deterioration and bouchonnet (cork odor).
spoiled wine
Wine stored for long periods at temperatures above 30 degrees may deteriorate. As it deteriorates, it develops an oxidized, sour aroma and taste. However, some wines from older vintages may have some hints of oxidation, so it may be difficult to judge. In addition, unpleasant burning smells and stuffy smells are caused by heat deterioration. However, in restaurants, wine is stored in a wine cellar, so it is unlikely that the wine will deteriorate.
What is Bouchonnais?
Bouchonnais is the deterioration caused by cork. Since cork is a natural plant, it may harbor bacteria. The cause of buchonnais is that the chlorine used for disinfection generates a substance called TCA (trichloroanisole). Please note that Bouchonet wine is not harmful to the body, so don't worry, you will not get sick just by tasting Bouchonet wine.
If you've never smelled bouchonet, it's hard to tell what it smells like, but it smells like musty or damp cardboard. It ranges from a wince-inducing amount of bouchonet to a slight bouchonet. If you think it tastes strange but you're not sure, it's not bad manners to tell the sommelier, ``Could you please check it for me?'' It is said that the probability of hitting a bushone is 5%, so there is a chance that you will hit a bushone on rare occasions. Once the wine is uncorked, the sommelier will smell the cork before pouring the wine, so you may be able to tell if it's Bouchonnais at that point. Don't argue with the sommelier about whether it's Bouchonnay or not. It can also ruin the atmosphere of the dinner party. Even if you think it has an unusual aroma, it may actually be the unique aroma and taste of the wine. In that case, the sommelier will carefully tell you about the wine, so be open to it.
Host tasting completed
Now, once you've confirmed that there's nothing wrong with the wine, say, "It's okay," "It's delicious," or "It's pretty good," and ask for the wine.
There is no need to comment on the aroma or taste of the wine here.
What you can request at a host tasting
There are some things you can ask the sommelier during your host tasting. Once you have become good at host tastings, keep in mind the following additional benefits.
Decantage
If you've tried a high-quality red wine but found it to be bitter and not very aromatic, you might find it better to put it in a decanter. Decanting is the process of placing wine in a glass decanter, which exposes the wine to air. This will make the aroma of the wine more noticeable and the taste will be mellower. However, not all wines become better after decanting. Some people dislike decanting because it opens up the aroma and taste too much, so ask your sommelier if decanting will make it more delicious, although it depends on your taste.
wine temperature adjustment
If you want your wine to be a little cooler, such as during the hot summer months, you can ask for it to be chilled.
On the other hand, if you put it in a glass, the temperature will rise, so there is no need to ask for the temperature to be raised.
summary
If you can clearly say, "I'm here. Please pour me a cup," during a host tasting, you're a great host. Next time, we will talk about etiquette when drinking wine at a restaurant.
