The wine ritual, part of the life of European artists and a life in the fine arts

What Shall We Drink?
Originally uploaded by Jonathan Caves

Bordeaux and Burgundy:
- Bottle on the left has "shoulders" and thus indicates a Bordeaux, made from garpes grown somewhere in the south-west of France.
Bottles on the right having sloping shoulders, or "no shoulders" and therefore indicates origin in the northeast of France, the region known as Burgundy. One of the many types of wine in Burgundy is champagne, the sparkling wine. Both Bordeaux and Burgundy grows both red and white wines.

Does your waiter place your bottle of wine on the table or does he bring an ice bucket and stand to your table?
- If it's red wine, it is traditionally served at room temperature. If it is white wine, the waiter will add an ice bucket; it is traditionally served chilled.

What is the head of table deciding when the waiter pours a small bit of wine for him before anyone else?
- He's tasting it to see whether the wine has become vinegary, or sour, or "bad." He is Not tasting it to see whether he likes it.

Head of table examines the cork?
- if the cork is too dry there may have been air leakage and the wine might have soured. Yet a look at the cork is Not definitive.