Here’s Why You Really Taste Wine Before a Server Pours for the Table

Wine service can feel intimidating if you’re not experienced with the ritual. The swirling, sniffing, and polite approval after that small initial pour might seem like theater or a simple taste test. However, that preliminary sample serves a specific purpose: verifying the wine’s quality.

The initial pour allows you to detect whether the wine has spoiled. Bottles can deteriorate due to poor storage conditions or defective corks, resulting in what’s known as “corked” wine. This flawed wine typically emits…