Who pours the wine?

Every restaurant customer occasionally faces the Empty Glass Crisis. One moment we're enjoying our Rioja; the next, our glass is drier than the Sahara, and the bottle sits just out of reach, glinting at us like a mischievous genie. The question: should we lean over and help ourselves, or wait patiently until someone in a waistcoat resolves our dilemma?

According to one veteran sommelier at an extremely fancy Madrid dining room (the sort of place where even the bread has a resumé), the answer is simple: it's okay to pour our own, but ideally we'll never feel the need. In temples of fine dining, staff are trained to spot dwindling wine levels with the vigilance of a border collie, swooping in before our glass even realises it's empty. If we've had to refill it ourself, something has gone awry in the choreography.

But tastes differ. Some diners prefer to control their own pour, guarding the bottle like a dragon with a PhD in oenology. If that's your style, a sommelier suggests just saying so. Modern etiquette, she insists, isn't about strict rules anymore - it's about everyone enjoying themselves without needing telepathy.

Of course, not all venues operate at the 'polish-the-cutlery-with-angel-tears' level. In casual wine bars and cheerful restaurants, grabbing the bottle is not only acceptable but expected. Still, the pros argue that pouring is part of the ritual: a small theatrical flourish that shows attention and care - especially now that wine prices have climbed into nosebleed territory.

In short: pour if you must, signal if you prefer; just keep the glass happy.