How to Serve Wine

Wine service can seem intimidating, but it need not be. There is a lot of pomp and circumstance surrounding the idea of presenting a great bottle of wine, but ultimately serving wine is simply uncorking the bottle and making sure that what is inside is what you intend to serve.

Prior to opening, the wine should be brought to its optimum serving temperature, 55 to 58 degrees fahrenheit for reds, 46 to 50 degrees fahrenheit for whites. The cork should be removed from the bottle using your preferred style of cork puller. The removed cork should be moist but not disintegrating, and it should be smelled to check for “off” odors that might indicate a flawed wine.

A small amount of the wine should be poured into the appropriate glass and the wine examined for color and clarity. It should be swirled around in the glass to further release the aromas and smelled for flaws or correctness. Then it should be tasted to make sure it is what the sommelier, host or hostess had in mind to serve. If the wine is free of flaws and correct in taste it can then be decanted or aerated, or poured directly into the remaining glasses, up to the widest part of the bowl, and enjoyed by the guests.