Although it is relatively easy to open a bottle of wine, it's surprising to see how many people cannot do this correctly.

It's essential that there be harmony between the wine chosen and the projected menu. We have already said that wine is a living body and that in its life cycle, sediments are produced that go to the bottom of the bottle. This is a normal occurrence and is not, as some people suppose, a defect. For this same reason the bottle should not be shaken or moved unnecessarily, nor should it be served down to the last drop.

When the wines are old red wines, they must be decanted, a delicate operation that requires pouring the contents of the bottle into a crystal carafe, doing this very gently and slowly so as not to include the sediment. A complicated and well-studied process exists for achieving a perfect decantation. White wines are not decanted.

Uncorking a bottle is also an operation that requires calm, quiet, and slowness, for the above-mentioned reason. A bottle of red wine should be opened with a good deal of anticipation, so as to oxygenate it and enhance the "bouquet" of the contents.

Once the bottle has been opened, the host inspects the cork to make sure its aspect and smell do not indicate a process of rotting which could affect the wine. If the experience is favorable, he must then taste, and for this the waiter will pour a small amount into his glass. He then tastes it, and if satisfactory, gives his permission for serving.

The waiter will first serve the guests and lastly the host. This is also a good moment to make three additional checks, to verify the wine's condition. First, place the glass of wine against the light to see if it is "transparent" or opaque. Then see if the "halo" which forms at the highest level of the wine, where it touches the glass, is crystalline or yellowish, as if oily. And finally, notice if aspiring its perfume reminds you of the smell of sherry

If the wine is opaque, or its halo is yellowish or smells of sherry, we have a table wine that is spoiled. In Spanish this is called "ajerezado", in French "maderizado", because it reminds one of the smell of wood or sherry, and in English "oxidized", which exactly describes the chemical change the wine has undergone. This is the worst defect a table wine can have, be it red or white, and the wine should be rejected. Only those who are ignorant or fools are wont to praise it, saying "What a wonderful wine. It tastes like sherry!" That is, they praise its defect.

White wine is served frozen between 8° and 10°C. Red wine at room temperature, between 18° and 20°C.

The waiter who is going to serve the white wine holds the bottle with his right hand, but with a folded napkin, so that the heat of his hand does not touch the bottle and warm the wine. He must do this in such fashion that it's label can be seen by the diner, who can thus read it and know which wine he is being invited. Red wine is served similar to white, however the napkin is no longer necessary, because this type of wine, as has already been mentioned, is served at room temperature.

Designing a label is a complicated science and an art. Each word gives some information and altogether they form a lovely overall impression. To hide the label completely with a napkin is a serious mistake. The bottle is not naked.

Another important aspect is that it is not the wine's objective to highlight the crystal glass that holds it, or the plant that manufactured it. Thus therefore, one must rule out colored or carved glasses which do not allow to appreciate the color and body of the wine. The crystal should be plain and transparent and the glass itself in accordance with models approved by connoisseurs. Its form should be spherical, globe-shaped, with its mouth of a smaller diameter to retain the ethers and alcohols forming the "bouquet", which the diner can then appreciate. It is important to stress on the width of the glass mouth so that the diner can fully inhale the “bouquet". As a last thought, never fill more than half the glass, so that when swirling the wine without spilling it, it can show off its "bouquet" which the diner can then inhale.

White wines are served first, and amongst them, the light ones before the robust ones. Immediately after these, the reds, following the same rule. According to the French expert Luis Forest, the serving of wines must be accomplished "with the perfection of a symphony".