Wine Etiquette: Basic Tips for Enjoying Wine Properly

Basic wine etiquette includes gentle toasting, receiving without lifting, pouring 30% full, holding by stem, and leaving a bit before topping up.

### Mastering Basic Wine Etiquette: 5 Essential Tips
* 🥂 When toasting, gently clink glasses with the bowl part, avoiding the **fragile rim**.
* 🍷 Receive the second glass of wine by **leaving it on the table**, or **lightly touching its base** if needed.
* 🍇 Pour wine to fill about **30% of the glass**, leaving space for **aroma development and swirling**.
* 🌡 Hold the wine glass by the **stem** to maintain the wine's **temperature and aroma**.
* 🍾 When topping up, **leave a small amount in the glass to show consideration and maintain the wine's temperature**.
* 👥 Remember that wine etiquette is about **consideration, not strict rules**, and the main goal is to **enjoy the company of others**.

Wine is originally a part of Western culture. If you don't often encounter wine or enjoy it frequently, it's natural to be unfamiliar with wine etiquette and wine service if you haven't learned about it separately. In a casual setting, it's fine to drink wine however you like, but when dining in a more formal restaurant or being invited to a wine gathering, there are definitely times when you need to show a certain level of etiquette, especially in business settings where wine is present. In these more formal situations, you might find yourself questioning whether you're doing things correctly and being conscious of those around you. When I was less knowledgeable, I also felt a bit self-conscious and had many questions while drinking. One thing I was particularly curious about at first was why the person serving the wine would only fill the glass less than halfway, even though the glass was quite large. I wondered why they didn't just pour more at once; it seemed inefficient and a bit bothersome.

I remember thinking about this. There have been many times when I woke up after clinking wine glasses. However, it turns out that all of this is related to wine etiquette. I was nervous because I didn't know, but don't be flustered; there's no need to be anxious. It's actually not that complicated. Today, I will share with you five basic wine etiquette tips. Make sure to remember them and apply them!

First, when toasting, do it gently with the bowl part of the glass. When we drink, we often clink glasses hard, right? With soju or beer glasses, clinking them hard doesn't usually break them. However, wine glasses, especially the nicer ones, tend to be thinner and more expensive. The rim where you put your lips is particularly fragile. You might feel good toasting, but you could end up breaking the wine glass unnecessarily. So, when you toast, please don't tilt the glass forward; instead, gently clink using the thickest, roundest part of the bowl.

If you are in a gathering with several people, it's okay not to clink glasses one by one. You can simply raise your glass to eye level and perform the action. When receiving the second glass of wine, do not lift it; just leave it on the table. If you bump into the person pouring, the fragile part of the glass I mentioned earlier could break, or if the direction is off, it could spill. So, basically, you should receive it while keeping it on the table. However, if it feels awkward to just stand there and watch, you can lightly place your hand on the base of the glass. 

But I understand this situation can be tricky. When someone of higher status is pouring for you, it can feel a bit uncomfortable to just have one hand raised. In those moments, I tend to be a bit shy and awkwardly raise both hands, not quite knowing what to do. This isn't exactly wine etiquette; it's more of an additional action considering our cultural context, especially if the server is too far away or the table structure is unusual.

If it's uncomfortable to move, you can either hold the wine glass in front of you or gently push it aside. The third point is about the amount of wine to pour; it should be about 30% of the glass. When pouring wine, be careful not to pour too much. In countries like ours and Japan, we tend to fill the glass generously. However, pouring wine to about one-third of the glass is sufficient. Wine is meant to be enjoyed for its aroma, so there should be some empty space in the glass to allow the fragrance to develop. You may have seen people swirling their glasses; this is called swirling, and it helps the wine come into contact with air, enhancing its aroma. If the glass is full, it will overflow, making it impossible to swirl. Therefore, it's best to fill the wine glass to no more than 10%. However, if the glass is small, typically white wine glasses are slightly smaller than red wine glasses.

If you fill the glass a little, you will need to refill it often, so you can fill it slightly more depending on the size of the glass. In the case of sparkling wine, if the glass is nice and tall, you can fill most of the glass. A more advanced tip is that when swirling, always turn the glass inward. If you are using your right hand, it will be counterclockwise, and if you are using your left hand, it will be clockwise. The reason for this is to ensure that if the wine splashes out of the glass while you are swirling, it will splash inward rather than onto the person next to you. It's a matter of consideration. The best practice is not to swirl too aggressively to avoid splashing. 

Fourth, it's good to hold the wine glass by the stem. Generally, you should hold the stem like this. To fully enjoy the wine, it is very important to serve it at the appropriate temperature according to the type of wine. If it is too cold, it is hard to appreciate the aroma and flavor, and if the temperature is too high, it becomes difficult to enjoy it in good condition. The alcohol aroma can also be...

You can become stronger, but if you hold the bowl part of the wine glass for too long, the wine will gradually become lukewarm due to the temperature of your hand. To prevent this, it's better to hold the stem of the glass. You should never hold the bowl part. However, it's not uncommon for Westerners, who are generally closer to wine and parties than we are, to casually hold the bowl part of the glass. Additionally, some people intentionally hold the bowl when the wine is colder than expected. Still, as a basic rule, it's correct to hold the stem.

Fifth, topping up. In our country, if there is still some alcohol left in the glass, we empty it before receiving more. However, with wine, there is no need to empty your glass just because there is a little left. Intentionally leaving a small amount of wine in the glass before refilling it shows consideration for the other person, ensuring that the wine doesn't run low before they ask. Also, as the amount of wine decreases, the temperature will gradually rise, so keep topping it up and enjoy!

To make it easier to drink, we also adjust the temperature. It serves as a bridge that naturally connects the taste of the wine left in the glass with the wine in the bottle. So, before the other person's wine glass is empty, be considerate and pour a little bit for them. On the contrary, pouring for someone is a matter of etiquette, but if you've reached your alcohol limit and continue to drink as if nothing happened, it could lead to unfortunate situations. When you want to stop drinking, you can simply say, I'm okay now, and lightly cover your glass with your hand. With these five points, you shouldn't have to worry about making mistakes regarding basic wine etiquette. It's really not that complicated. Lastly, one thing to be cautious about regarding manners: sometimes, you might see experts drinking wine and making a lot of noise while swirling it. If this is done excessively or too loudly, it can be distracting for others.

It can be quite difficult. I thought there wouldn't be such people, but I actually had a memory of drinking wine with someone who swirled it around in their mouth almost like mouthwash, which was really awkward. It was very distracting. I also find it really fun and interesting to lead conversations by lightly mentioning stories or specs about the wine, but one should refrain from just showing off their knowledge and talking excitedly by themselves. There are definitely people like that. We are not here to judge the wine. Even if the person we are with doesn't follow the tips I shared today, let's not be too strict and say, Oh, they don't know that. Remember, the place we are in is a gathering spot, and while the taste of wine and manners are important, the main thing is to have a good time with the people around us. Always keep that in mind. That's all for today's video. If you found it helpful,

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Wine etiquette is important in formal dining and business settings.

In these situations, it's crucial to toast gently with the bowl part of the glass to avoid breaking the fragile rim.

Understanding and applying basic wine etiquette can help you feel more confident and comfortable in social gatherings.

It's acceptable to raise your glass instead of clinking individually, and when receiving a second glass, leave it on the table to avoid accidents.

When someone of higher status is pouring for you, you can awkwardly raise both hands as an additional cultural gesture.

Pouring wine should fill about 30% of the glass to leave room for aroma development, and overfilling the glass makes it difficult to swirl and enhance the wine's fragrance.

White wine glasses are typically smaller than red wine glasses.

You can fill the glass a little more depending on its size, and if it's a tall sparkling wine glass, you can fill most of it.

When swirling the wine, always turn the glass inward to avoid splashing onto others, but do it gently to prevent splashing.

Hold the wine glass by the stem to avoid warming the wine with your hand, and it's considered proper etiquette to hold the stem instead of the bowl.

When topping up wine, it's okay to leave a small amount in the glass before refilling it, showing consideration for others and ensuring the wine doesn't get warm.

Adjusting the temperature of the wine makes it easier to drink and helps connect the flavors.

It's important to be considerate and pour wine for others before their glass is empty.

Knowing when to stop drinking and using proper etiquette is crucial to avoid unpleasant situations.

Experts should be cautious about being too noisy or disruptive while swirling and tasting wine.

Avoid swirling wine in your mouth like mouthwash, as it can be distracting to others.

When leading a wine conversation, be mindful not to show off knowledge or dominate the discussion.

Ultimately, the goal of wine tasting is to have a good time with others, so focus on enjoying the company and the experience.