The view from the other side

BTW, I should make it clear that I am fully aware that the showing of the bottle is conventional, and in a restaurant I play along with the game politely and calmly. It is only as a matter of principle that I object. It seems to be an idea that arose more as a cover-your-backside practice, rather than one rooted in customer service.

You're ascribing a sinister motive to restaurateurs who do this that in my experience is quite unjustified, not to mention failing Occam's Razor. You could always ask the next server who does it why they do it; I bet that the answer would be 'to avoid mistakes.'

Hi Bob and everyone............down here in remote S Alberta and Montannnaaaaaaaa!! Justsaying Hi to everyone, see you all soon.

Doris.

Hi Bob -- good to see your smiling face.

The only issue I'd take with what he says is when he says that it's only necessary to smell the wine offered for inspection. He's right insofar as cork taint goes, but there are other problems such as heat damage that may not be so apparent if you don't actually taste the wine.

Mark, I for one only smell a wine, for about a second, never taste it. It's been 100% reliable for me. A cooked wine smells awful.

Covert

'5. You use the word "connoisseur". "Connoisseur" is French for "douche bag"'

This is very funny. Anyone who refers to themselves as a connoisseur should be taken out and shot.

Oliver, you can attempt to shoot me any time. I don't get this whole thing. The word is an English language word derived from a French word, connoistre, to know. Look in any dictionary and it will say something like "a person of informed and discriminating taste: a connoisseur of fine wines."

Covert

Covert,

I am familiar with the word, and its origin; I use it to describe others; I cringe when someone uses it to describe themselves. In English it would be like saying 'I am very discriminating,' maybe it's because I grew up in England but I would never in a million years describe myself that way, whether I thought I was or not.

Covert,

I am familiar with the word, and its origin; I use it to describe others; I cringe when someone uses it to describe themselves. In English it would be like saying 'I am very discriminating,' maybe it's because I grew up in England but I would never in a million years describe myself that way, whether I thought I was or not.

If I felt that I was discriminating about something, as I am about some types of wines, I would acknowledge it in an instant (I'm not sure that the word connoisseur connotes "very"), but I wouldn't want someone who was less outgoing shot! And I'm an American!