What should you expect from a restaurant when ordering a bottle of wine? Well, every establishment is different.
However, if done correctly the procedure should be the same everywhere. Here is a run through of what you should expect from a good restaurant when ordering a bottle of wine.
First, the server or wine steward should present the wine list, open it, and hand it to the host at the table. If there is no host, the server should present the list to the person who may have requested it.

If you need assistance in selecting a wine, the server should offer suggestions that complement your food selection. Make sure the food/wine server knows both what you are going to order and whether you prefer a white, red, dry or semisweet wine.

The server should be able to suggest a wine that suits your preference.
When you decide on a particular wine, regardless of whether it complements your meal, your server should not argue or disagree with your selection. They may suggest other selections, but ultimately it is your decision, and you should not be made to feel it is wrong.

Regarding wine glasses, if there are none on the table, they should be brought over carried by the stem. The glasses should be clear, spotless and free from soap residue, chips,and fingerprints as well.. If not, request new clean ones. A good idea is to take the empty glass, hold it up to a light, then smell it for soapy odors.

When delivering your chosen wine to the table, the server will present the bottle to the person who placed the order. The bottle should be unopened -- the foil cap around the neck and top of the bottle untouched. The bottle should be presented cradled in a napkin, or in hand, with the label clearly visible.

When the server brings the wine, make sure it is exactly what you ordered. Do not assume the bottle is correct.

Sometimes a restaurant will run out of the vintage indicated on the wine list and try to sell the next vintage and mostly at the same price. This is not acceptable.. In many cases, the next vintage is not the same quality, so beware. If it is not what you want, send it back and make a new selection. Do not let the server talk you into a wrong wine, explaining that the alternate is just as good.

Again, if you did not order it, send it back. The server should have never brought that bottle out in the first place, as it was not what you ordered. Keep this in mind at TIP time too.

The server will wait until you have confirmed that you have, in fact, received what you ordered. The foil cap should then be removed by either cutting around the bottom of the rim, not the top, or by completely removing the entire foil.

The cork should then be removed with grace and finesse, so it is eased from the bottle with minimal sound. For sparkling wine or Champagne, the proper method is to grip the cork firmly and turn the bottle, not the cork, to ease the cork free.

If done correctly, there should be a quiet "sphsss," not a loud and rude "pop."

Once the cork has been removed, the wait staff should place it next to the glass of the person that ordered the wine. This is so he/she can check it for defects, such as mold or a high level of wine around its seal. If the cork is fully saturated with wine, there is a good chance the wine is bad. Because the cork's job is to seal the wine from oxygen outside the bottle, if the seal between the cork and the bottle is bad, oxygen gets into the bottle, thus turning the wine to vinegar. Usually a saturated cork indicates a bad seal. But this does not necessarily mean the wine is bad. Many older vintage wines will display a saturated cork, do to age. So always taste the wine to make very sure.

A tight seal will be indicated by a very fine line of wine at the base of the cork. If this is the case, there is usually nothing to worry about. But again, always taste the wine. For some odd reason, smelling the cork has become a ritual. In some very rare cases you may come across a diseased cork, which, when smelled, will have a moldy aroma. But moldy corks are easier to feel than smell. Simply testing the strength of the cork by bending it will quickly tell you if the cork is diseased. However, if you want to smell the cork, feel free. But most likely all it will smell like is, well, cork.

Before pouring the wine, the server should wipe the rim of the bottle clean with a napkin. Then a sample taste should be poured for the person who ordered the bottle for his or her approval. The sample should be anywhere from one half to two ounces. The host should make sure the wine is sound and free of defects. Once the host approves the selection, the server should pour for the rest of the table.

Ladies first the the men and the taster last. All will get equal amounts poured.White wines should be served between 50 - 55 degrees F. If the wine is too cold -- which in almost all cases it is -- the server should offer to let the bottle sit on the table until the desired temperature is reached. Then an ice bucket should be provided to retain that temperature. However, the bottle should not automatically be immersed in ice. The wait staff should always ask first whether this is your preference.

Red wines should be served at 60 to 65 degrees F. In most cases reds are served too warm. If this happens ask the server for an ice bucket to chill the wine to the proper temperature. You should never receive an argument with this request.

If you order a red wine, the server should ask whether or not you would like the wine to breathe. With heavier red wines -- Bordeaux, cabernet sauvignon, merlot -- letting the wine aerate often helps bring out its characteristics. If you feel the wine could benefit from some aeration, ask the server to pour half a glass for you and your guests. To let the wine breathe, many servers will simply place the bottle on the table. This, however, has little or not effect, as the surface area of wine in the bottle neck is very small. It is the act of pouring the wine that aerates it sufficiently. In addition, the surface area in the glass provides a much better ratio of air to wine, so the wine breathes better.
You may want to ask for the wine to be decanted. This means the wine is transferred from the bottle to a decanter.

This is necessary if a wine contains sediment. Often, older vintages of Bordeaux and cabernet sauvignon will "throw" sediment -- drop very fine solids to the bottom of the bottle. If this is a case, the wait staff should carefully transfer the wine from the bottle to the decanter, making sure all sediment stays in the bottle. This is done by placing a light under the neck of the bottle and carefully watching the wine as it is poured.

Decanting is not usually necessary with wines that contain no sediment, unless you feel the wine is closed -- revealing very little of its true character. However, letting the wine open in the glass is often the best method. Regardless of whether or not the wine needs to breathe, the server should pour no more than half a glass for each person. This is so you may swirl the contents of your glass comfortably, in order to best experience the aroma and bouquet.

When pouring, the server should never pick the wine glass up off the table. Women should be served first -- the wine being poured from the right side. The bottle should be slowly lowered to the glass, never making contact, with the label facing up so you and your guests may see what is being poured. At the end of the pour, the bottle should be twisted a quarter turn as it is pulled away to prevent dripping. If you order a second bottle of the same wine, a new glass should be brought to the table so the host can taste and approve the new wine. The server should present the wine in the same manner as they did the first. If you order a different bottle -- different varietal or color -- or even the same varietal but a different winery, all new glasses should be brought.

This is an important issue. If you order a bottle of wine without help from the server, and the wine is defect-free yet you do not like it, it is your mistake. You really have no right to send it back. Taste is your responsibility. Storage and

defects are the restaurant's. However, if the server makes a bad recommendation and/or the wine is faulty or not to your taste, you have every right to refuse it. If a restaurant will not replace a faulty bottle or a wine recommended by its staff,

leave. Do not pay for anything. And make it known that you and your quests will never return. Hopefully, this will never happen. If all these procedures of wine service are followed, the experience of dining out will be much enhanced and made more enjoyable for everyone involved.

Corkage Policy

When making reservations with a restaurant, you may wish to inquire about their corkage policy -- whether or not they allow patrons to bring in their own wine. Most restaurants allow this practice if the wine being brought in is not on their
wine list, charging a nominal corkage fee to open the bottle. A respectable corkage fee is $3 to $7.
A good tip to remember: Sharing a taste of wine with your server or wine steward usually results in no corkage fee. Not always, but usually. So ask the staff if they would care for a taste. Your benevolence may just be rewarded.

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