The supporting cast S erve the wine accompanied by small plates of bread, crackers and cheese. In addition, make sure there are water glasses and pitchers of nonsparkling water on the table. W ater, bread and crackers are used between tasting each wine to cleanse the palate. Give your wine the star treatment S erve your wines in clean crystal wineglasses, thoroughly rinsed without soap to avoid detergent smells. T he ideal red-wine glasses have a large bowl, to allow the aromas to release to their fullest potential.
T o observe the wines' colors to their best advantage, use a white tablecloth.
The action F or those friends who want to take notes, provide a small notepad and pencil at each place. Prepare a list of the wines in order of pouring. I t is best to taste the wines from lighter-bodied to fuller, never filling the glass more than a third full. This allows your guests to swirl their glasses to release aromas without making a mess. P lace plastic buckets on the table, if people wish to discard excess wine.