email this pageQ. Whenever he orders wine in a restaurant, a friend of mine always goes through this big ordeal of swirling, sniffing, tasting and scrutinizing the flavors and aromas while the waiter patiently waits for his approval. Is all that really necessary?
A. The wine presentation ritual boils down to just two basic functions: To make sure you receive the exact wine you've ordered and to confirm that the wine is in good condition for drinking. That's all.
When the bottle arrives at your table, take a good look at the label and vintage to confirm they're both correct. Then, once the wine has been poured, rely on your eyes and nose-more than your palate-to check for anything unpleasant. The most likely culprit will be cork taint, a disagreeably dank and musty odor. Sniff the wine-not the cork-to find it. Visually inspect the wine too, to make sure it isn't cloudy and that a wine that's supposed to be flat isn't fizzy, or vice versa-these are all objectionable flaws.
Finally, always remember that a good waiter will happily bring you another bottle if the wine is at all suspect-and they shouldn't make you feel guilty about it, either!
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