A beautiful day, 24 degrees, sun reflecting off the water, cool ocean breeze and a bottle of 2000 St Helga Eden Valley Riesling open in front of us as a pre-lunch refresher. A ripper wine with lifted limes and orange blossom backed up with hints of that cool-climate ‘minerally’ character on the nose and palate. Racy acidity, lovely glycerol vinosity and a mouthful of citrus blossom lasting well after the wine has graciously slid its way down my throat. “What do you reckon people? Should we have another of these?” “Suits us”. “Waiter! Could we please have another bottle of the St Helga riesling?” No worries.

The waiter returns bearing the appropriate treasure, presents the bottle for inspection and gets the nod. He opens the bottle and before you can say, “what’s next?” he’s topping up our glasses, still holding wine from the previous bottle. Now it’s obvious that this waiter has had hospitality training by his proficient demeanour and confidence in his approach and table-waiting skills. However, he has forgotten one of the cardinal rules of wine service, or someone forgot to advise him of some very important protocols.

The waiter should have presented a fresh sample of the wine for tasting in a fresh glass prior to serving the wine. What if that second bottle had been affected by problems that can affect individual bottles, eg, TCA (trichloroanisol - one of the compounds responsible for cork taint)? Or, poor storage conditions with the bottle being exposed to extremes of heat had compromised the delicate flavours and balance of the wine? Possibly the bottle may have been stored upright for extended periods (this does happen, usually as individual bottle leftovers from small orders despatched from the distributor) allowing the cork to dry out and affect wine quality.

Quality control standards within our wine industry today are such that we are exposed less and less to the above problems. But, there are a number of dining venues that still see their business as exactly that - a business, rather than a place providing quality food and beverage at a price. As such, these establishments do not always have the benefit of management knowledgeable in all things fine in wine and food, and it is here that problems associated with storage and service may manifest themselves. In these circumstances, responsibility rests with knowledgeable and trained staff to ensure customer satisfaction.

A dining venue committed to quality performance and repeat business will conduct regular tastings (with each change in the menu) of both food and wines listed on their menus. Compatibility of wine and food of a general nature can be discussed among all the staff in conjunction with a more intimate understanding of individual wines and menu combinations. Staff not only then have an appreciation of their offerings but are also in the position to comment/recommend/discuss elements of the food and wine with their customers.

I don’t know how many times I have asked the vintage of a listed wine only to be advised, “I’ll go and check for you.” And this is a very pertinent question for anyone interested in wine. As is usually the case, wines of a year or two’s difference will carry the same price, but a Leasingham Bastion Shiraz Cabernet from the esteemed ’98 vintage for example, is more desirable (and with the benefit of an extra year in bottle) than the same label from the ’99 vintage, despite being a lovely wine in its own right.

Additionally, this dining venue should offer staff training in customer relations. A waiter has a serious attitude problem if he/she gives you a ‘look’ when you order a Heathcote Mount Ida shiraz with your fish, chips and salad because you feel like drinking a top red today. What does this do for your dining experience and your desire to return for more of the same? Waiting staff are the PR people in any dining establishment and the skills they offer determine the level of excellence you will experience. Staff who can speak intelligently and informatively about wine and food (one of our most indulgent pastimes) can significantly embellish your meal, simply through sharing your interests and even broadening your taste experience. People, after all, do go to restaurants more than just to ‘fill up’ and generally anticipate an event promising experience, enjoyment and learning something new in taste sensations.

The things I hope to find in any licensed dining venue include:

1. staff who can informatively discuss the majority of the menu items and wine list
2. staff who can make intelligent comments on wine and food combinations
3. staff who know the vintages of wines on the wine list and who understand the implications of those vintage years
4. staff who offer to decant your bottle of red prior to the meal to allow it to breathe and open up a little
5. staff who offer a taste in a fresh glass of any freshly opened bottle of wine prior to serving the wine
6. staff who know how to correctly open a wine bottle (you’d be surprised how many have no idea)
7. wine served before the arrival of food
8. water and glasses on the table at your arrival (water is the best preventative to hangovers aside from not drinking at all and anyone reading this is not interested in that option)

You can choose a new dining venue by menu research, decor, ambience, pricing, rating, and location, but you have little idea about the standard of service, ie, staff, until you walk in the door. And they can make or break your experience.

Finally, if you get good service, give ’em a tip. Hospitality staff are generally poorly paid and your tip will not go unnoticed, especially when you return. Aside from that, if someone has made the effort to give you better service than you get elsewhere, then perhaps they should be rewarded.