Serve Red and White Wine Correctly.
The ability to serve red and white wine correctly is paramount to offering good service in a hospitality business. From the way that you present the wine list to the way you pour the wine, there are some general guidelines to ensure that you are serving wine correctly to your customer’s satisfaction.

White Wine

  • Present the wine list to your customers after you have taken their food order.
  • Take their order and document correctly the wine they ordered, the table number and the number of covers.
  • Ensure that the wine number you have written down corresponds correctly with the number on the menu, ordered by the customer.
  • Enquire as to when the customer would like to be served the wine.
  • Chill wine by placing in an ice bucket container water and ice cubes. Ensure that wine is always served at correct temperature.
  • Bring to table and place in stand to right of host.
  • Present the wine to the host using a service cloth. The label should be facing towards the host.
  • In the case of corked wine, cut foil below neck of bottle with knife of corkscrew.
  • Wipe bottle top and cork with suitable cloth.
  • Set the corkscrew into the cork and turn (carefully) with a small amount of pressure push the corkscrew straight down the cork. Do not pierce the cork at an angle to avoid broken cork bits falling into the bottle and remove the cork gently.
  • Wipe the bottle dry.
  • When pouring the wine hold the bottle with the label facing the customer, using a folded service cloth to stop drips from falling.
  • Pouring from the host’s right, give them a sample taste of the wine and once they approve the wine serve remaining guests. Serve ladies first then clockwise from the host, serving the host last (even if the host is a lady).
  • Glasses should be filled two-thirds. To prevent drips from falling as you finish pouring, twist the neck of the bottle and raise it.
  • Replace the remaining wine in wine bucket.
  • Refill glasses as necessary throughout the meal.
  • If customers order a different kind of wine throughout the meal, provide them with new glasses.

Red Wine

  • Present wine, take order and serve as with white wine steps.
  • If wine is corked (has gone off due to faulty cork or poor storage) apologise to customer, offer replacement win, return bottle to bar and proceed according to the house policy.
  • As with white wine serve to ladies first finishing with host.
  • Place bottle on a doilyed sideplate with cork to hosts right. Red wine can also be placed in a wine basket for presentation.

I ______(Manager/Supervisor) hereby certify that ______(Employee Name) has read and understood the above principles. Date:______