What is the proper etiquette for serving wine at restaurants, and what’s all the fuss about?
Before I get to the gender issue, know that the best way to serve wine is as soon as possible after the table is sat! Wine will cover almost any faux pas in a restaurant (except, perhaps, a merlot spill on cashmere). The default is to hand the wine list to the man, though it is acceptable to leave it on the table between the two diners. With a group, if there is not an obvious host, ask. If a woman requests it, she gets it. Usually, while servers decork, they fill the air with awkward silence. (Audible sigh.) I like it when servers ask if there are any questions about the menu as they open the bottle, or to describe the wine. I like to see servers use hinged corkscrews, and I really like knowing their chef or manager has taken the time to see to it that every server knows how to use it! Here is what I was taught, and what I learned people wanted me to do. – If the man tastes: After he tastes, the woman’s glass it to be filled, then his. – If the woman tastes: After she tastes, her glas
