How do I handle the daunting task of testing a wine at a restaurant?

- preferably with grace!

Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash

Shades of Grape was born to make wine accessible to everyone by sharing wine knowledge and tips! 

“When a restaurant server presents a wine bottle and pours a sample to test, I think:  how do I do this intelligently? I don’t know what I’m doing!!” 

Just take your time and breathe!

Firstly, the purpose is to confirm the bottle is exactly what you ordered and to check for wine faults. 

OK, but what are faults? 

Let’s explore this using our sense of sight, smell, and taste – in that order. (tip: just remember to start at the top of your face!)

Sight

Read the label to make sure that it is the specific wine you ordered - including the winery, grape or name of wine, and year (vintage). It is easy to have a miscommunication with the server, or an outdated menu where the vintage of the bottle is not the same as the menu. Click here if you don’t know why vintage matters!

Next, quickly look at the cork. A dry, brittle cork could be a sign, the wine is flawed. If so, you want to be that much more observant, as should a good waiter.

After the server pours the test sample into your glass, check the wine’s appearance by tilting your glass above something white (i.e. tablecloth, plate, back of menu etc.) - the wine should be clear without any cloudiness or haze.  Little white or clear crystals are not a problem, they will quickly settle to the bottom of your glass or bottle.  Just leave them at the bottom of your glass. There may be some sediment, particularly in older red wines.  This is normal.  Again, just leave it at the bottom of the bottle or glass.

Smell

In some wines, aromas may not be very intense.  You should always smell some fruit however. There may also be other pleasant aromas such as toast, smoke, chocolate, vanilla, charred wood, caramel, yeast and bread products, dairy, mushroom, leather, tobacco, nuts, or meat. 

If there is an unappealing smell such as mould, wet carboard, wet dog, bruised apple, vinegar, nail polish or nail polish remover, rotten eggs, dirty drains, strong farmyard aroma, or mustiness then the wine is faulty.  

It is less important to smell the cork, but if a bottle is badly faulted, the cork may also smell bad – mostly like mould, wet cardboard, or wet dog. Use it as secondary ammo if the restaurant questions your assessment.

Taste

Don’t feel rushed.  Swish the wine in your mouth and wait a few seconds after you swallow to notice the flavours.  Again, the wine should taste like fruit and pleasant flavours, NOT the unappealing characteristics mentioned above.  Unsure?  Have another taste and repeat. 

Why the swish? That is just weird and a little pretentious frankly…

Swishing allows the wine to contact your whole mouth. Your ability to perceive flavour doesn’t come from just one place in your mouth. It also allows you to defuse other beverage, food, or dental hygiene taste present in your mouth.  Swishing allows you to notice any faults now versus noticing them later on when the wine has contacted more of your palate as you start your meal. It is not proper etiquette to send a wine back when the bottle is half-drunk.

Now you have checked the wine’s appearance, aromas, and flavors. Whether you are unsure or perhaps quite confident that the wine is faulty - just talk to your server.  They will check it themselves, immediately offer you another bottle, or allow you to order a different wine. Alternatively, if you can’t wait to dive into the bottle - give the server a nod or a thumbs up and let them take over - and enjoy!