Taste wine before buying a glass

Nulty

I'm sat here worth my better half having brought a glass of wine back to the bar and requesting a new one. The question came to my mind, is there no way of testing or tasting a wine before buying a glass?

It's very common now to taste a beer before buying a pint with the rise of craft beers but what is the story with wines? Can you sniff the bottle? Have a tiny taste? Would it be weird to ask to taste the wine before buying a glass?

HeidiHeidi

Why did you return the glass? Was it "off" or did (s)he just not like it?

I'm no expert, but AFAIK wine tasting is to see if a bottle is corked, not to see if it's to your taste.

So the crack of allowing you to taste a bottle with a screwtop or a plastic cork is a bit redundant, but still followed.

Having said that, a lot of places will oblige with a drop in a glass of bottles that they would have open to serve by the glass anyway. But I doubt they're obliged to.

rubadub

If the wine is being poured by the glass from a large/regular bottle I see no reason why they would not.

If its individual bottles I would not expect it, unless they happen to have one cracked open solely for giving people tastes.

In the craft beer pubs they will give you a drop from the tap, as its on tap its no big deal. I would not expect them to be cracking open bottles to give you a taste. Though of course wine is going to be fine to open and give several people a drop of.

Nulty

I'm definitely talking about a bottle that's already open rather than thinking they might open one for you to taste. We'll try asking for a taste next time and see what the reaction is.

irish_goat

If a bottle is already open you'll get a taste no problem.