Some moments in service are pure function. Decanting is not one of them. The Court’s Service Standards describe it as a theatrical performance, one that draws many eyes and makes the host and guests feel special.
The Court’s book says something similar about drinks service as a whole: opening and tasting wine should always be done with style and a flourish. Here is how the standards build that theatre, step by step.
01Setting the stage
The standards describe a clear order. The guéridon is placed where all the guests at the table can see it. All the equipment is set out on it in an organised way. Then the wine is presented. Lastly the candle is lit, and the show begins.
The standards call the guéridon indispensable for decanting. If one is not available, a small table can be placed by the guest’s table instead. The equipment is a decanter, candle, matches, corkscrew, service cloth and underliner, with the correct glasses and two underliners already on the table.
02The performance itself
The sommelier lines the decanting basket with a clean serviette and takes it to the cellar for the bottle, laying it label upwards so the sediment is not disturbed. Back at the guéridon, the match is struck carefully, with as little smoke as possible, and the candle is lit.
If the basket sits at too low an angle, it can be propped with an underliner. Another underliner goes under the bottle neck to catch any debris.
The bottle is presented to the host in its basket, and the vintage, producer and vineyard are announced aloud. After opening, the sommelier lifts the bottle, picks up the decanter in the other hand, and stands so that the candlelight can be seen through the glass of the bottle neck.
