There are a lot of rituals and customs around professional wine service that might not be clear to the average drinker. Like, after ordering a bottle of wine, the sommelier might present you with the cork. (Do you sniff it? Lick it? Take it home?) Then maybe, after they’ve poured you a glass, they take that bottle away. (Where’s it going?) Another practice that might come into question: They open the bottle and pour themselves a taste. What’s that about?

While you may not be expecting it, your sommelier is likely not trying to sneak in a cheeky sip of your wine or sample it to know what it tastes like. If it’s on the bottle list, you can be fairly certain that they’re already acquainted with its tasting notes and structure. Instead, your somm is likely tasting the wine for a much more important reason: to make sure it’s actually worth serving. To learn more, we chatted with Max Eddy, sommelier at NYC English bistro Lord’s.

“In short, we’re sampling to screen for ‘flaws’ like cork taint,” he says. “We don’t want our guests tasting compromised wine.”

In Eddy’s opinion, pouring a small taste for the guest who ordered the bottle before serving the table is a gracious act of service, but it often puts the orderer on the spot. As he explains, this can often make the taster feel insecure, prompting them to possibly accept a flawed bottle to not appear rude. Conversely, the guest could feel forced to speak up, which can result in friction during a moment that, in Eddy’s view, should be easygoing and graceful. If your sommelier tastes the wine ahead of time, it takes the pressure off the guest.

“Communicating and setting expectations is key to great service. In alignment with those principles, I always sample a wine after presenting,” he explains. “In the case that I do get a bottle I don’t feel comfortable serving, this allows me the opportunity to go back to the table and explain the situation. The guest is clued in, knows I’m taking care of them, and understands why it’s taking longer than expected for their bottle.”

Sommeliers might be wine experts, but at the end of the day, they had no hand in creating the bottle you ordered or control over how the wine will evolve in the bottle. Tasting is often the way for them to be the best possible resource for you as a diner. That said, Eddy still understands how the action can be perceived in a negative light.

He offers food service as an interesting point of comparison: To some, a sommelier taking a taste from their bottle could feel like the chef taking a bite of their food before it hits the table. But unlike sommeliers, the chef developed the dish themselves, and they understand every facet of its production and flavor. Sommeliers aren’t always as lucky.

“It’s my responsibility to understand the products I’m serving as best I can, and I see the pre-service taste as a part of fulfilling that duty,” Eddy says. “Restaurants have nothing to gain by delivering bad experiences. Unless you see something blatant, I’d encourage a little benefit of the doubt that we’re acting in good faith.”

That good faith should be extended to your sommelier when you bring in your own bottle of wine, too. As Eddy explains, even in corkage situations, most guests still turn to their sommelier for advice on whether or not the wine is showing well or if there are any other perceived flaws in the bottle. And for them to do so, they must try the wine themselves. If something is wrong with the wine, somms will then be able to adjust course by decanting, opening a backup, or recommending a bottle from their list.

Should you choose to bring your own bottle of wine, offering your sommelier a taste during the exchange is also a great way to build relationships and bond with staff. Especially at restaurants you tend to frequent. “I make notes on every wine drinker at Lord’s,” Eddy says. “If I see ‘generous with corkage’ on your guest note during pre-service, I’m already cracking a smile and looking forward to talking to you when you arrive.”

*Image retrieved from davit85 via stock.adobe.com

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