Stage Bts Hotellerie

BASICS OF WINE

1. OPENING PROCEDURES pag.2

2. THE RIGHT WINE IN THE RIGHT GLASS pag.4

3. UNDERSTANDING A WINE LABEL pag.5

4. WINE STORAGE AND TEMPERATURES pag.8

5. WHAT IS THE WINE pag.10

6. BASICS RULES ABOUT WINE SUCCESSION pag.15

7. OENOGRAPHY pag.16

8. BASICS OF UP SELLING pag.22

9. GRAPES pag.24

Sanat Kumar, Sommelier

Constance Ephilia Resort, Seychelles

1. OPENING PROCEDURES….

- The customer chooses a wine from the wine list or asks a wine to the waiter. ALWAYS BRING THE WINE LIST AT THE TABLE!!!

- Carry the bottle with your left hand below the bottle, with a napkin on that hand, approach the customer from the left side and stay at around 45 degrees on his left/back, beside his left arm/shoulder. This is necessary so it can be done as a standard procedure even in case of long tables or when the customers are very close to each other. Never shake the bottle of wine! Carry it gently like a baby.

- You must say, at least, four things, in this order: name of the producer, name of the wine/vine grape used, vintage, alcohol content. Additional information, from kind of wine to a little story of the wine cellar is welcomed if known well, if not, the basic information is enough.

- Come back with the bottle to the gueridon/wine stand (if there is one) or to the guest table (if there is room). If there is no gueridon o wine stand, manage to find enough space on the table to open the bottle.

- The bottle has to be oriented with the main label toward the host who chooses the wine, so he can confirm that this is the wine that he asked for. The bottle should be held well on the surface of the table, or gueridon, with a hand to hold it on the neck and the napkin close to the bottle.

- If the bottle has a screwcap, let the sound be well heard by the customer when open, by being beside the guest while doing so, possibly right side.

- If the bottle has a cork, cut the capsule, twice on both sides, just below the second rim, with the corkscrew, and then one more cut upwards. Once the capsule is cut and removed, put it in the pocket. Then clean the top of the bottle carefully a first time with the napkin. Use the finger to point the corkscrew in the centre of the cork and then, start screw. There are generally 5 screw threads. Use all of them for red wines, 4 are generally enough for white wines. Screw the cork and try to have it on the correct position for you. It depends if you are left handed or right handed. Meanwhile, press the corkscrew towards the bottle. Once the cork is nearly off, stop! Take the napkin and with it in your hand, start making some soft rounds to lift the final part of the cork, without making any noise and without breaking or touching the cork. If possible, to make things more elegant, while holding the cork in hand, clean the top part of the bottle with the napkin.

If not possible, after the cork is off, clean carefully with the napkin a second time.

Hold the cork firmly in your hand with the napkin and rotate the corkscrew in reverse so as to remove it from the cork

- Give the cork in a small dish to the customer, whenever it is possible, so he can smell it and check if the cork is ok. If it is ok, leave the cork on the small side plate on the table, if it is not busy, and start serving the wine. Otherwise, make apology and change the bottle.

- Pour a little bit of wine in the glass of the customer who chose the wine, from the right, with your right arm, so he can taste it. Keep the napkin below the bottle while you lift the bottle over the host’s glass, while turning and rise the bottle of around 90 degrees to avoid the drop, by being on the guest’s glass. If it happens, you should have the napkin below to pass it over the bottle in an upward movement

- Hold the bottle, beside the right arm of the customer, at around 45 degrees while he tastes the wine, so he can have a look at the label. The label should be always towards the customer, even while pouring the wine. If the wine is not good, make apology and change the bottle.

- If the wine is ok, start serving the customers from the oldest woman, to the youngest. Then do the same for men, from the oldest to the youngest. The host is always served last, no matter gender or age. 1 bottle: around 5-8 persons.

- While serving, turn around the table clockwork or anti clockwork, as you prefer, with the label always clearly visible. Then, leave the red wines in the glacette or cooler, (if present) to maintain the temperature and rosé, white and sparkling wines in the ice bucket, for the same reason. Leave the bottle on the table if there is no wine stand, in the cooler or the ice bucket, with the label always towards the customer that chose the wine.

IN CASE YOU ARE OPENING A BOTTLE OF SPARKLING WINE….

- Keep the bottle with both hands, in front of the guest, label facing the guest. Left hand is on top of the bottle, the right hand holds firmly the bottom. Hold the bottle at around a 45 degrees angle, head up, in front of you. Do not aim at guests!

- Unwrap the paper around the cork using the string and put it in the pocket.

- Untwist the iron wire from the top of the bottle and place it neatly in a side plate.

- With

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