Service
Proper service of wine is important in the hospitality setting for various reasons, and the
philosophies and techniques developed in that environment can also be applied to the
more casual home environment. What follows is an outline of the sommelier’s role in the service of wine. In the actual restaurant situation, the sommelier’s job description is likely to be
considerably broader than the relatively simple service of wine, but service is, from the
perspective of the guest, of primary significance. It remains a truism of the hospitality industry that guests are much more inclined to forgive bad food than they are bad or indifferent or arrogant service. Most of what we call “bad” service flows out of attitude, but poor technique is also an issue.
Client Expectations
Restaurant customers arrive with a set of expectations and it is up to the sommelier to
manage those expectations. As I’ve indicated above, the primary expectation is that they will be treated hospitably and in this it is worth remembering that the word “hospitality” is derived from the Greek hospes, which means “host” or, more broadly, “to care”. In other, similar derivatives of the original Greek, we get words such as hospice and
hospital where the meaning “to care” is closer to the surface. The good restaurant employee never forgets that the first requirement is to care for the guest and no amount of knowledge or technical prowess can compensate for a lack of care. That said, technical skill in the service of wine is important in the restaurant industry and is all too often overlooked.
Handling the Bottle
The basic principle in handling a bottle of wine is simply stated: all wines, no matter
their price or provenance, should be handled as though they are fine, old bottles. This means that they should be handled gently with a minimum of agitation which, in a
fine old bottle, would disturb sediment and make separation of the wine from sediment
difficult. Young wines which will not be decanted should be presented to the host from the right,
the label upright; the server will repeat the name of the wine and the vintage to ensure
that the correct wine has be brought to the table. Then the wine will be placed upright on the table, ideally on some form of coaster before opening.
The Corkscrew
There are various styles of corkscrews available, some specifically designed for home
use and some designed with mobility in mind. The most familiar corkscrew generally used in the restaurant environment in commonly known as the “waiter’s corkscrew” and consists of a small blade used to cut the foil capsule, a worm or screw, and a bolster or bracing device to rest against the lip of the bottle to aid in the leverage used to extract the cork.
Extracting
The gentle handling of the bottle should continue when the cork is extracted; the bottle
should not be wrestled with in the air, put between the knees or under the arm, twisted,
turned, bent or beaten. It should remain upright on the table. The foil covering of the cork, or “capsule” should be cut below the lip to ensure that the wine does not come into contact with the capsule when the wine is poured. Throughout the 19th century and continuing until roughly the end of the first world war, the capsule was typically lead-based and contact with the wine could cause taint this is, of course, no longer the case, but cutting below the lip is a gesture toward the
past and maintains the principle that all wine be treated with the same respect given to fine old bottles. After the capsule is cut, it should be inspected for signs of mold or leakage and placed
on a side plate. The top of the bottle should also be inspected and wiped with a clean cloth.
The worm of the corkscrew should be inserted at a slight angle and then screwed down
to an appropriate depth; the lever should be set against the bottle lip and the cork slowly
extracted until it is almost clear of the bottle. At this point the corkscrew should be straightened and the cork eased out the last few millimeters using thumb and forefinger. The cork should then be twisted off the worm, taking care that the end which had been in contact with the wine (known as the “mirror”) is not touched. The cork should be placed on a side plate with the capsule and presented to the host for his or her inspection should s/he desire to examine them; these should be removed after the wine is poured. The lip of the bottle should again be wiped with a clean cloth before the wine is poured.
Opening a bottle of white wine obeys the same principles of gentleness, capsule-cutting, and cork-extraction; however, the wine should be brought to the table in a bucket. The wine may be opened in the bucket, but the current dominant approach is to open the bottle following the same procedures as for red wine. Depending on the desires of the guest regarding service temperature, the wine may be returned to the bucket or left on the table.
Sparkling Wine Service
The basic principles involved in opening a bottle of still wine are observed when
opening a bottle of sparkling wine, but there are differences, most of which are dictated
soley for the issue of safety. Sparkling wine is bottled under considerable pressure—5 to 6 atmospheres—and can be dangerous if mishandled. For this reason, it is opened in an ice bucket with the cork pointing away from guests, the server making sure that at all times s/he maintains pressure on the top of the cork to guarantee that it doesn’t shoot out of the bottle like a bullet.
The capsule is removed, the cage untwisted and carefully removed, with pressure
maintained by alternating thumbs. The cork should be covered with a cloth and gently twisted out of the bottle without popping.
Decanting
There are three reasons to decant a bottle wine: the first and most important is to
separate the clear wine from the sediment in wines which have thrown a deposit; young
wines are also often decanted to aerate the wine and volatilize their aromatic components
or “open them up”; third, decanting wine is a form of entertainment and showmanship. Young wines to be decanted for the purpose of aeration may be poured quite aggressively into a decanter. Older wines, however, should be poured carefully, ideally from a pouring basket into
which the wine bottle has been placed upon removal from the cellar. Wines which have been properly stored on their sides with the labels up will have sediment adhering to one side of the bottle. By placing the wine into a basket immediately, this sediment should not be disturbed.
The whole capsule should be removed, the bottle cleaned, and the cork extracted. With a light source beneath the bottle, the wine should be slowly poured into a clean decanter, with pouring stopped as the sediment reaches the shoulder of the bottle. There should not be much more than an ounce left in the bottle if the wine has been properly decanted—the amount remaining is sometimes known as the “waiter’s share”.
Temperature
The goal attached to wine service temperature is simply stated: we want to create a
situation in which the wine can best express its structure and aroma. It remains a truism that this rarely happens in restaurants, with the common complaint that most restaurants serve white wines too cold and red wines too warm. Lack of knowledge is perhaps not the most common reason for this—it is expensive and space-consuming to have multiple storage locations at different temperatures for different wine styles.
Reds
To formulate a general rule of thumb for service temperatures, we typically consider the
weight and maturity of the wine: typically, heavier wines are served at warmer temperatures, lighter wines at cooler temperatures. This is so largely because of tannin which is emphasized at cooler temperatures. Ideal service temperatures for full-bodied, tannic red wines are between 16—18 C. For medium bodied red wines, a good temperature range is 13-16 C especially light-bodied reds can be served as low as 8-12 C.
Whites
The same basic rule applies to white wine service with one essential difference cropping
up where sweetness is also a factor. Acidity is emphasized at cooler temperatures and in sweet wines where balancing acidity needs to be emphasized, cooler temperatures are recommended even for weighty wines. For full-bodied whites, such as top quality Chardonnay, temperatures as low as 10 and as high as 14 C are recommended, for medium bodied whites 8-10 C, for sweet whites with lowish acidity and light whites, temperatures between 4-8 C are fine.
Gewurztraminer
In the Vineyard
Features
-pink-red-blue skinned variety (depending on growing conditions) with intense, instantly
recognizable aromas and usually deep colour (a peachy hue, on occasion)
-often a love-it or hate-it grape variety
-usually low and unreliable yields, but some regions manage mid-level yields
-ripens unevenly and often suffers drop in acidity at ripening and requires a long season in cool areas
Susceptibility
-coulure in wet, cool springs
-powdery mildew
-rot a problem in fall, but can be noble in Alsace especially
Soils and Climate
-tends to do best in relatively heavy soils such as those with moderate clay content
-in Alsace in particular, it tends to be planted in more fertile sites where other varieties
would suffer drops in quality
In the Winery
Vinification and Ageing
-pink skin often leads to whites with noticeably deep, golden colour, and skin contact an
issue; often however, the variety is pressed slowly to allow some contact to increase
aromatics
-high sugar levels equate to high alcohol levels, which in this variety are combined with
low acidity—often some bitterness on the finish
-inert vessels, cool temperatures
-only the best, most densely concentrated age; most are designed for early consumption
Common Aromatic Descriptors
-Fruit: lychee
-Spices: ginger, cinnamon
-Floral: roses and Turkish delight
-Other: hair spray, lanolin based skin creams, musk
Noted Regions
-it’s difficult to ascribe a spiritual home to this variety
-it is part of the Traminer family and likely made its way to France and Germany from
northern Italy
-the finest dry Gewurz undoubtedly comes from Alsace where sweet versions also
appear
-in Germany, the Pfalz offers good examples
-in the new world, New Zealand, Australia, Washington, Oregon, California, Chile, and
Canada all offer interesting versions
Pinot Gris
In the Vineyard
Features
-a mutation of Pinot Noir, it can look identical to the parent vine in the vineyard
-berries can vary from a brownish pink to a grayish blue to green
-can suffer drop in acidity at ripening
Susceptibility
-same issues as Pinot Noir, but generally hardy variety
Soils and Climate
-prefers deep soils in temperate climate, especially mineral rich soils
In the Winery
Vinification and Ageing
-variable approaches from cool fermentation in stainless steel to barrel fermentation at
warmer temperatures; also occasionally done in a late harvest and/or botrytis affected
dessert style (especially in Alsace, but also in New World, especially Oregon)
-tradition in Italy is to pick earlier to preserve med-high acidity, though typical
expression elsewhere is low-med acid
-the variety typically offers plenty of flavour extract and winemakers outside of Italy
tend to want to capitalize on that
Common Aromatic Descriptors
-Fruit: apple, pear, apricot
-Other: honey, nuts, musk, honeysuckle
-Palate: variable acidity, med-full body, range of sweetness levels
Noted Regions
-once interplanted with Pinot Noir in Burgundy where it softened the style of Burgundy,
PG is now most important in Alsace where it makes full-bodied dry whites and fabulous
late harvested sweet whites
-also important in Italy where, as Pinot Grigio, it makes a fairly neutral, light white
-of great and ever-increasing significance in Oregon
-also important in Germany where it is called either Rulander or Grauburgunder
Muscat
In the Vineyard
Features
-a large family of grapes which may be white, black, or pink
-best for wine production is the smaller berried Muscat a petit grains
-intense aromatics may be reined in some with dry vinification
Susceptibility
-both powdery and downy mildews
-great problems with insect infestation
Soils and Climate
-fertile, deep soils give good yields
-prefers warm climate—in cooler climates, such as Alsace, yield is very irregular
In the Winery
Vinification and Ageing
-extraordinary variation, from still and dry to sweet and sparkling to fortified
-one constant is the avoidance of wood which would compromise the forthright aromas
-often fortified: classic southern French versions are aged for considerable periods after
fortification, but generally do not improve in bottle
Common Aromatic Descriptors
-Fruit: green grapes, raisins, orange marmalade
-Floral: roses
-musk (of course)
-typically low in acidity
Noted Regions
Spiritual Home
-Greece and North Africa; Piemonte (for frizzante and spumante wines; ie lightly and
fully sparkling)
Other Regions
-Italy, Australia, Alsace, southern France
Chenin Blanc
In the Vineyard
Features
-high acid variety makes it popular for use in the brandy industry in the new world
-buds early, ripens early, but often left late on vine
Susceptibility
-frost, powdery mildew
-botrytis, which can be a good thing in sweet wine production
Soils and Climate
-adaptable, but best expression in calcium rich soils
-classic sweet wines from cool climates, but will grow in warm climates and provide
high yields
In the Winery
Vinification and Ageing
-highly dependent on vintage, especially in classic Loire regions
-in favourable years, it is often vinified as a sweet wine, often from botrytis-affected
grapes
-cool fermentation for dry whites
Common Aromatic Descriptors
-Fruit: apples, apricots
-Other: nuts, honey
-Palate: high acidity, medium alcohol, full range of sweetness levels
Noted Regions
Spiritual Home
-the central Loire valley—Anjou-Tourraine
-appellations of Savennieres, Coteaux du Layon, and Vouvray
Other Regions
-South Africa, where it is known as Steen
-Australia and California also important
Riesling
In the Vineyard
Features
-compact clusters of small berries
-generally early budding and late ripening, but this can be mitigated by vineyard features
-typically high acid levels
Susceptibility
-relatively hardy variety with good cold and frost resistance
-can be susceptible to grey rot and coulure if cold and wet at flowering
Soils and Climate
-soils should be well-drained, but the variety is quite adaptable
-greatest expressions in slate soils and sandy loam
-tends to do best in cool climates such as Germany and northern France provide
In the Winery
Vinification and Ageing
-varied approaches to vinification depending on the desired style of wine, but generally
fermentation takes place in inert vessel at cool temperatures
-high acid levels are often combined with residual sugar giving a wine of great longevity
-though the variety does not respond to new wood, maturation in old barrels (very old,
that is) can soften the complexion of the wine
-ages exceptionally well, particularly when both sugar and acid are in abundance
Common Aromatic Descriptors
-aroma is intimately linked to soil and age
-Fruit: lime and lemon peel, peach, quince, apricot
-Other: kerosene (what the British call “petrol”) is observed in mature Riesling
-in those affected by noble rot we often find aromas of honey, raisin and spice
-in icewine, lemon, peach, and baked apple notes are not uncommon
Noted Regions
Spiritual Home
-Germany, where it is now the most planted variety all over the 13 regions of that
country
-two regions most famous are the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer and the Rheingau
Other Regions
-for dry Riesling, Alsace may be the finest
-also important in Canada, Australia, and various central European countries like Austria
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