Lesson 2.

Wine service procedures

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson the student should be able to:

⚫ Exhibit understanding of wine service procedures.

⚫ Offer available pre- and post-meal (cocktail service, etc) services to

guest

⚫ Serve alcoholic beverages responsibly.

Introduction

Whether your restaurant is fast casual or fine dining, large or small, your

serving staff is the face of your restaurant. They are the ones on the front

lines, greeting and serving your customers. As such, you want them to be as

trained as possible, so they are providing the best in customer service. The

positive interactions your staff has with your customers can mean the

difference between loyal diners and those who never return.

It’s important to train your staff correctly because beverages play an

important role in helping your diners enjoy their experience. For example,

make them wait to long for a drink, and you’ve got unhappy customers. Or

you accidentally serve drink with a wrong temperature. To avoid that here

are some tips in serving beverages.

General standards to remember while serving white wine:

● White wine must be always served chilled at 10 to 12 degrees °C.

● Always serve white wine in a bucket, stand, wine opener and a wine

napkin.

● The host should taste the wine before serving other guest, Server

should pour 30ml for tasting.

● Always ladies to be served first and then Wine to be poured evenly for

all guests.

● All glassware must be clean and free of dirt, chips, and watermarks.

● Refill all guests glass as soon as it is below 10% of the glass.

● When a second bottle of the same White wine is to be served, ask

guest if fresh glasses are needed for.

White Wine Service Procedures:

1 - Presentation of the Bottle

● Always place the White wine bottle in a clean and polished wine bucket.

● Fill the wine bucket with 1/2 ice and 1/3 water.

● Have a service napkin available to wipe the body and neck of the bottle.

● Carefully carry the wine bucket to the guest’s table.

● Always wipe the bottle before presenting it to the guest for approval.

● Present the bottle to the host, holding the bottle in the palm of your left

hand, with the label facing to the guest.

● Announce the name and the vintage of the wine and obtain confirmation

from host. “Excuse me, Mr. Bond; this is your

SAUVIGNON BLANC Bordeaux 2006.”

● Upon confirmation, ask the guest if you may open and serve the wine.

2 - Opening the Bottle of White Wine

● Place the White wine in the ice bucket at an angle of 45 degrees.

● Place wine napkin on the left forearm.

● Hold the neck of the bottle with your left hand and the wine opener with

your right hand while the knife is opened and between your thumb and

index finger.

● Always cut the seal below the neck when opening. Never turn the bottle,

turn your movements by making 2 clean cuts from left to right with the

knife of the corkscrew.

● Put the seal into your pocket and close the knife by using the index

finger of your right hand.

● With your right hand's index finger placing on the screw and the fingertip

resting on top of the screw opposite the insert point.

● Press the point and insert into the center of the cork and turn clockwise.

● Screw into the cork until almost one and a half swirl is left unscrew

● Tilt the wine opener towards your left-hand side, with the thumb of your

left hand press the bottle rest (wing) to rest onto the top of the bottle's

mouth.

● And then with your left hand thumb placed firmly on the side of the

bottle rest (wing), to secure position. Pull the cork out of the bottle.
● Unscrew the cork from wine opener and put both opener and cork into

your pocket.

3 - Offering a Taste of the White wine

● Offer tasting to the host or the person who ordered the wine.

● If yes, then pour 30ml of wine into the host's wine glass. 

● Then show the label to the person in the same time, by holding the

shoulder of the bottle with your right hand, and the bottom of the bottle

with your left hand.

● Always label should be facing outside and the napkin at the back.

4 - Pouring White wine

● Ladies should be served first.

● And then begin with the person to the left of the host.

● Continue serving in a clockwise movement around the table.

● Pour the wine evenly, so that every person at the table gets an equal

portion.   
● End the serving of the wine by pouring for the host/hostess.

● Says “Please enjoy your wine” after finished pouring the wine for each

guest

● When finish pouring the bottle, ask if guest would like to order another

one.

● If the wine bottle is finished, and no further bottle is need, then take

away the empty bottle and ice bucket.

Verifying Legal Drinking Age

The legal age of drinking alcohol is different in different countries. The

minimum age to purchase and consume alcohol ranges from 16 years to 25

years. In some countries, this age limit varies according to strength of the

alcohol, premises of consumption, or whether the young customer is

accompanied by an adult. When the customer looks underage, the beverage

serving staff is compelled to ask for the customer’s driving license or any

reliable identity card from a well-recognized institution as a proof of age

before serving the alcohol.

Monitoring Alcohol Intake

It is up to the serving staff who has had enough drink as the drunk persons

themselves often fail to be composed and know their own state. To keep the

account of how much the customers are drinking, the bartenders must use

standard measures for pouring drinks.

Cutting off Alcohol Service

The bartending staff needs to cut off alcohol service if the customer is on the

way of binge drinking and seems not able to handle it. Refusal of alcohol

service should be:

● Executed professionally by speaking firmly and clearly with the

drunk/under-aged customers.

● Denied quietly without notifying other customers

Summary

General standards to remember while serving the wine: White wine must be

always served chilled at 10 to 12 degrees °C, always serve white wine in a

bucket, stand, wine opener and a wine napkin, The host should taste the

wine before serving other guest, Server should pour 30ml for tasting. The

white wine service procedures are first is the presentation of bottle, second

is opening the bottle of wine, next is offering a taste of white wine, last is

the pouring of wine.