It’s more of a polite society thing; to admit that the reason for the technique is to be a bit more ostentatious & to highlight the diner’s good taste would be terribly guache.
I think it probably evolved from when there was alot more adulteration etc of wines and shady practices. By showing the diners (subtly) the label, and allowing them to see the contents, they could be relatively sure that what they were being poured was what they had ordered.
Similar to the opening of the wine at table; if all parties were trustworthy, opening it at an appropriate time, and decanting or adjusting the temp to the sommelier’s preference would be ‘better’ for the drinking experience.
But because people are shady, we have to do it in full view, so that the wine, the bottle, the cork, and the label all ‘match up’ with expectations. It’s a non-issue with typical wines & most drinkers, but has probably made it’s way down from the rich at table to our habits.
That’s not actually true. Glass is a fairly good insulator and the amount of time you spend pouring the wine is minimal. The energy transferred is tiny, and the thermal mass is quite high.
Air temp & glass size:pour will be far more significant factors in the temp of the wine you drink.
Holding by the base, though, does provide the recipient a much clearer view of the label & contents, which is why the wine is still poured from the unadorned bottle rather than getting a thermal sleeve
Quite a few of us aren’t. Alive that is. For all the bubble wrap we put kids in today, they are about four times more likely to survive their childhood than in the fifties.
My grandmother always prefaced any story about her siblings with ‘those that lived’
You know what one of the side effects of eating food is: Death by choking. Death by allergic reaction.
Learn a little about how companies are required to report every bad possible outcome (shocker, drugs do things to our bodies, sometimes the effect is extreme)
If they try out their new heart pill on a million people, and one of them dies from something that could possibly be related, ‘Death is a possible side effect’
It’s more of a polite society thing; to admit that the reason for the technique is to be a bit more ostentatious & to highlight the diner’s good taste would be terribly guache.
I think it probably evolved from when there was alot more adulteration etc of wines and shady practices. By showing the diners (subtly) the label, and allowing them to see the contents, they could be relatively sure that what they were being poured was what they had ordered.
Similar to the opening of the wine at table; if all parties were trustworthy, opening it at an appropriate time, and decanting or adjusting the temp to the sommelier’s preference would be ‘better’ for the drinking experience.
But because people are shady, we have to do it in full view, so that the wine, the bottle, the cork, and the label all ‘match up’ with expectations. It’s a non-issue with typical wines & most drinkers, but has probably made it’s way down from the rich at table to our habits.
Cheers!