Five Tips for Serving Wine (Like You're Boujee):

Here at Angle 33 we strive to spread joy. We’ve already written about the importance of sitting down for dinner in the quest for happiness, but if you’re like us, than dinner isn’t complete without a nice glass of wine (or maybe a few glasses).

If you’re ready to add an elegant touch to your dinner and impress your friends in the process, we’ve got you covered with five tips for serving wine like you actually know what you’re doing.  

Know how to properly open your wine:

You created a Facebook Event, you bought the food, you’ve set out the appetizers, and finally, the guests have arrived. But the ultimate nightmare has come true: you can’t get your bottle of wine open. Opening a bottle of wine eloquently, let alone a bottle of champagne, might feel like a trick that one has to get a degree in to master. But it can be mastered.

Sommelier Madeline Puckette suggests using the small blade in your Sommelier’s knife to slice off the outer shell of the bottle before you drive the corkscrew into the center of the cork (careful to not drive it too deep, which will release sediment into the bottle). Slowly pull the corkscrew out until it makes that beautiful popping noise. Ready to really impress your friends? Tackle your fear of champagne by watching this video.

Find the ideal temperature:

Wines have personalities, which all shine at various, incredibly-specific temperatures — much like people (I’m a summer person myself). Here’s a simple rule of thumb: white and cheap wines should be chilled, the former because it will emphasize its acidity and the latter because it will disguise its and your cheapness, rosé should be cool and red should be kept slightly below room temperature. If you need more specifics, check out this complete list.

Perfect “the pour”

There’s more to the perfect pour than you might expect. In order to pour your wine without staining your best friend’s new dress, practice the five-star waiter method. Wine journalist, Ania Smolec, recommends you pour your wine into the center of the glass, rotating the bottom of the bottle to keep all the last-minute droplets inside, while keeping a napkin in the other hand to continually wipe the bottle. (You might need to practice this before you invite your friends to watch.)  

Of course, proper wine etiquette dictates that you must also be mindful of how much wine you pour into your guests’ glasses. Not everyone likes to drink as much as your grandma. Besides, a proper pour is actually half of a full glass.

Most wines will be just fine served straight from the bottle. But if you want to take your wine-ing to the next level — both in its appearance of decadence and actual decadence — then invest in a decanter and learn its purpose. A decanter helps remove any trace of sediment and bottle stink, and allows the wine’s aromas to be better expressed. The standard recommendation is to use your decanter when serving full-bodied red wines. Simply pour the wine into a clean decanter two hours before your event.

Set the mood

If all else fails — your champagne cork nearly blinded your mother-in-law, you served your red wine chilled, and you accidentally bought jumbo wine glasses to the horror of your socialite friends — all will be forgiven if you’ve curated the perfect ambiance. Your guests will appreciate lit candles, smooth music (who doesn’t love Adele), plates of cheese and, of course, engaging conversation.  

Now get out there and host the best wine-and-dine experience on this side of the millennium. You’ll be surprised just how elegant you really are.

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