“I’m a wine enthusiast. The more wine I drink, the more enthusiastic I get.”

Wine is a universal drink that speaks to people all over the world. Sunday meals, growing up, were a big deal. My parents went all out to make them special and that’s when I had my first glass of wine.

My parents had this policy of being the ones to introduce their children (especially their daughters) to wine. Their aim was to get us acquainted with wine and its universal etiquette early. Just like they did with other areas of dining etiquette, they made us practise every Sunday. I still remember my first time. I wasn’t anywhere near eighteen, so it was a tiny splash of wine in a wine glass. But it made me feel important and like I was finally grown.

Being an adult woman, wine has become one of those drinks in life that just have to be available (just like my coffee). When wine is served in the company of people, it requires that certain rules are to be followed. I have been guilty of breaking one or two over time but here are some that you just have to keep to.

1. Hold your glass by the stem or the base.How do you hold your wine glass? I have seen so many different ways of people holding their wine glasses. 

Holding your glass by the stem or the base has been seen to be the proper way to do it. Apart from looking like a wine connoisseur while holding your wine glass, there are actually benefits to holding your glass like that. You won’t have greasy hand prints on your wine bowl and your wine will stay cooler for a longer time because your hands won’t warm up the wine glass bowl.

2. Try to drink from the same position on your wine glass to reduce unsightly marks. You don’t want to leave lipstick stains and breath fogs on your wine glass. That doesn’t look good. Try as much as possible to drink from the same position on your wine glass.

3. When opening a wine bottle, try to do it quietly, using a corkscrew. Struggling with the corkscrew isn’t fun. I’ve been there. Here’s a foolproof way to open your wine bottle.

• Cut the foil below the lower lip.
• Insert the screw in the centre of the cork.
• Rotate corkscrew 6 half turns.
• Lever cork out slowly.
• Wipe off any tartrate crystals or sediment with a napkin.

4. Everybody raise your glasses! Cheers! When clinking, clink glasses bell to bell. This is one rule that really reinforced to me that wine drinking is truly an art. Do not clink your glasses at the most fragile part which is the around the rim. Clinking your wine glasses bell to bell reduces breakage.  

5. Don’t drink your wine in full gulps. Take sips and allow your tongue to savour the different notes of the wine. Take time to sniff the wine and pick up the subtle flavours of the wine.

6. Fill your glass less than halfway to give your wine room to breathe. Remember wine drinking is an art. Your wine glass should not be full and overflowing. You want to leave room in the glass for the wine to breathe. Pour just under half of a glass of wine. 

7. Try to keep your portion of drinking equivalent to the other people around you. Don’t pour more into your glass than you do into that of your guests. This point is related to the one above. Remember you want your wine to breathe.

8. Offer wine to others before pouring seconds for yourself. If you are the host, always ensure that your guests get seconds before you pour for yourself. It’s only polite to ensure that your guests are satisfied before you serve yourself. If you have different wines, pace your servings and try to see that everyone gets a taste of each bottle.

With all of these dos’ and don’ts, are you wondering on what glasses to use for each wine, watch this video I put up on the different glasses in your home – Which Glass Do I Use?

I love a well-aged Pinot noir. Which wine is your favourite? Share in the comments.