I’m revisiting this topic having previously discussed it in an April post given a recent spat of articles.
The first is written by Christopher Hitchens in Slate who takes issue with waiters pouring wine from a bottle he ordered for reasons he states in his piece (interrupting a story, pouring so that customers will feel obligated to order another bottle, etc.). And more recently, Calgary sommelier Aaron Plamondon, who refutes Hitchens piece and “defends the service industry”.
My comments on the two most recent pieces are that Hitchens is being overly sensitive and Plamondon is being overly generous. Waiters visiting diners during the meal is a common occurrence and something someone like Hitchens should be used to. YES, there is a fine line between not enough visits and too many visits, but on a whole, it is what it is – DEAL WITH IT or start hiring caterers so that you can do all your dining in your home and dictate exactly how the servers should do their jobs.
Plamondon on the other hand asserts that “the server pauses with the wine bottle over their glass before pouring”. If this were consistently true, then I would side with Plamondon. But sadly, it is not consistently true. And in this writers opinion, therein lay the problem.
I have more to say on this topic, specifically as it relates to wine by the glass service, but I will get back to that specific issue soon…
Until then, Happy moderately poured wine tasting!
WTG
Tags: Aaron Plamondon, Christopher Hitchens, slate, wine service, Wine waiters
I will say it again, I like to fill my own glass during dinner at my own pace. There IS NOTHING WORSE than a full glass of wine. However, I also have no problem asserting my self to the server and telling them I will be filling my own glass.