The 9 rules of elegant drinking

"Listen to me, my little José. You fuck housewives, well, you must have a shiny ass. But that's not what we call class."

Class is knowing how to adapt to any situation. When a bartender serves you a small glass of red wine to the brim, it's down to nothing. In other circumstances, you have to follow the rules of drinking with elegance.

George Abitbol cut his teeth on Pinard and this is what he learned there.

Rule #1: Cutting the capsule

The capsule is cut under the ring and not above. The reason is simple: in contact with the tin the taste of the wine can be altered. It is therefore customary to always cut the capsule under the ring.

NB: you can also cut the capsule in the middle of the ring but this requires a little practice.

Rule #2: Women first!

The world of wine is full of conventions and sometimes you have to break free of them. But one of them persists: some women refuse to serve themselves at the table. This does not mean that they do not have the right to do so, but until the position of your table neighbor is clear, it is good manners to take an interest in her glass and offer her a refill before low tide.

Rule #3: Don't tilt your glass of Champagne when pouring it

If courtesy and elegance rhymed with comfort and practicality, we would dine with our elbows on the table and it is certainly not the fork that would make the trip to the mouth. When we are served a glass of Champagne, we always tend to tilt our glass. To help the waiter, to go faster, to have more... whatever the reason, it is necessarily good. Unless we respect the conventions: unlike beer, Champagne is served in a straight glass. In two stages and very slowly to limit the foam.

Rule #4: A glass of wine is not filled more than halfway.

And again, depending on the size of the glass, we sometimes don't exceed a quarter. Although there are a few rare exceptions like the little glass of red that we drink between friends on a piece of counter. If that one is not served to the brim, it's a direct throwback in the boss's face. A matter of principle.

Rule #5: Don't hold the glass by the chalice

A glass is always held by the foot or the stem. Firstly because, unless you wear gloves, you risk leaving nasty fingerprints on your glass. Secondly because you would warm the wine.

Note that during a tasting it is common to hold the glass by the chalice in order to warm the wine and bring out its aromas.

Rule #6: Don't put your nose completely in the glass

We know you as the Jacques Mayol of tasting and we know that you are not in the habit of sulking during a freediving competition. But this time you will have to abstain because it is preferable to avoid plunging your nose into the glass, especially during the first nose. We approach it tactfully and keep our distance to smell the first aromas. A simple question of elegance, once again.

Rule #7: Don't swirl the wine in the glass before smelling it for the first time.

A classic, Patrick who thinks he's a sommelier to impress everyone at the restaurant and who swirls his glass faster than Pat Seb's napkins.

Swirling the wine in the glass allows it to aerate and therefore to bring out the aromas. But what is good is to smell it a first time, swirl it and feel it to perceive the differences. Generally if the wine is young you will perceive a difference which will be less obvious if it has spent a few years in the cellar.

Tip: If you are afraid of getting it everywhere, swirl your glass while leaving the stem resting on the table.

Rule #8: Don't make noise with your mouth

Except in tasting where it is allowed. But otherwise the retro-olfactory examination, which consists of crunching when the wine is in your mouth to aerate it and release its aromas, should be avoided.

Rule #9: You have the right to forget the previous 8

Wine is serious but it must above all remain convivial. The pleasure of sharing a good bottle as a couple, with family or friends, freeing oneself from conventions, punching the right-thinking in the face, smashing the faces of customs and traditions, in... oops, I'm getting carried away.

Thank you for reading to the end and see you soon!