Why do we taste wine in a restaurant?

nwgull · Nov 25, 2010

Genuine question following a meal out last night. I've never seen the point of the waiter pouring a small amount into your glass for you to taste. If it's corked, it's corked, and the whole bottle would be wasted anyway, and it's not as if you can send a good bottle back if you decide you don't like it, or can you

Mellotron · Nov 25, 2010

Surely, more the question is, has anyone here been poncy enough to take a little taste, then say "No sorry, that is RHUBARB. Send it away."

Stoo82 · Nov 25, 2010

To make sure its not corked.

ie, no cork in it (The bottle has been opened propaly) and also to make sure its not off.

whitelion · Nov 25, 2010

Definately acceptable to send back wine if you're not happy with it. I wonder how many people would though?

Is it okay to send wine back at a restaurant?

Barrel of Fun · Nov 25, 2010

A small amount allows one to check the colour of the wine by placing the glass between a light source and the back of your hand.

Titanic · Nov 25, 2010

To ensure that the wine has not reacted with the cork and gone bad... and you don't then inflict it on your guests/friends at the table.

Superphil · Nov 25, 2010

It is so you can check the bottle is not corked by smelling and tasting it. Corked wine is ruined by the cork failing during storage and allowing [too much] air into the bottle and therefore spoiling the wine. If it is corked, you send it back and get another bottle. You can't send it back just because you don't like it and expect it to be replaced.

KLF · Nov 25, 2010

Stoo82 said:
ie, no cork in it (The bottle has been opened propaly)

Erm, bits of cork floating in it? That's NOT the meaning of corked. Corked means tainted wine (contaminated with TCA), which can result from the cork (usually) but also the barrels. barrels, It does mean its off though, I'll give you that.

Funny thing is, most people wouldn't know a corked wine from a non corked wine unless it's really bad.

Iggle Piggle · Nov 25, 2010

It's a load of pretentious bollocks.

If it is corked, I can call Garcon back without going through the charade of saying its a lovely drop and him pretending that he cares about my palate.

Icy Gull · Nov 25, 2010

Yep sent back quite a few bottles over the years but I agree it does feel a bit poncey sniffing and then tasting, although you should be able to smell if it's corked without tasting it.

It's all part of the spending a bit of money, getting a bit of service charade though.

Albumen · Nov 25, 2010

'Corked' is when the cork goes mouldy and makes the wine have a mouldy taste. The wine is 'oxidised' when a lot of air gets to it (to make it taste like vinegar and is coloured browny). Not a lot of people know that.
This is why a lot of wines now have screwtops.

Icy Gull · Nov 25, 2010

Albumen said:
.
This is why a lot of wines now have screwtops.

Or plastic corks.

Also if you order a 2nd bottle you should make sure that the waiter let's you taste that one as well, in case it's corked or off. Too many waiters just top up half full glasses which means if it's bad everybody gets shit wine. Whether they notice or not is a mute point

nwgull · Nov 25, 2010

Just for a bit more background info on my question, it came about when I was offered to taste a screw top bottle. The bird I was with said that my reply of 'well it's not going to be corked is it?' sounded a bit flippant, but we both thought it was a bit of an odd offer.

I suppose the answer above about not inflicting the bad wine on everybody else at the table makes sense.

Bakero · Nov 25, 2010

whitelion said:
Definately acceptable to send back wine if you're not happy with it. I wonder how many people would though?

Is it okay to send wine back at a restaurant?

You can't send it back just because you don't like the taste- only if there is something wrong with it eg. It's corked.

Cadiz Seagull · Nov 25, 2010

Tradition innit.

Pretty rare to get a corked wine these days.

pasty · Nov 25, 2010

Did you know it takes nine years for a cork tree to grow bark thick enough for a wine bottle. In the cork tree farms in The Algarve, the cork trees all have a large white number painted on them indicating the year they were last stripped of bark so they know when to do it next.

I learnt that on holiday I did :thumbsup:

Westdene Seagull · Nov 25, 2010

nwgull said:
Just for a bit more background info on my question, it came about when I was offered to taste a screw top bottle. The bird I was with said that my reply of 'well it's not going to be corked is it?' sounded a bit flippant, but we both thought it was a bit of an odd offer.

I suppose the answer above about not inflicting the bad wine on everybody else at the table makes sense.

In which case either the waiter didn't understand what they were doing or they were doing it just to make it all look a bit posh like.

Moshe Gariani · Nov 25, 2010

Titanic said:
To ensure that the wine has not reacted with the cork and gone bad...

indeed... ("That's how I managed to get it out of the bottle and into your glass.")

Couldn't Be Hyypia · Nov 25, 2010

As I understand it New Zealand wine makers have given up on cork altogether. Their view is that they work too hard on their wine to allow roughly one bottle a case to be ruined by the cork failing. Caused a kerfuful at the time - but now widely accepted.

Was lucky enough to be bought lunch in Claridges a few years ago and the Sommelier was nearly in tears of apology because a £75 bottle of wine had a screw top. (yes it was a City boy that took me - yes he is a wanker - yes I have no scruples, it was lunch at Claridges!).

PHCgull · Nov 25, 2010

Wine can be oxidised even if its not "corked". If it has been badly kept, subjected to too much light/heat for example, it will taste gash, so in short, yes you can send back a bottle of screw top.

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