There are few things in life that I enjoy more than hosting people in our home. Whether it’s a holiday dinner with family or just having friends over for mid-week takeout, the laughs, the conversation, and the shared memories are what life is about. But as fun as hosting is, it can also be a little intimidating, so I have some tried and true wine etiquette tips to help you out.
What are the rules when selecting and serving wine? Am I doing it right? Will I offend someone? Will I be judged for my wine choices? Whenever I find myself in an uncertain situation, I turn to traditional etiquette as a guide. It has worked for generations before us, and it can help guide us, too… perhaps with a modern update or two. 😉
So, while I don’t have any etiquette tips for you on RSVP’s or table settings today (you’ll have to refer to Emily Post for that…!), I can impart what I’ve learned with respect to wine. With these wine etiquette tips, you will host with confidence and ease. Then, you can get back to more important things: making memories with friends and family.
Pair Appropriately
Perhaps the most important tip when choosing wines to serve, is to pair appropriately with the overarching feel of your “event.” Consider the location, the season, and the mood. You wouldn’t want to serve a full-bodied, heavy red for a hot summer picnic on the back patio, would you? And of course remember to consider the food. One year I brought a special bottle of Chianti to Thanksgiving, excited to share it with my family. As dinner began, I was embarassed to realize that the tannins were overwhelming the flavor of the turkey, and we quckly swapped to another wine. Do some research!
Make It Meaningful
On the topic of doing your research, it is always nice to learn a little bit about your wine before serving it to guests. Does the winery have an interesting story? What is the history of the region it is from? Is this a unique grape variety? While the wine will of course taste wonderful regardless (you’ve paired it perfectly with the food, remember?), having a few facts up your sleeve makes for lively dinner conversation.
A Little Prep Goes a Long Way
Before your guests arrive, ensure you give yourself enough time to get the wine organized. I generally like to think through this the evening before I host, so that I understand the plan. If something needs to be chilled, get it in the fridge (more on temperature later). If a red wine needs to breathe or may have sediment, be sure to decant it. Locate your favorite bottle openers, and ensure your glasses are clean. With this little bit of prep work, you can be “in the moment” when your guests arrive and give them your full attention.
As Quiet as Your Royal Highness’s Farts
As a wine-lover you probably have plenty of practice opening wine bottles with traditional corks, but what about sparkling wines? Do you know the etiquette regarding opening these types of bottles? While a celebratory *pop* might be fun on New Year’s Eve, it is not nessarily considered good manners. The traditional etiquette is that the bottle be opened slowly, making as little noise as possible. No more than a “pfffft” noise. I once heard it described this way: if opened properly, a bottle of sparkling wine should make no more noise than the Queen’s fart. And since we should never be hearing the Queen fart… well, you get the picture! 😂
Serving Sequence Matters
If you plan to serve various types of wine throughout the evening, ensure that you are serving them in the correct order. Sparkling wines come first, then white, then rosé, reds, and finally dessert wine. If you are serving multiple whites and reds, please also consider which are lighter versus heavier. For example, lighter whites such as Dry Riesling or Savignon Blanc should be served prior to full-bodied whites such as Chardonnay. Same applies to light versus heavy reds. Serving wines in this recommended order ensures that they are experienced in increasing intensity and each will not overpower the next. When wine is overpowered by a prior wine, it can taste characterless and water. No good.
Get the Temperature Right
In addition the correct sequence, each wine also has a correct serving temperature. This is the temperature at which the flavors and character of the wine are best expressed. In general, the guidelines are as follows. Dry white wine should be chilled at served at 45 deg F, whereas heavier full-bodied whites can be 5-10 deg F higher. Rose should be chilled and served at 45 deg F. Lighter red wines should be served at cellar temperature, around 55 deg F. And finally full-bodied reds can be served at room temperature, around 65 deg F.
Don’t Forget the Correct Glassware
I’m sure you know the basics here, but this is always a good reminder to have the correct glassware on-hand for what you plan to serve. For example, larger wider red wines glasses create more contact between air and wine for added aeration. In contrast, the narrower shape of champagne flutes purposely limit the contact with air to slow the rate at which it loses fizz.
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Keep Glasses Topped Up…
A good hostess makes sure her guests are enjoying themselves, and an easy way to do that is to keep the wine flowing! Keep an eye on your guests’ glasses and top up as needed. Alternatively, if you are hosting a more casual affair, leave opened wine bottles in a large ice bucket out for guests to help themselves throughout the event. Just make sure the bottles don’t run dry either.
… But Not Too Full
While you should of course make sure everyone has something to drink, wine glasses should never be filled all the way to the top. As these simple rules of thumb,
- Fill red wine glasses up no more than 1/3rd.
- Fill white wine and dessert wine glasses up no more than halfway.
- Fill sparkling wine glasses up to 3/4 full.
Have Fun & Don’t Take It Too Seriously
Each of the above points are grounded in good etiquette and intended to make hosting the easiest it can be for you and the most enjoyable for your guests. At the end of the day, however, the most important thing is that you are having fun. So, use these wine etiquette tips when they suit you, and feel free to adapt them as you see fit. Afterall, you’re the hostess, and it’s your party. Cheers!
