We’ve all heard the superstitions—don’t walk under ladders, avoid black cats, and never break a mirror. But when it comes to wine, there are a few haunting habits we can all do our best to stay away from. In honor of the spooky season, I’m sharing five wine faux pas to ghost for a more enchanting wine experience. No spells required!
1. Holding your glass by the bowl
Wine 101: How to Hold a Wine Glass and Why
Say it with me, “I will never hold a wine glass from the top.” Good, now that we have that out of the way, here’s why you should be holding your glass by the stem.
Beyond adding an elegant touch, holding the stem helps maintain your wine’s temperature. The ideal range for red wines is typically around 60-68 °F (15-20 °C) and 45-55 °F (7-10°C) for whites. When wine gets too warm, say from holding your glass by the bowl, the aromas and flavors start muddying together, disrupting the wine maker’s carefully curated profile and your tasting experience.
Pro tip: For extra stability, try placing your pinky finger under the base – just like how you prop your phone in your hand for easy scrolling.
2. Moving your glass
Wine 101: Don’t Move Your Glass
I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but moving your glass when I’m pouring is not as helpful as you think it is. Once the pour begins, your server has already mentally calculated the exact angle and distance needed to make it into your glass. Even a slight shift can interrupt the motion and cause spills or wine-stained clothes (the horror)!
Now this isn’t to say you should never move your glass; it’s more about when you move it. Adjusting your glass before the pour is helpful, but once we’re in motion, keep still!
3. Giving away the first taste
Wine 101: Don’t Give Away the Taste
If I could make all restaurant guests understand one thing it would be this: don’t give away the first taste of a bottle! You’ve heard the saying, “You break it, you buy it.” Well, in the wine world, our saying goes “You order it, you taste it.” If you order a bottle of wine, chances are you’ve tried it before or you’re the one paying for it—or both—so you should be the one to ensure the bottle meets your expectations and is free of faults like cork taint or oxidation.
4. Pouring Champagne too fast
Wine 101: How to Pour a Glass of Champagne
Here’s how you can avoid the pour, stop, sip foam, and repeat pattern of serving Champagne. Start with a slow pour, similar to pouring olive oil into a pan, and once your glass is about a quarter full, increase the speed to finish your pour. If you want to look extra fancy, I recommend leaving the glass on a stable surface for your pour, but picking up and tilting the glass is also a good method for reducing foam and preserving those lively bubbles.
5. Not trusting your tasting skills
Wine 101: Don’t Doubt Your Tasting Skills
Being new to wine doesn’t mean you lack skill, and I guarantee you’re more prepared than you think. If you can tell the difference between Coke and Diet Coke, you’re already tuned in to noticing subtle flavor differences. Continue to train your palate and expand your wine lexicon by attending tastings, asking questions, and checking tasting notes on wine labels. Whether or not you think you’re a super-taster, I believe enough for both of us that you are.
If you’re guilty of any of these, don’t stress. We’ve all been there. The best part of the wine lover’s journey is learning and evolving as you go.
As you embrace the spooky season spirit, I have one final thing for you to ghost: feeling unconfident in your wine skills. Follow me on Instagram for more beginner-friendly wine tips or register for my online wine course and master the essentials of wine etiquette, tasting, pairing, and more in one afternoon.