The formalities of wine service at restaurants differ from place to place. And while certain practices may deliver a perceived sense of luxury, they often wind up as a series of pretentious charades that defy the core values of hospitality.

Let’s say someone orders a bottle of wine for their table. Plenty of restaurants simply have their staff pop the bottle, bring over a few glasses, and let the guests have at it, while others keep the bottle behind closed doors and have servers swing by periodically to offer refills. Hell, some servers might even pour themselves a small taste while initially presenting the bottle. Is this all just a misguided idea of high hospitality, or is this what guests actually want?

On this episode of the “VinePair Podcast,” Adam, Joanna, and Zach riff a bit more on sommeliers and why wine service tends to err on the side of snobbery. From somms preemptively taking tastes of wines you ordered, to keeping bottles out of reach, and generally treating guests like a nuisance, wine service in a range of restaurants remains confrontational and condescending, much to their dismay. Tune in for more.

Zach is drinking: Proxies x Nomadica Bubbly White
Joanna is drinking: Temperance at Wild East Brewing Co.
Adam is drinking: White Negroni

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