Wine weirdness
Anyone have any reaction pro or con to this interesting e-mail I got?
Dear Ms. Large,
While dining at Petit Louis last night, we had what we thought was a bizarre wine incident After the waiter opened our bottle, he poured about an ounce into a glass for himself and sniffed it before pouring more into my husband's glass for him to taste.
The waiter then took his own glass, with the wine still in it, away....
(Glenn Fawcett/ Sun Photographer)
My husband asked why this was being done, and the waiter replied that this was to check that the wine was not corked. He said that his having stuck his nose into the glass rendered it objectionable, and went on to say that a taste of corked wine would ruin our palates for the entire meal (which we thought was nonsense).
We have never encountered this procedure anywhere else, and actually never before at Petit Louis. We objected that our wine was being taken and wondered if they took us for rubes. Shouldn't we be the ones to decide whether the wine is corked? And what happens to that wine?
Do you know anything about this?
Sincerely,
Anne Stumpf
The only place I've encountered this is at Charleston, and I guess owner Tony Foreman decided they ought to start the same procedure at Petit Louis. I might have found it as objectionable as you did if I hadn't had my first bottle of corked wine last year. After that experience, I'm happy for someone else to test it for me -- in the same way I want someone else to taste to see if the milk is sour before I even smell it! But that's just me. Now that you know this is Petit Louis' policy, I'm sure you'll tell them you want to handle your own tasting.
Elizabeth
Comments
I've had my wine checked for me before in that way. I'm trying to remember where...possibly Petit Louis, but not recently. It's definitely a French service thing. ...
Posted by: Kathy | May 12, 2007 1:15 PM
I can take the wine weirdness one step further......during a recent lunch at Petit Louis not only did the waiter taste my wine, but he then took it to the manager to taste it as well. Pretty soon the only person in the restaurant who hadn't tasted my wine was ME. Eventually, after much deliberation, all was declared well. The waiter attributed their ambiquity about the wine to the wine being at an improper temperature. Interesting....
Posted by: Diane F. | May 12, 2007 3:50 PM
Is that Jim Dale sipping cabernet in the photo?
(Yes! Good eye. He did a "Drink With" feature with Sloane Brown at Petit Louis. Elizabeth)
Posted by: Tim | May 13, 2007 8:58 AM
Tim has a very good eye if he can tell it's cabernet from a picture. :-)
Posted by: Hal Laurent | May 13, 2007 8:34 PM
I think that they might want to offer to taste for you, rather than presuming you want it tasted! I am not a fan of the trend in some restaurants that they will do something for you "as a convenience" because they know better than the average customer!
Posted by: Mather | May 14, 2007 9:25 AM
At many French restaurants, the sommelier will have a small cup on a chain around his neck. He uses this cup to taste the wine before the waiter pours it. It's just a snotty French idea.
Posted by: Charles | May 15, 2007 2:23 PM
This happened to us at Petit Louis about a year ago. Personally, I found it rather pretentious.
I have since learned from a number of genuine food/wine authorities as well as some wonderful food savvy individuals on more sophisticated cooking/food websites (e.g. egullet.com) that this is hardly a common ritual. Almost everyone viewed it as more show than substance.
Posted by: Mark Reader | May 18, 2007 6:17 PM
We haven't been back to Corks since a waiter there made a big fuss over our wine selection ("one of my favorites!") then disappeared with the bottle when there was half a glass left in it.
Posted by: Darlene | May 24, 2007 2:36 PM