Over the past few weeks, I’ve been contemplating about this post. Should I publish it or not? Will I offend people in the wine industry or operators that serve wine? I hope not! But I must speak to the reality!
Think of it as an opportunity to educate yourself or evaluate your wine program. My recent wine experiences have been lackluster but also hit or miss over the years.
To the average guest, it may not be too noticeable, but to most wine professionals like me, who has been in the wine industry since 2001, or guests wanting an elevated wine experience, it is glaring!
I have served wine in many different settings, including fine dining, casual dining, wine bars, casino restaurants, cocktail bars, and event venues. Even though the type of establishment may change, there are standards of wine service that must be met every time.
If you own, operate, or work in a wine-focused business, wine bar, or fine dining restaurant, it is incumbent upon you to learn the basics of wine and promote a strong, elevated level of wine expertise yourself and expect it of your staff.
Below you will find a full list of my ‘pet peeves’, if you will, when it comes to wine service and general wine issues at establishments. Even though I encounter these wine service flaws when I’m consulting, which is par for the course since I am there to help, it is my experience as a guest that bothers me. I’m not talking about portraying a snobbish or pretentious know-it-all attitude; that’s unpleasant, but rather a fun, professional, knowledgeable approach to wine.
Have you seen the average cost of a glass or bottle of wine and nice meal lately? Don’t you think all of us deserve better when dining out or celebrating a special occasion?
As you go through the list, I give helpful tips to take your wine bar or restaurant to a whole new level. Also, the ‘do this, don’t do this’, in the service of wine. Some of these may help you as well as improve your wine program. Superb wine service is more than just wine knowledge and techniques (that stuff will come with experience). Yes, it’s imperative, but without a great personality and excellent hospitality skills, it won’t mean much.
Establishments that serve wine can be neighborhood bars/dive bars and chain restaurants where you serve very little wine. Cocktail bars, cafes, and casual restaurants where you have some wine, but don’t need to know a lot about it, but still important. Wine bars, fine dining restaurants, and wine businesses absolutely need to know a lot about wine. These winos are out there who want to join your team if you look hard enough.
If wine is a small percentage of your revenue, then I understand why it isn’t a priority to get it right because it doesn’t really impact the bottom line. However, if wine is the focus as in a wine bar or high-end restaurant with a bottle program, then it is essential to surround yourself with lots of expertise. You don’t have to employ a certified sommelier to achieve exceptional wine service.
I also think pride gets in the way for many running wine programs. For them, admitting that they don’t know a lot about wine, asking for help, and ultimately paying for help from an industry professional and consultant hurts the ego. Even though in the long run, their businesses would thrive. Or maybe you don’t really care about the wine program.
Because consumers generally do not know the proper and improper way of wine service and don’t question things, ownership and staff may not realize or know better until someone complains or a wine pro enters the building.
The bottom line is that it takes a village of owners, operators, managers, service staff, and bartenders to get on board to be a successful wine destination. A little wine knowledge and a strong desire to learn wine is key. Us wine people never stop learning about wine and engaging in self-study. The public and staff would be impressed once you bring that out and will thank you for it.
If you are a new wine bar or restaurant or an existing wine bar or restaurant who is struggling or want help with a killer wine list, please reach out to me (info below and insta). I would be more than happy to discuss. My initial consultation is always free.
My most recent project involved a new wine bar connected to a restaurant in CNY where I developed and created a wine list and did some staff training on food pairings, presenting, opening, and overall service. The early report back from them is that people love the wine selection from all over the globe and affordability. Image above!
Tips & Do’s & Don’ts of Wine Service & Storage
Bottle Service –
Staff defers to the man at the table with women present for wine order. Who knows if the woman is going to order for the table and she happens to possess a bunch of wine certifications and is the expert. Yet the man is treated like the host often.
Once the host approves the sample, serve the rest of the table. Move clockwise around the table, serving female guests first, then male guests. The host’s glass is always filled last, regardless of gender.
For bottle service, never fill up the wine glass. Don’t pour too much in the glass. It’s not the same amount as when someone orders a glass of wine. Especially if there’s more than 2 guests enjoying the bottle. Use a linen and wipe top of bottle after each pour and leave the bottle.
Always show guests the wine label to confirm that it’s what they ordered regardless of by the glass or bottle. Pour with label facing them.
Present a newly removed cork to the right of the host ordering wine. Don’t take away until bottle finished.
For a bottle of white, rose, or sparkling wine, ask the guest if they would like a chiller. If so, get a tabletop ice bucket or one on a stand with ice cubes and soda water. Soda water chills and keeps chilled longer than water. Don’t use an ice bucket without water/soda water.
When a guest orders a glass of wine at a restaurant before ordering food, make sure they have an opportunity to order and receive another glass of the same wine or different wine. They may want another glass to pair with the meal. It’s frustrating to flag down the server or wait until they serve the meal. Some people want to pair the wine with food. Don’t serve them the second glass halfway through the meal.
Food arrives before the wine. Especially when you ordered a wine pairing with the menu. I get that the sommelier/staff is busy but there still needs to be coordination.
General –
Improper Champagne/sparkling wine service. Specifically, not being mindful of the cork after the cage is released. Always keep the bottle pointed up/away from people (including yourself) and always keep your thumb and a linen over the cork once the cage is released. It isn’t common, but corks can jump out at any time once the cage is released and are capable of injuring. Invest in a good champagne stopper/not wine cork or stopper.
When reds are served way above room temperature or at room temperature. Alcohol burn is apparent and will mask flavors. Serve them slightly below room temp or slightly chilled, especially light reds. It seems rare these days to have reds at the proper temp. Most of the time, I have red wine served to me too warm.
When whites are served way too cold, they mask flavors and increase sensation of acidity on the palate. Make sure sparkling wines and roses are very cold. Use different fridges for other whites if necessary or re-arrange them top to bottom depending on temp variations.
Keep all wines, especially reds away from windows, light, heat, humidity, and vibration. Store wine on side on a wine rack, in a cellar, or in fridge to keep cork moist.
Put the vintage on the wine list. It matters. Tasting notes on menu would be helpful if you have a wine pro on staff. At least list the country, region, and sub-region with wine name and vintage. Always offer wine list if you serve wine. Even if casual, you should have wine listed on the menu.
Use proper glasses, preferably a white and red wine glass (not stemless, those are for home sitting on the couch) and coupe or flute for sparkling. Replace wine glass for wine by the glass even if pouring the same wine. Don’t do it for by the bottle .
Make sure you have multiple backups of chilled wines so you aren’t scrambling to chill a bottle that was just ordered by a table.
Always store opened wine, even whites in fridge, with a cork or wine rubber stopper. You can pump wine every night to preserve, but won’t gain you much more time from that bottle.
Use a proper wine key/waiter’s corkscrew and always have one on you and at the bar.
Always put down a napkin for any wine ordered at the bar. Not necessary at table. Offer a water side. Keep your guests well hydrated.
Make sure glasses are polished and not wet and no lipstick stains on rim.
When pouring by the glass for the restaurant/bar, use a small carafe to measure out 5 or 6 oz and drop in glass in front of guest. If you don’t have carafes, sharpie the level on a model glass to use as reference. Glasses are different shapes and sizes so don’t rely on sight.
Allow guests to sample wines from opened bottles if they are having difficulty making a decision or are new to wine. It can be overwhelming! Use a Coravin preservation system for unopened bottles. No need to open bottle.
Real Story here to help you understand the importance of good wine service –
A friend of mine was at a wine bar recently and asked for a bottle of a big, bold red. The server brought out a Beaujolais and Pinot Noir. Not one of those fits the description. My friend politely declined those options after no additional assistance from server. He ended up ordering something he knew – a beer.
This particular place displayed their wines on the menu without descriptions, like grape varietal and location, and the server could not explain a single bottle and didn’t get someone who could help, like a manager.
This isn’t on the servers; it’s on management and then ownership if they don’t know. Staff training is essential. Yes, hiring is tough and finding the right fit is tedious, and owners are stretched thin. But if you’re running a wine-focused business or wine bar, investing in staff education will make your service faster, more efficient, increase traffic, make your guests happier, and your bottom line healthier. I know many servers/bartenders who would love the opportunity to work in a cool wine place.
Hire competent and knowledgeable staff. If they’ve worked in wine before, they have knowledge and know the expectation. Converting service staff or hiring experienced staff in other non-wine environments doesn’t translate to being a good wine server.
On that note, here are some things I notice on a pretty regular basis when frequenting wine places –
The staff doesn’t know anything about the wines they’re selling. Constantly train! Every server should have basic wine knowledge and the bartender, in some cases, should know more. They don’t need to be experts, but they should be able to recommend a few wines they love or the popular ones in casual bar and restaurant settings.
Don’t sweat the technical jargon but be informed with a basic understanding. Self-study goes a long way in current job and future career in wine if that’s what you desire. Your wine game needs to be at a higher level for wine bars and fine dining. Here is a basic one to know – Fruity does not mean sweet when describing a wine.
Teach staff to read the room. Not every guest wants the entire backstory of a wine. Some people love hearing about the volcanic soil and the winemaker’s near-death experience with pesticides. Others? They just want a glass of red.
All staff should taste the wine before serving that day/night. Make sure you have staff who drink wine or are of age to drink/taste the wine. Check the wine to determine if still good or not tainted from the start. Have staff taste new wines on the menu ongoing, especially for food pairings if you serve in a restaurant with a wine list.
Use the spit method to taste (dump bucket) so you don’t get them snockered before their shift. Ownership and management should allow staff serving wine to taste. Serving a bad glass of wine will hurt everyone.
Date the bottles to ensure you aren’t serving wine past their expiration day. For public establishments (not really an issue at home), but don’t serve reds over 3 days old, whites/roses over 6 days old, and sparkling over 24 hrs. Definitely try them at the start of the shift to make sure.
At the end of the day, great wine service doesn’t need to be about certifications and pins and other serious credentials. It’s about knowledge, hospitality, and making guests feel welcome — whether they’re ordering a $300 Burgundy or a simple glass of Chardonnay.
Check out these happy guests from the new wine bar I helped open. If you want to learn more or need clarification on any of this info, please feel free to contact me. This is what I do for a living.
Cheers,
Michael Nagy
michael@michaelpour.com
Instagram- @themichaelpour
