SERVING WINE
When serving a bottle of wine to your guests, proper presentation is key. Much like the care you take when setting the table or seating your guests, special attention should be given to opening the bottle and serving the wine.

BE SURE THE WINE IS AT THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE
Wines taste very different depending on their temperature. In order to enjoy the flavor characteristics of a wine, it is very important to serve that wine at the proper temperature. There are three ideal temperatures:

  • Room Temperature. 65°F (18°C) is considered "room temperature" and is appropriate for medium to full-bodied red wines.
  • Cellar Temperature. 57°F (14°C) is considered "slightly chilled" or "cellar temperature". This temperature is appropriate for full bodied white wines and light bodied red wines. If a bottle has been chilling in the refrigerator you may need to let the bottle stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes to achieve the desired temperature.
  • Chilled. 52°F (11°C) is considered "chilled". This temperature is appropriate for light to medium bodied white wines. Please note that most refrigerators are set at 40°F (4°C) so if a bottle has been chilling in the refrigerator you may need to let the bottle stand at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to achieve the desired temperature.

OPEN THE BOTTLE
Using a traditional waiter’s corkscrew, follow these steps:
  1. Resting the blade on the foil (sometimes the closure is aluminum or plastic) just below the rim of the bottle, rotate the bottle to cut the foil. Remove the foil and throw it away. If there is not a convenient place to throw the foil, just place it in your pocket.
  2. Insert the point of the corkscrew "worm" in the center of the cork. As you screw in the "worm", it will continue to center itself in the cork.
  3. Screw in the "worm". Stop when one loop remains above the cork. Avoid pushing the tip of the "worm" through the cork. That can cause cork debris to fall into the wine.
  4. Place the notch on the tip of the lever onto the lip of the bottle. Make sure that the entire tip of the lever is touching the bottle. If the tip of the lever is not properly seated, the bottle may get chipped.
  5. Hold the tip of the lever against the lip of the bottle. Use the same hand to stabilize the bottle. Prevent the tip of the lever from sliding off the lip.
  6. Lift the lever to slowly ease the cork about two thirds of the way out of the bottle. Then grab the cork with your thumb and forefinger, and remove it from the bottle. The corkscrew acts as a lever to help pull out the cork. By only pulling the cork two-thirds of the way out, you help to prevent the cork from breaking.
  7. Use a napkin to wipe off the top of the bottle. Remove any cork residue.

SERVE THE WINE
Before you present and serve the wine to your guests, taste it first to ensure there are no flaws in the wine and that the taste is acceptable.
When you pour the wine, be careful not to overfill the glass. Fill each glass about one-half to two-thirds full, leaving enough room in each glass so your guests will be able to swirl the glass and smell the wine.