Why the sommelier makes you taste your wine

No, it’s not to see if you like it.

What if I taste the wine and I actually, um, hate it? They just opened that expensive bottle for me. Could I actually say no?

This is the sentiment I felt every time a sommelier would pour me a taste of the bottle I ordered. The bottle is opened and a small splash is added to my glass. The sommelier holds the bottle, label facing forward, with a smile on their face, waiting for my approval. So I smile back, certainly not feeling confident at all in this entire experience, and taste the wine.

“It’s good,” I would say, because the wine is good. It tastes like a red wine that I don’t hate! What other information would they be looking for? And if I didn’t like it, would I actually have the guts to say no to it?

If this has ever been your interaction when ordering a bottle at a restaurant, please know that you are not alone. This entire interaction is confusing for anyone who doesn’t understand wine, which is a majority of the world. Only a small number of people actually know why an interaction like this is needed. And no, it doesn’t have to do with liking or not liking the wine. (Although some restaurants do take this into account.)

Sommeliers have you taste the wine as a practice of good faith. They want you to confirm that the wine you are tasting doesn’t have any flaws, that it was stored properly and is in fact good for you to drink.

But how do know if the wine is at fault?