Wine as a courtesy.

At a business dinner the wine is there to serve the conversation, not to test anyone's taste. Good wine etiquette at a business dinner comes down to a handful of small courtesies that keep attention on the people at the table. The host orders early and without fuss, tastes for faults rather than approval, keeps glasses topped but never full and lets the toasts follow the room. Guests follow the host's lead and thank them for the wine.

In Asia that principle holds but the details change from one table to the next. Toasts may come every few minutes or not at all. Pouring can be a gesture of respect as much as a service. What follows describes what you may encounter in mainland China, Hong Kong and Japan. It is not a rulebook for any of them, since every company, generation and host does things a little differently.

The host orders early and discreetly

The host's work starts before anyone sits down. Arrive a little early or call the restaurant the day before and settle the wine while the table is still empty. Choosing in front of your guests turns a courtesy into a performance and makes everyone watch you think about money.

With a sommelier, the discreet way to set a budget is to point at a wine on the list at the price you have in mind and say "something along these lines". A good sommelier understands at once. Tell them what the table is eating and roughly how many guests drink, then let them guide you.

Choose crowd-pleasing wines over challenging ones. A business dinner is not the place for a tannic young red that needs another decade, an idiosyncratic natural wine or anything that needs explaining. Champagne or a crisp white to open, then a supple red with some age, will please more people than the bottle you personally find fascinating. At a Cantonese banquet with a long run of dishes, one versatile wine that follows many courses beats a new bottle for every plate. Pairing wine with Cantonese food covers which styles manage it.

Order more of fewer wines. Two bottles of one good wine serve a table better than one bottle each of two, because nobody has to choose again in the middle of a conversation. If you want to bring something special from your own cellar, arrange it with the restaurant in advance; corkage and BYOB etiquette explains how to do it gracefully.

Tasting the wine at the table

When the sommelier shows you the bottle, read the label. Producer, wine and vintage should match what you ordered. Then comes the small pour for the host, which is there to confirm that the wine is sound.

Smell it first. A musty smell, like damp cardboard, points to cork taint. A flat, bruised-apple character in a young wine suggests oxidation. If something seems wrong, say so quietly and let the sommelier taste it; a faulty bottle should be replaced without argument. If the wine is simply not to your taste, that is preference and a nod is the right answer. It is worth knowing how to recognise the common wine faults well enough to spot them in a busy room.

The host's taste is a check for faults, not a vote on the choice.

Keep it brief. A few seconds of attention and a nod are enough. Swirling at length and delivering a verdict turns a quality check into theatre while your guests wait.

Pouring for the table

A host's quiet duty is to make sure no guest sits with an empty glass and none has a glass filled to the brim. About a third full leaves room to swirl and lets people pace themselves. Where a sommelier or waiter is pouring, let them do it and simply keep an eye on the table.

At many Chinese tables, pouring for others before yourself is a courtesy. You may see guests fill their neighbours' glasses throughout the meal before their own. In Japan you may find that people pour for each other instead of for themselves, often beginning with the most senior person present. You may also see the bottle held in both hands, a sign of good manners.

One consequence catches visitors out. Where others pour for you, an empty glass tends to be refilled. If you have had enough, leave a little wine in it.

Toasting in mainland China, Hong Kong and Japan

Toasts worry visitors most and usually deserve it least. At a formal dinner in mainland China, the host may open the meal with a few words and a toast, with more toasts between individuals or tables as the evening goes on. You may hear gan bei, which means "dry the glass". In most company a sip is an acceptable reply. When glasses touch, you may notice others holding theirs a little lower than a senior guest's as a mark of respect. Following suit costs nothing.

In Hong Kong you may find toasts at a business dinner more relaxed: a raised glass at the start, a word of thanks near the end and little pressure in between. At many Japanese tables nobody drinks until the opening kanpai, so wait for it even if your glass has been poured for some time.

Wherever you are, the host's first toast sets the tone. If you give one yourself, keep it short and specific. Thank your hosts, name the occasion and raise the glass.

Non-drinkers and the pace of the evening

Some guests will not drink, for reasons they should never have to explain. A good host notices early, makes sure their glass holds something they enjoy and includes them in every toast with the same warmth. A raised glass of tea or water belongs to the toast as fully as wine does.

Put water on the table from the start and keep it topped up as carefully as the wine. Food should arrive before the second glass. If a guest has slowed down, slow the pours for the whole table instead of singling them out. If the evening runs late, arrange the cars before anyone asks, because getting guests home safely is the last duty of a host. For a team or client event built around wine rather than a meal, planning a corporate wine tasting sets out pacing and inclusivity in more detail.

Gifts at the table

A guest may arrive with a bottle as a gift. Unless the giver clearly means it for the evening, do not open it at the table. It was probably chosen for you to enjoy later and opening it can look like a comment on the wine you ordered. Thank them, set it aside and let them know afterwards how you enjoyed it.

In Chinese business settings you may find that a gift is offered with both hands, politely declined at first before it is accepted and not opened in front of the giver. Receiving it with both hands and a word of thanks is always safe. If you are the one giving, check the recipient's company policy first, since many organisations limit or forbid gifts. The choice itself, from festive customs to presentation, is covered in choosing wine as a gift in Hong Kong.

Business dinner wine etiquette as a guest

As a guest your role is simpler: follow the host's lead. Wait for the first toast before you drink. Do not order wine unless you are invited to. If you are, choose within the range already on the table or ask the host what they would like. Let the host or the sommelier pour unless the table is pouring for each other. In that case join in and serve your neighbours before yourself.

Say something kind and specific about the wine. You do not need a tasting note. "This is lovely with the fish" is plenty and it tells the host the effort was noticed. If you know a great deal about wine, keep most of it for when someone asks. The guest who talks about the wine all evening has misunderstood what the evening is for.

Whether you host or attend, settle three things before your next business dinner: the price you would point to on the list, a safe style to fall back on if the list is unfamiliar and what you will raise if you are not drinking. The rest follows the host and the room. When the dinner matters enough to plan in detail, we can plan the wines and run the evening with you.