Etiquette Boss: Wine Service Etiquette

November 14, 2014 Phillipa Morrish

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The holiday season has started. The stores are full of Thanksgiving, Christmas and other holiday items. There are house parties and staff parties galore on the horizon. I think the time is right for some wine etiquette tips.

First, when opening a bottle of wine at your table, the mouth of the bottle is wiped to remove external dust, and then again after the cork has been drawn to remove any cork residue.

If the cork is swollen, or has a musty smell, the wine must be discarded. Pouring a little wine into the host’s glass is a courtesy, as he/she determines if the wine is good enough to the served to the guests, as well as receives any dust or cork particle that comes out of the bottle.

The host’s wine is poured after all of the guests have been served. Guests wait until the host has been served, as the host might want to make a toast before drinking.

Sparkling wines are poured after a napkin has been wrapped around the bottle to prevent moisture dripping on the guests’ clothing or the tablecloth. The guest should never lift the glass from the table when wine is being poured; instead, the bottle is tilted and the wine poured slowly.

Red wine is poured a little less than half of the glass and white wine a little more than half of the glass. The stronger the alcohol, the less poured, as the aim is enjoyment instead of inebriation.

BEAUTY TIPS: Over 40 and Fabulous

Use a lighter eyeliner – go for dark brown or gray instead of jet black.
Line your lips with a nude pencil to prevent lipstick bleeding and give the lips a perkier look. Unless your pearly whites are indeed white, skip pink lipstick which will give your teeth a yellow tinge.
Contour a slack jawline by using a powder or foundation that is a shade or two darker than the rest of your face. Apply from the mid chin area and contour up to the ear lobe.
If you use mascara, apply a second or third coat at the outer corner of your eye lashes to give a more open and younger look to drooping eyelids.
Purchase satin or silk pillowcases to decrease the chances of getting facial lines. Sleep on your back instead of your side is a major plus in not having them form in the first place.

Phillipa Morrish is the president of Etiquette Training International.