Etiquette for Stemware and Wine

However one chooses to place the stemware, in American, British or most Continental dining, it is always in the order in which each glass will be used, with the first glasses above the tips of the knives, moving out above the spoons, etc…which is the reverse of the order of utensil placement. In French dining, it is the reverse order with the glasses moving from above the knives, toward the left side of the place setting, all along the top of the place setting. This placement is also used in “wine-tasting dinners.”

What Have We Here? — A formal place setting for a multi-course dinner, showing the wines for the different courses.

The wines and courses would be for the chosen menu as follows:

• Champagne with the Appetizer
• Sherry with the Soup
• Rosé with a Pasta with Shellfish
• Champagne with Sorbet
• Red Wine with the Roasted Quail
• Water with the Salad
• Tokay with Asst. Cheese and Fruit
• Cordial with Flambé Dessert

This is just to be used for instructional purposes. One would never see these wines pre-poured in this manner, prior to the different courses being served.

These glasses are clustered above the utensils and to their right, in the order of use, when setting the table. Stemware can also be “spiked” or lined up in a row coming out from above the utensils (gilded age style), above the place setting (in the French manner), or in a triangle pattern.

However one chooses to place the stemware, in American, British or Continental dining, it is always in the order in which each glass will be used, with the first glasses above the tips of the knives, moving out above the spoons, etc…which is the reverse of the order of utensil placement. 

In French dining, it is the reverse order with the glasses moving from above the knives, toward the left side of the place setting, all along the top of the place setting. This placement is also used in “wine-tasting dinners.”

Each previous glass would be removed prior to the next course, except for the water glass and the champagne.

The champagne can be served as the only wine throughout the meal, after the sherry for the soup course, if a host or hostess prefers.

Or champagne, like water, can be left at the setting throughout the meal, along with any other course specific wine which is being served. – Maura J. Graber, The RSVP Institute of Etiquette, 2025

Contributor Maura Graber has been teaching etiquette to children, teens and adults, and training new etiquette instructors, for over 35 years, as founder and director of The RSVP Institute of Etiquette.  She is also a writer, has been featured in countless newspapers, magazines and television shows and was an on-air contributor to PBS in Southern California for 15 years. 

🍽️Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia