The basic rules of wine etiquette: How to look suave this party season
It is a social season and wine is being popped, poured, sipped and slurped across London. I am a big advocate of enjoying your beverage however you see fit, but for those attending more than one fancy do this winter there are some basic rules of wine-etiquette the casual imbiber might want to know.
Though tempting to fill to the brim after 24 hours with the in-laws, pour your wine up to the widest part of the glass to allow the most oxygen to hit it and release its aromas. This also means you can do the slight swirl in the glass that shows you know your wine and how to get air into it, without it slopping out over the rim.
Lighter red wines can be served lightly chilled, but most will be at room temperature which is understood to be between 16-18C and does not take into account central heating or, this year, the lack of it. Should your red be a tad chilly, you can warm it gently by holding the bowl of the glass in your hands or against your chest. Bottles on radiators or beside the fire will certainly heat your wine, but so drastically it will also damage it. Should your wine not need warming, hold the glass by the stem or the base.
There is a lovely sense of ceremony to decanting a wine, especially if you have a crystal decanter to beautify the table, but in truth you can decant into a water jug as all you are doing is opening up the wine with oxygen and getting rid of any sediment. When sediment hits the neck of the bottle, stop decanting or pour the wine through a muslin cloth or coffee filter to catch it. You can decant both red and white wines, but bold full-bodied reds will benefit the most. It is a process of practise but as a general rule you might decant a white for 5-20 minutes and a red for 30 minutes to an hour.
If you are pouring from the bottle, then hold it towards the base rather than the neck and as you’re finishing the pour twist the base away from you as you turn the bottle upright again. This should minimise drips running down the bottle and onto any hands or tablecloths.
Different cultures have different rules for that important toasting moment. The Debrett’s Guide to etiquette says glasses should be raised rather than connected, but where is the fun in that? A useful tip however is that glasses should be clinked at the widest part of the bowl to avoid smashing the more delicate rim and any sloshing out of the wine.
Finally, a top tip for the lipstick wearers among you. Aim to sip from the same side of the glass each time, otherwise you will end up with a smudgy rim and a sticky glass. My solution won’t be winning any etiquette awards, but saliva works as a pretty excellent barrier so if you can find a way to lick the rim before you drink, it will keep the lipstick from sticking to the glass.
Recommended wines
Champagne Jacquart Mosaïque Brut – £46 Great Wine Company
Ring in 2023 with a Champagne that over delivers in spades. An exceptionally classy glass at a fantastic price point, this is a way to feel sophisticated but spend-savvy at the same time. Utterly dignified drinking.
Champagne Charles Orban Cuvée Roger Daltrey – £95 Eminent Wines (with 2 glasses £125)
This limited edition cuvée was created to celebrate The Who’s 50th anniversary and Daltrey’s career as a singer and actor, spanning more than 50 years. Creamy but fresh this is a crown-pleasing treat.
Walter Scott ‘Bois Moi’ Chardonnay 2020 – £25.68 Justerini & Brooks
This is a wine that shows what Oregon can do. A fantastically complex, comfortingly satisfying white wine that makes you wish you had bought a case rather than just a bottle. Really expert winemaking.
Everflyte Brut NV – £28 Grape Britannia
Celebrate New Year with this English sparkling wine with its witty combination of crunchy red apples and buttery lemons on toast. It’s bright, sprightly with plenty of finesse and will pair stunningly with your smoked salmon, seafood or canapés.
Saint Hills, Black Dalmation 2018 – £26.25 Wine At Home
Plummy with forest fruits, cherries and damsons this Croatian Plavac Mali is something a bit different but totally delicious. Heady with firm spices, this is a rich, robust wine to sink your teeth into.