Question: Ohmigosh, I asked the waiter for a recommendation on wine and he acted like I knew what he was talking about. I ordered what he suggested and he brought it to the table and poured it. What is it I'm supposed to do with the cork?

        Answer: This is really no big deal, but for some reason, it makes people nervous. The server should simply show you the bottle so you can make sure it's what you ordered. Check that it's really the sauvignon blanc that you asked for, not the chardonnay of the same label, and it's the vintage that was on the menu, if it listed a vintage and if you care.

        Just tell the waiter the wine is OK. He'll pour you a little. Taste it, but you do not have to comment on whether it tastes like kiwis or Brazil nuts or anything. The point is simply to make sure it hasn't gone bad. It's highly unlikely that it has. If it tastes like vinegar or gym socks, or you really aren't sure if it's all right, ask the server to decide.

        Don't smell the cork. They give it to you only so you can make sure it isn't crumbling or moldy, so just look at it.

        This little wine ritual is not meant to trip you up; it's meant to be useful, and doing it without awkwardness is a mark of a grown-up.

        Questions or comments to dining critic Polly Campbell by fax: 768-8330; e-mail: pcampbell@enquirer.com.

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