For many people, service is paramount to having a great wine experience while dining out. But there are a lot of complicated variables that go into properly presenting and pouring a wine — meaning there are a lot of things that can go wrong. There are tangible factors like wine temperature and glassware, but also more abstract annoyances like servers coming off as pretentious or rude.
With bottle prices skyrocketing, there’s even more pressure on establishments to provide exemplary wine service so diners feel the purchase is worth their while. So we asked some of the country’s top sommeliers to share less-than-ideal service signals that they watch out for when out at restaurants. Spotting one of these might clue you in on whether or not it’s worth ordering a splurge-level bottle next time you’re out.
Here are nine of the most egregious wine service red flags, according to wine pros.
The biggest wine service red flags, according to sommeliers:
- Sparkling wine served in flutes
- Talking down to guests
- Wines served too warm
- Skipping bottle presentation
- Pretentious wine flexes
- Glasses not properly cleaned
- Incorrect glassware
- Pouring out the entire bottle at once
- Only letting one team member sell wine
“My wine service red flag is ordering a gorgeous bottle of sparkling wine only for it to be served in flutes. I get it — they’re pretty! But they completely make it so that I’m unable to smell or appreciate the bottle I ordered. I want my bubbles in a big glass so I can enjoy all the aromatics the wine has to offer.” —Nicole Castro, wine director, Lita and Heirloom at the St. Laurent, Aberdeen, N.J.
“I think the biggest red flag in wine service is talking down to guests and using technical terms they may not understand. Clear communication is key, but it’s also about understanding what the guest is trying to communicate when they say they don’t like ‘sweet reds’ or that ‘all Riesling is sweet.’ My No. 1 goal with any guest is finding a common ground or language so I can serve them something they will thoroughly enjoy, not what I think they should enjoy.” —Jessica Forster, partner and wine director, Waxlight Bar a Vin, Buffalo, N.Y.
“My wine service red flag is being served wines that are too warm. I think most wines are best enjoyed with a little chill on them, allowing you to taste a bottle as it evolves.” —Arjav Ezekiel, beverage director and co-owner, Birdie’s, Austin, Texas
“Some very obvious wine service red flags to me are, most importantly, the bottle presentation. You should always confirm the producer, the year, and the vintage. The last thing you want to do is open the wrong cuvée or vintage of a very expensive bottle! It seems straightforward, but when producers have many site-specific cuvées, one could easily mix this up during a busy service. Bottle presentation will save you a costly mistake. Additionally, you want to be mindful of aggressive pouring. Sommeliers should be attentive, and at the guest’s service, but mindful of not over-interrupting.” —Lina Goujjane, owner and wine director, Kiko, NYC
“Good wine service should be less of a flex of knowledge and more of a personable dialogue with guests. Highlighting attributes you personally appreciate about the winemaker, varietal, or tasting notes resonates more with the general consumer than pomp and pedigree.” —Brendon Clark, bar director, Kitty’s, Hudson, N.Y.
“There are a few red flags that stand out to me during wine service: glasses not checked for cleanliness before being placed on the table; white or sparkling wines not being served at the right temperature; the foil not being removed properly when the bottle is served; and not presenting the bottle to the guest before pouring.” —Matthias Cattelin, wine director, Verjus, San Francisco
“When I go out, it’s a red flag if the glassware isn’t correct. I don’t expect Zaltos everywhere I go, but I do expect the shape and size of the glass to be appropriate for the wine being served. Most importantly, the wine glass should be free of fingerprints and any odors. If there’s a bleachy nose because the glass didn’t get a proper rinse, or a faint cardboard smell because it was pulled straight from a box, or a dank smell from a polishing rag that needs to be replaced, the result is the same: a nose that is going to negatively impact a guest’s experience of the wine. A lot of wine service is about simple practices to set up the wine to be successfully enjoyed, and proper glassware is a large part of that.” —Erin Lindstone, sommelier, Barolo Grill, Denver
“What really grinds my gears is when I’m out with three other friends and we order a bottle, the server or sommelier will sometimes pour out the whole bottle for us in one go. I can’t stand that. I like to see how the wine develops. I rarely decant wine because it’s a living thing that constantly changes from one minute to the next. The best way to observe that change is by pouring small amounts in the glass and leaving the majority in the bottle.” —Frank Kinyon, beverage and service director at a.kitchen+bar and High Street Hospitality Group, Philadelphia
“When the servers and bartenders are not empowered to sell wines by the bottle, and the job is exclusively that of the sommelier or sommelier team. This very often slows down service, which is bad for guests and critics undercover, so can be a potential money loser for the restaurant. But overall, slow clunky wine service because only one person is allowed to touch bottles that night stands to turn off would-be-return guests from actually coming back, and misses the opportunity to get young and wine-curious servers even more jazzed about wine.” —Paul Brady, owner, Paul Brady Wine, Beacon, N.Y.
*Image retrieved from Yakobchuk Olena via stock.adobe.com
