Uncorking the bottle

Watching a bottle of wine being opened in some restaurants or bars can feel like watching a horror movie in which the protagonist (the wine) is brutally mishandled. This usually occurs due to a lack of training and experience. Many restaurant owners fail to properly educate their staff on basic tasks like making coffee or opening a bottle of wine. The blame typically falls on the employees, but the real responsibility lies with the management for not providing adequate training.

One common issue is the use of improper tools. Many establishments rely solely on a 'butterfly' corkscrew, which often requires an additional tool to cut the foil. Without proper technique, staff may rip off the entire capsule or use the corkscrew tip to pierce it, resulting in a messy opening. With two-step corkscrews, there is usually a serrated cutter, but wine waiters (not sommeliers) often cut the foil at the bottle's lip instead of the lower ring (the gollete), leading to wine contacting the foil and affecting the taste or causing drips when poured.

• Palacio de Villachica 2019

• A very interesting Rioja wine from a small bodega in the Toro region Palacio de Villachica is made from 90% tempranillo with a touch of Garnacha and Mazuelo. This 2019 vintage comes from the earliest harvest in the history of Rioja. Very smooth and a fair price of around 12 euros.

Another frequent mistake occurs during cork removal. If the screw is not inserted deeply enough, the cork can break, but on the other hand if inserted too far it can cause cork fragments to fall into the wine. To avoid these issues the proper technique involves leaving one spiral turn visible and pulling gently.

Silicone and screw caps present fewer problems, and for some wines, screw caps are unquestionably the best option. With the right training and the wealth of tutorials available online, correct wine service is easily achievable.