The Sommelier for the Evening

Most private dinners serve good wine badly: the white too cold, the red too warm, four glasses poured at once, the second bottle opened when the main course is already cold. A sommelier for the evening fixes all of it for 400 to 900 euros, which is less than a single bottle on many tables, and the difference across a four course dinner is larger than an extra course would make.

The work is practical: temperature management, decanting, a glass plan with the rental company, pouring discipline so nobody sits with an empty glass or a warm one, and ninety seconds of clear speech per wine so guests learn something without being lectured. With a tasting menu and four pairings the role is effectively mandatory, because a kitchen of three cannot also pour.

The other value is risk management: a corked bottle identified before it reaches the table, a 1998 opened at the right moment, and your best bottle served with the dish it belongs to rather than with the cheese when everyone has stopped paying attention.