Everybody has their own rituals when it comes to uncorking and serving a bottle of wine at home. Over time, you might develop a particular flourish in your pour, or decide how you’re most comfortable with a corkscrew, or even lay claim to a favorite wine charm when you have guests over. Tradition and etiquette are a large part of wine’s enduring role in societies throughout the world, and throughout history. Here are a few notable examples.

Portuguese Pride — All wine-producing regions are proud of their bottles, of course, but Portugal enjoys a particular reputation for self-esteem when it comes to their vineyards. Since the Portuguese have an (under-recognized) history of winemaking that goes back as far as the ancient Greeks, they make a point of enjoying their own wines with their meals. To show up to a dinner in Portugal with a gift of wine from another country is considered an affront not only to your host, but to the nation as a whole.

For The Departed — In the European nation of Georgia, it has long been a tradition to spill some wine on the earth as a sign of respect for those who have passed away. This action has passed beyond Georgia to other regions, and is perhaps most visible in the United States through hip-hop culture—the practice of pouring beer or other liquor on the ground for one’s departed friends. Serving wine to the dead goes back even further than this tradition, however. When the kings and queens of ancient Egypt died, their tombs were traditionally stocked with five large jars, each containing a different type of wine, for their journey to the afterlife.

“Trust Toasting” — Today, the act of clinking glasses together creates a calming and aesthetically pleasing sound, but the practice pre-dates elegant modern stemware and has a more cynical origin. When wine was served in sturdier wooden or metal goblets, the act was performed with greater gusto, such that the wines from each goblet would spill and intermingle with each other—thereby discouraging any party from poisoning another’s wine.

Naval Regulations — Toasting is a tradition connected uniquely with wine, and its different affectations are not limited only to those cultures defined by national borders. The United States Navy, true to any military institution, has instituted specific guidelines, in manual form (!) on how a proper Navy toast is to occur. One specific norm of a Navy toast is that water must never be used, under penalty that the person being toasted will die by drowning. Another is that all toasts at a naval “dining in”—what was once referred to as a “mess night”—be conducted with port wine instead of champagne or another type. Especially interesting is that Navy traditions of toasting dictate special toasts for specific days of the week, as follows:

Sunday: “to absent friends”
Monday: “to our ships at sea”
Tuesday: “to our men”
Wednesday: “to ourselves”
Thursday: “to a bloody war or a sickly season”
Friday: “to a willing foe and sea-room”
Saturday: “to sweethearts and wives”