Whine Service

Wine service seems to be almost universally misunderstood in my neck of the woods. If you want to establish yourself as a Diner you will do so immediately if you know what you are doing with wine. Sadly, most people have watched too many movies and go through some seriously ridiculous theater when a bottle of wine is opened. It is very embarrassing and while you are flamboyantly swirling, smelling and assessing how the wine legs down the glass (oh Lord help me it is painful to type this) you are likely causing your waiter to get behind in their section which will impact your dining experience eventually. So here it is. I forgive your past indiscretions but, for the love of God, please pay attention. When you have chosen a bottle of wine, whether by your own blind foraging through the wine list or your waiter has effectively sold you on a bottle, the tasting of the wine IS NOT TO DECIDE WHETHER YOU LIKE IT. It is simply to assess whether it is corked. Period. "Corked" wine refers to a flaw in the corkage that allowed the wine to turn. It will smell of mold. True oenophiles will simply smell the wine NOT THE CORK to asses whether it smells like your grandmothers water damaged basement. That's it. If you have erred in your selection suck it up, that is your problem. Let's consider what would happen to your favorite little bistro if they went about opening wine and just eating the cost every time some pedestrian eater didn't like it. Yes, that's right. They would be out of business. We are counting on you to have a clue and if you would bring one with you in when dining out it would be just super.