We all want to pour wine with a bit of suave in front of our guests, but when the time comes we end up feeling like we could have done better. Pouring too much wine in the glass or too little, spilling it on the table cloth, or worse, on your guest’s hand, leaving a trail of wine on the side of the bottle; haven’t we all found ourselves in these embarrassing situations while pouring wine?
While it may seem easy to an inexperienced eye, this simple chore requires a lot of practice. Sommeliers have to dedicate time and energy so that they know how to pour wine like a pro. But even if you are not planning to do it professionally, knowing the art of pouring wine always leaves a great impression when you are entertaining guests.
Here are three main goals to keep in mind while pouring wine:
🍷 Minimise, rather, avoid spillage: This is crucial, especially if you have to pour red wine. Streaking the side of your guest’s wine glass, or leaving drops of wine on the dining table looks untidy. Also, you don’t want to give your guest the headache of having to clean red wine stains from their dress. So, it is very important to be precise while pouring wine, so make sure that the wine goes nowhere but inside the glass.
🍷 Pouring the right amount: How much wine is too much? That’s a rhetorical question, but if you are pouring wine for someone, there is such a thing as too much or too little wine. Ideally, a pour should be 150 ML.
🍷 Impress your guests. Need we say more?
Unlike opening the wine bottle, you do not need any special tools to serve it. All you need is a towel and a steady pair of hands.
So, here’s how to pour wine like a pro:
- Place the wine glass on the table (instead of lifting it in your hands)
- Hold the bottle from its base, or lower part if that’s more convenient
- Make sure that the label of the bottle is on the side, facing your guest, so that they know what’s in their glass
- Gently tilt the bottle and pour your wine slowly and steadily
- Just give the bottle a slight twist towards the end, when you are about to finish pouring
- Use the napkin in your other hand to wipe the lip of the bottle to prevent it from dripping
The lift and twist process that we have mentioned above is the key to the whole process as it prevents spillage. Another important thing to keep in mind is that if you are serving your wine chilled, it is a good idea to wipe it dry to keep it from slipping out of your hand.
Also, while pouring a sparkling wine, you need to take the bubbles into account beforehand. Pouring the wine gently, without any jerky motions, will prevent the bubble from overflowing.
Now let us come to pouring the right amount. Is there a trick to ensure that you pour an exact 150 ML drink? Mostly, it comes with practice. If you are eager to learn you can practise pouring water in a wine glass and use a measure to see where you stand on the scale. But if you just want to eyeball it, then aim to fill the glass till the broadest part of the curve.
Watch the video on How to pour wine like a pro
