Lunch is called for 13:00 on the aft deck. It is 31°C and the guests have ordered a red Burgundy and a Provence rosé. If you bring both bottles up at cellar temperature and leave them in the sun, the Pinot will taste like warm alcohol within ten minutes. Temperature is the single easiest thing to get wrong and the easiest to get right.
Serving Temperatures
| Style | Temperature | Practical guide |
|---|---|---|
| Sparkling / Champagne | 6–8°C | Ice bucket, half water half ice, 20–30 min |
| Light crisp whites, rosé, Fino sherry | 7–10°C | Fridge 2–3 hrs, or bucket 15–20 min |
| Full-bodied / oaked whites | 10–13°C | Over-chilling kills the aroma |
| Light reds (Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, Valpolicella) | 12–14°C | Yes, chill them — 20 min in the fridge |
| Full reds (Cabernet, Syrah, Barolo) | 15–18°C | "Room temperature" means a cold European room, not a hot deck |
| Tawny/vintage port | 12–16°C | Slightly cool |
The whole rule in one line: serve whites a touch colder than you think and reds a touch cooler than you think. Cold suppresses aroma and accentuates acidity and tannin; warmth accentuates alcohol.
Glassware
| Glass | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Bordeaux (tall, straight-sided) | Cab, Merlot, Syrah | Directs high-tannin wine to the back of the palate |
| Burgundy (wide bowl, tapered) | Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo | Big surface area to gather delicate aromatics |
| White wine glass (smaller bowl) | Most whites | Preserves cool temperature, concentrates aroma |
| Flute / tulip | Sparkling | Flute preserves bead; tulip shows aroma better — increasingly preferred |
| Copita / small tulip | Sherry, port | Fortified aromatics without alcohol burn |
Handle glasses by the stem or base only — fingerprints on the bowl are a service failure and warm the wine. Polish with a lint-free glass cloth over steam. Check every glass against a light before it goes to table.
Presenting and the Taste-Check
- Present the bottle to the host, label facing them, from their right, resting it on a folded service cloth. State the producer, wine, appellation and vintage.
- Wait for their acknowledgement before opening. If it is the wrong bottle, this is when you find out — not after the cork is out.
- Open, place the cork discreetly to the host's right (do not sniff it theatrically at the table).
- Pour a 25–50ml taste for the host. They are checking the wine is sound, not deciding whether they like it.
- On their nod, serve guests first — ladies, then gentlemen, then the host last, moving clockwise where the layout allows. Serve from the right.
Pour Quantities
- Still wine: fill to the widest point of the bowl, roughly 125–150ml — never more than a third of a large glass.
- Sparkling: pour in two stages to let the mousse settle; fill to about two-thirds.
- Top up before a guest empties their glass, but never top up a glass of a different wine.
Onboard Notes
- On deck in the Med, use a wine cooler sleeve or bucket for every bottle including reds, and keep bottles out of the sun. A red at 25°C is undrinkable.
- Never wrap a napkin so it hides the label — the guest should always be able to see what they are drinking.
- Wine glasses in a swell: fill less, not more, and use the widest-based stemware the yacht carries. Some yachts keep unbreakable stemware for tender picnics and rough passages.