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Being served wine at a restaurant can sometimes seem more like the Tour de Franzia than a relaxing evening out.

The sommelier watches over. You sniff. You swirl. You sip. You gargle. You nod. It's mostly because we’ve seen the ritual played out in movies and by oenophiles at neighboring tables, and it just seems like the appropriate thing to do at the time.

Let's face it: there's a lot of pomp and circumstance surrounding wine service, and very few of us know what the heck the formality actually aims to achieve. That's where Talia Baiocchi comes in.

Baiocchi is the editor-in-chief of WineChap.com - a Web site that delivers reviews of more than 150 New York City restaurant wine lists. Now, she’s here to debunk those age-old restaurant wine rituals - no pretense required.

Demystifying Five Restaurant Wine Rituals: Talia Baiocchi

1. The mysterious cork presentation
"What does it all mean?! First things first: there is no need to sniff. The sommelier presents the cork so you can cross check the name of the producer and the vintage on the cork with the label on the wine to identify whether or not the wine is authentic. However, this is really only relevant if you’re ordering big shot vintage wine that could possibly be counterfeit. For the average diner, it’s simply a friendly exercise in pomp and circumstance."

2. To decant or not to decant?
"There are two circumstances that merit a wine to take a dip in the decanter. 1) If it is young and needs some time to aerate in order to really show its bones. 2) It’s an older wine that is possibly throwing a ton of sediment and requires that the wine poured off of it in order to prevent a swampy wine from hitting the table. In this case, it’s all about utility."

3. Taste test time
"This can often be a time characterized by an awkward moment wherein the sommelier pours a taste and may wait a minute or more until someone realizes it is taste test time. He/she is waiting for you. Take the initiative. All you are required to do here is taste the wine to determine whether it is in proper condition (i.e. is not corked or spoiled in any other way). If it smells like a dank basement, mold, or a wet animal, you might be looking at cork taint and should ask the sommelier to taste. If all smells well, you’ve passed."

4. What is the deal with the tastevin?
"The tastevin is an endangered device that was shaped/riveted in such a way that it would allow the sommelier to see through the wine and judge it’s clarity in a dimly lit cellar. However, once Edison gave us the light bulb, the tastevin became relatively useless. The only reason they’re worn today is either to appear proper or to offer a nice tip of the hat to tradition. The only person, in my mind, that looks good in a tastevin is Aldo Sohm. The Le Bernardin mastermind really knows how to rock the cup and chain."

5. Does the glassware really matter?
"Why, yes it does. It’s all about giving wine the proper vessel in which to show off. Pouring, say, good red Burgundy into a water glass is like asking Lady Gaga to perform on a stage with no lights. You’ll still hear her, but the effect is lost. A proper Burgundy glass, even for an entry-level Burg, allows the wine to give you the full show. It’s also O.K. to have your own preferences with glassware. For example, when it’s champagne time, I generally opt out of the flute and go for a standard white wine glass - I think it allows the wine to be a bit more outgoing aromatically."

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