If there’s one thing that should disturb both the discerning oenophile and the House Merlot drinker, it’s poor pouring etiquette. This is not a rant about some minute subtlety that would only be noticed by master sommeliers, “Sideways-type” wine fanatics, and others schooled in wine esoterica, this is about the basic right that consumers have to get what get what they pay for.

A litany of NYC restaurants and handful of enotecas have given me cause to balk at the outright clumbsiness with which wine is handled and the sheer managerial greed behind stingy and inconsistent wine pouring practices. By clumbsiness with wine, I’m not complaining about minute subtelties or the violation of Courtesan-like forms. What I’m referring to something far more basic and that is the way in which the wine is presented to the guest, in addition to having a very basic sense of wine categories. A server should be able to tell you which wines on the menu are dry.

While I clearly, don’t expect the serving staff at a trattoria or family restaurant to possess the art of expert sommeliering, I most certainly expect that the wine be served in a manner that is decorous and respectful of all of the table guests. What that means essentially is, no spills, no standing on top of the guests shoulder in order to fill a glass and most certainly no motor-skill acrobatics in order to reach a glass in need of filling. Filling stops somewhere between halfway and two fingers before the rim, not at the rim.

Also, when serving wine by the glass to a table, the pouring should take place at the table and the label should be displayed to the guest who ordered it. I understand why smaller restaurants might not want to conform to this practice because of merchandising budgets and the need to extend limited inventory and am even inclined to concede their point. But larger restaurants, especially those who charge upwards of $12 for a glass get no immunity in my book.

Another gripe, and this is really a two-pronged problem is the level to which the glass is filled. The first problem that we run into here is that no common standard that the general public can refer to concerning the quantity contained in a glass of wine. In England, a member of the House of Commons is actually proposing a bill that would make 125ml (roughly 4.24 ounces), the standard for a glass of wine. Sounds like a plan that would be worthy of emulation.

Germany also seems to have this problem well worked out with its bars and restaurants widespread adoption of stemware with fill marks . Pricing is based on quantites listed on wine lists and the marked stemware ensures an equitable pour. Reluctant as I am about the aesthetic of the lined stemware (it seems so glaringly fiscal) I’m also tired of pointing out the incorrect fill level or getting jipped when in company in which it’s too embarassing to do so.

Contributing to lamentful libation is inconsistent second or refill pours. All second glasses or subsequent fills should be poured to the same level as the first. Who do these withholding bartenders think they’re fooling with these receding fills? No doubt they’re banking on customers being either too tipsy to notice or to genteel to call them on it. What they should be betting on instead is that unsatisfied customers translate into no repeat business and even worse, being outed on a blog.

Tags: Reflections and Rants // Add Comment »