Six guests, glasses raised, and the cork of a very good bottle breaks in half. Then the second bottle smells of damp cardboard. How you handle the next ninety seconds - calmly, quietly, without drama - is the whole of wine service.
Opening a still bottle
- Cut the foil below the lower lip of the bottle with the knife of a waiter's friend, so wine never touches foil when poured. Pocket the cut foil.
- Wipe the top of the cork and the rim clean.
- Insert the screw slightly off-centre, drive it straight down, leaving one spiral showing.
- Use both notches of the lever and draw the cork out gently and straight - a quiet sigh, not a pop.
- Wipe the neck. Present the cork discreetly to the host if they wish to see it.
Opening sparkling wine - safety first
A cork can leave a bottle at speed. Never point it at anyone.
- Serve the bottle well chilled - a warm bottle is under far more pressure.
- Remove the foil. Keep a thumb over the cork from this moment on.
- Untwist the wire cage - six half-turns - but do not remove it.
- Hold the cork firmly and turn the bottle, not the cork, at about 45 degrees.
- Ease the cork out against your grip. You want a soft sigh, not a bang - a bang is lost gas and lost style.
- Pour a splash into each glass, let the mousse settle, then top up.
Pouring
- Present the bottle label toward the host and name the wine before opening.
- Offer the host a taste; wait for their nod, then serve the guests, host last.
- Fill still wine to the widest part of the bowl - never more than a third. Standard measures are 125 ml and 175 ml.
- Finish each pour with a slight twist and lift to stop drips.
Preserving an opened bottle
Air is the enemy. Once open, oxidation starts.
| Method | Buys you |
|---|---|
| Recork/stopper and refrigerate (reds too) | 2-3 days |
| Vacuum pump | 3-5 days |
| Inert gas spray (argon/nitrogen) | Up to a week |
| Sparkling stopper | 1-2 days with most fizz retained |
| Argon-and-needle systems (e.g. Coravin) | Weeks - the bottle is never opened |
Faulty bottles
| Fault | What you notice |
|---|---|
| Cork taint (TCA) | Wet cardboard, damp basement, musty; fruit is muted. Not dangerous, but undrinkable |
| Oxidation | Browning colour, flat, stale, sherry-like notes in a wine that should be fresh |
| Heat damage | Cooked, stewed flavours; cork may be pushed proud of the rim |
| Refermentation | Unexpected fizz and cloudiness in a still wine |
Always check the wine yourself before pouring. If it is faulty: apologise once, remove it without ceremony, and open a fresh bottle. Keep the faulty bottle and cork - the supplier will usually credit it. Never argue with a guest who thinks a wine is faulty, and never make them feel foolish.
Onboard Notes
- Practise the sparkling routine until the sigh is automatic. On a moving deck, one hand always stays on that cork.
- Log every corked or damaged bottle. Patterns matter when you claim from a supplier.
- If the cork crumbles, decant through a fine strainer or a clean coffee filter and say nothing more about it.