Wine service is the practical dimension of the Master Sommelier examination — the component where candidates are judged not only on knowledge but on physical execution, timing, guest communication, and professional demeanour under examination pressure. The MS practical service exam is conducted in a simulated fine dining environment and requires candidates to execute a complete tableside service sequence across multiple beverage types, including still wine presentation and opening, sparkling wine service, decanting, and by-the-glass service. Professional service is not ceremony for its own sake. Each service protocol exists for a functional reason: bottle presentation confirms the wine before opening; the sommelier's thumb in the punt during pouring prevents fingerprints on the label; decanting removes sediment and aerates wine; temperature management preserves the wine's intended profile. A Master Sommelier can explain WHY every element of service exists, not merely perform it.
APPROACH SEQUENCE (tableside sequence) 1. Approach within 2 minutes of guests being seated. Introduce yourself: 'Good evening. My name is [name] and I'll be your sommelier tonight.' 2. Present the wine list (to the host or the person who requested it). Step back. Allow time to review. Do not hover. 3. Return promptly. Offer recommendations proactively based on menu choices, budget signals, or stated preferences. 4. Confirm the selection by reading it back: 'Excellent choice — that's the [producer], [region], [vintage]. I'll bring that right out.' STILL WINE SERVICE Presentation: Bring the bottle in a wine basket or by hand (basket appropriate for aged wine with potential sediment; hand carriage for young wine). Present the bottle label-facing-the-host. Confirm aloud: 'This is the [producer], [wine name], [vintage], [region].' Wait for host confirmation. Do not open without confirmation. Opening: 1. Cut the capsule below the second lip of the bottle (not the first) — this prevents the wine from touching the cut foil and potentially acquiring a metallic taste. Use the foil cutter or the knife on the waiter's friend. 2. Wipe the top of the cork and bottle neck with a service cloth. 3. Insert the worm of the waiter's friend at a slight angle, then straighten. Engage the first lever. Pull smoothly. Engage the second lever. Extract the remaining cork. Remove the cork silently — no 'pop' for still wine. 4. Inspect the cork: check for any mould, faults, or excessive compression. Place the cork to the right of the host (not on the table; off to the side on a bread plate or cork dish) for the host to inspect if desired. Do NOT sniff the cork dramatically — it reveals nothing about the wine's condition. 5. Wipe the bottle mouth with the service cloth. 6. Pour a small tasting pour (25–30ml) for the host. Wait. The host should assess the wine's condition. 7. If the host approves, proceed around the table. Ladies first (traditional European service); or guest of honour first; then proceeding clockwise. Host last. 8. Service amounts: 125ml for standard glass (1/3 of a standard 375ml pour for a wine glass; never fill beyond 2/3 of the glass). 9. Thumb position: right hand on the bottle body; thumb in the punt; the label faces up and toward the guest during pouring so they can see it. 10. Twist the bottle slightly at the end of each pour to prevent dripping. Use the service cloth to catch any drips. 11. Place the bottle on the table to the right of the host, label facing outward (so guests can see the label). SPARKLING WINE SERVICE Temperature: Champagne and sparkling wine served at 6–8°C. Under no circumstances open warm sparkling wine — the pressure increase will cause an uncontrolled opening. Opening: The Six-Step Champagne Protocol: 1. Cut the foil at or below the wire cage. 2. Loosen the wire cage (muselet) with 6 half-turns counterclockwise. Do NOT remove the cage — hold it in place with your thumb over the cork. 3. Tilt the bottle at 45°. Point the cork away from guests and away from any glass. 4. Hold the cork and cage together firmly with one hand. With the other hand, rotate the BOTTLE (not the cork) slowly. 5. As the cork loosens, resist its movement — allow it to emerge slowly, silently. The CO₂ should exhale as a gentle sigh, not explode with a pop. A loud pop wastes gas and may mean the next glass is flat. 6. Wipe the bottle neck. Taste/present the poured glass to the host. Proceed with service. Note: The host is NOT expected to sniff or extensively assess a Champagne opening; a brief visual check and taste is appropriate. DECANTING PROTOCOL Two purposes: (1) Sediment removal in older wines; (2) Aeration (breathing) in young, tannic, or reductive wines. When to decant: Vintage Port (always — sediment forms after 5–8 years in bottle); aged red wine with 10+ years in bottle (inspect for sediment by holding to light); young tannic red wine (Barolo, young Napa Cabernet — 30–60 minutes contact with air opens them dramatically); reductive wine (struck flint on nose — exposure to air blows off reduction). When NOT to decant: Fragile old wines (over 30 years — they may fade within 10–15 minutes of decanting); any wine the host has specifically declined decanting for; most white wines (exception: rich oxidative whites, white Burgundy, skin-contact whites). Decanting procedure: 1. Allow the bottle to stand upright for minimum 24 hours if from a horizontal cellar (sediment settles to the bottom punt). 2. Source the decanter: rinse with a small amount of the same wine (or neutral still water) before decanting. The decanter should be clean and odour-free. 3. Hold the bottle in one hand, the decanter in the other. Tilt the bottle slowly. Hold a candle or light source below the neck of the bottle. Begin pouring slowly in a continuous stream. 4. Watch the bottle's shoulder — sediment will approach the neck. Stop pouring when you see sediment crossing the shoulder toward the neck. Never pour sediment into the decanter. 5. Typically, 25–50ml of wine (and sediment) will remain in the bottle. This is acceptable loss. 6. Set the decanter on the table (on a coaster or service plate) with the label of the decanter (if marked) or the wine label displayed. Double decanting: For young tannic wines needing extended aeration — decant into the decanter, allow to breathe 30–60 minutes (or as required), then return to the original (rinsed) bottle for presentation. This retains the original label and bottle for the table while still providing aeration. BY-THE-GLASS SERVICE Each glass poured from a bottle at the table should be presented as a full service: describe the wine, pour the appropriate measure, ensure the glass is placed correctly. 'By the glass' does not mean pouring without attention. Glass management: Ensure correct glass for each wine type (Bordeaux glass for full-bodied reds; Burgundy/Pinot glass for lighter reds and Chardonnay; flute or coupe for Champagne; white wine glass for crisp whites; Riedel Sommelier series for fine wine). Pour cost management: By-the-glass portion should be measured (typically 150–175ml for a standard BTG glass) to maintain pour cost targets. TEMPERATURE MANAGEMENT Serving temperature ranges: Sparkling wines: 6–8°C (Champagne and premium traditional method) · 7–10°C (Prosecco, Cava). Full-bodied whites (Chardonnay, white Burgundy): 12–14°C. Light-medium whites (Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Riesling): 8–12°C. Rosé: 8–12°C. Light reds (Beaujolais, Pinot Noir): 14–16°C. Medium reds (Côtes du Rhône, Chianti, Merlot): 16–18°C. Full-bodied reds (Barolo, Napa Cabernet, Shiraz): 18°C (not 'room temperature' — most dining rooms are 20–24°C; serve at 18°C and the guest's room temperature will warm it). Sweet/dessert wines: 6–8°C. Port — Vintage: 18°C. Port — Tawny/Colheita: 12–14°C (slightly chilled). GLASSWARE — Selection and Polishing Standard glass shapes: Bordeaux glass: Tall, straight sides — concentrates blackcurrant and tannic reds. Burgundy/Pinot Noir glass: Wide, balloon bowl — diffuses delicate aromatics; also used for fine Chardonnay. White wine glass: Narrower bowl — retains cool temperature. Champagne flute: Tall, narrow — preserves carbonation, concentrates aroma; alternative coupe (for expression of broader aromatics in aged Champagne — coupe loses carbonation faster). Sweet wine glass: Smaller — appropriate pour for high-sugar, high-alcohol wines. Port glass: Narrow, smaller — appropriate serve size. Polishing: Use clean, lint-free cloth; steam from hot water or kettle; polish before each service. Lipstick, oils, detergent residue must be removed — they affect the wine's aroma and foam in sparkling wines. COMPLAINT HANDLING Corked wine (TCA): If the guest states the wine is corked, evaluate it yourself. If confirmed: 'I agree — I'll bring a replacement immediately.' Remove the bottle; replace at no charge; notify your floor manager. Document in service log. Oxidised wine: If a by-the-glass wine tastes flat, oxidised, or slightly vinegary — replace it. Bottles opened more than 2 days (without preservation) should be rotated off the BTG list. Incorrect temperature: If a guest receives a wine too warm or too cold — remedy immediately. Warm wine: ice bucket. Cold wine: leave out of ice, remove from refrigerator. Never apologise excessively; remediate efficiently and confidently. CELLAR MANAGEMENT FIFO (First In, First Out): Wine received earliest should be sold first, unless the wine benefits from ageing (vintage Port, aged Bordeaux). Par levels: Maintain minimum par stock for each BTG and BTB wine. Trigger reorders when stock falls to par level. Storage: 12–14°C, 60–70% humidity, horizontal bottles (to keep corks moist), away from vibration and light. Separate storage for white wines (slightly cooler) and red wines. Inventory: Weekly or bi-weekly. Count all stock including reserve cellar. Record losses (breakage, spillage, complementary pours).
1. In the MS service exam, speed and confidence are assessed alongside technical accuracy. Hesitation is interpreted as uncertainty. Practise the full service sequence (presentation, cut, open, taste, pour, table placement) until it is completely fluent at a rehearsed pace — not rushed, not slow. 2. Decanting a wine in front of a guest is one of the highest-value sommelier moments — it is an opportunity to explain why (this wine needs air / this wine has sediment / this wine will reward 45 minutes of breathing), which educates and engages the guest simultaneously. 3. Know by heart which wines classically require decanting: young Barolo (minimum 1 hour), young Hermitage (1–2 hours), vintage Port (minimum 1 hour for younger vintages, 30 minutes for older), young Napa Cabernet (30–60 minutes), reductive Burgundy (15–30 minutes to blow off reduction). 4. The coupe glass for Champagne has a legitimate application: for aged vintage Champagne (over 10 years on cork), the broader surface area of the coupe allows the autolytic, tertiary aromas (toast, brioche, honey) to express more completely than the narrow flute. 5. Practice Coravin technique if your programme uses it — the Coravin needle allows wine to be removed from a bottle without removing the cork, replacing the extracted wine with argon gas. Proper Coravin use (angle, needle placement, pouring technique) is a practical skill at the premium BTG level. 6. Temperature service is the most commonly neglected service standard in professional dining. Build a personal protocol: every white wine and sparkling wine goes into service with a temperature check; every red wine served in a warm room should be served slightly below the target temperature. 7. For the MS practical exam: the examiners look for natural guest interaction, not a robotic protocol recitation. Speak to the 'guest' (the examiner) naturally while executing the protocol — 'I'll just let this breathe for a moment before I pour' shows fluency. 8. Know the complimentary pour protocol — when a wine is replaced due to a fault, the replacement pour is typically full, at no charge. If the guest has already consumed most of the bottle before noting the fault, use judgement — at MS level, the answer is always to resolve the guest's experience first, cost second.
1. Cutting the capsule above the first lip instead of below the second — wine that contacts the cut foil edge picks up a metallic taste; always cut below the second collar. 2. Twisting the cork instead of the bottle when opening sparkling wine — you must rotate the bottle while holding the cork/cage stationary; this gives maximum control over cork release pressure. 3. Placing the cork on the table in front of the host — the cork goes to the side on a plate or dedicated holder; it is available for inspection if the host wishes, but placing it in the centre of the table is not a service convention. 4. Sniffing the cork theatrically — the condition of the cork tells you almost nothing about the wine's condition. The wine itself must be assessed. Holding the cork up and sniffing it in an exaggerated way is both uninformative and poor theatre. 5. Over-decanting fragile old wine — wines over 25–30 years old may fade rapidly after decanting; the window of peak expression may be 10–30 minutes. Decant just before service; monitor the wine. 6. Not adjusting for table temperature — if a dining room is 23°C and the wine is served at 'cellar temperature' (14°C), the wine will be 18°C within 20 minutes in the glass. Adjust service temperature downward accordingly, especially for reds. 7. Ignoring BTG wine oxidation — an open bottle of red wine left without preservation for more than 24 hours is progressively deteriorating. Rotating BTG wines frequently and using preservation systems (Coravin, Vacu Vin) is service quality, not cost management only. 8. Failing to confirm the wine verbally before opening — at MS exam level, not confirming the label and vintage before opening is an automatic service error. Always read the label aloud to the host.
Court of Master Sommeliers — Service Manual