A Guide to the Tableside Wine Presentation: What to Expect If You Are Hosting a Dinner

Wine is a great complement to any meal, whether you're hosting a business dinner or taking someone special out on a date. Chances are, if you're at a fancy restaurant and order wine you'll experience a tableside wine presentation. Initially the wine presentation can be a bit intimidating, but if you know what to expect you can get through it with ease.

I have been on both ends of the table as a server at a country club and as a host to numerous dinner parties. A wine presentation at a restaurant is a chance for the host to see if the wine is spoiled. It's not done to determine if the host likes the taste of the wine.

If you are the host of the dinner, the wine will be presented to you. The server or wine steward will show you the bottle for inspection. Make sure it is the wine that you have ordered. Check the vineyard (the producer of the wine), the style, (whether it's a Merlot, Zinfandel, Shiraz etc.) and the vintage (date of harvest). Mistakes are usually made with the vintage, so pay special attention to the date.

Next, the server will uncork the wine and place the cork in front of you. At this point, many people become clueless. I've seen some nervously smell the cork, while others bravely lick the end. There is no need for smelling or tasting just yet. You only need to look at the cork. The cork should be wet on the end that was inside the bottle and dry on the end that was outside of the bottle. If the cork is dry on the end that was inside the bottle, it means that the wine was stored improperly in an upright position. Corks need to remain moist in order to keep a good seal. If the wine is stored upright for a long period of time, the cork can dry out and the wine can oxidize. If the cork is wet on the end that was outside the bottle, it means that there is a hole in the cork. Again, air can get into the bottle and turn the wine to vinegar.

After the cork inspection, the server will pour a small amount of wine into your glass. I've been at tables where the host asks the server to pour more wine into their glass. Don't do this. The presentation is still in progress. Your full serving of wine will come in due time.

Swirl your glass around and make sure that there are no pieces of cork in the wine. Then smell the wine. If it smells like dirty feet or vinegar, there is probably something wrong with it.

Next, take a small sip of wine. Remember you are checking to see if the wine is spoiled. If you think you have a bottle of bad wine, don't spit your wine out into your glass. Swallow- this is why you must remember to take a small sip. Ask another person at the table to try the wine as well. If he or she agrees that it is bad, inform the server and ask for a new bottle.

If the wine tastes alright, signal an okay to the wine server. Your server will then fill everyone's wine glass, ending with yours. It's not proper to reject a bottle of wine if you simply don't like it. Once it's opened it's yours.