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05/25/08 - Tasting Notes
Another Great Tasting Notes Article
Wine Tasting Ritual De-Mythed: How to Test Wine in a Restaurant
You?re at a restaurant and somehow the job of ordering wine has landed on your plate - literally. You realize that, much to your dismay, not only will you have to order the wine; you?ll also be expected to make sure it?s okay for your table to drink.
You?ve just encountered one of the most intimidating public wine drinking experiences; and, naturally, you?re wondering how to pull it off without looking like a bozo.
First step, relax! This is a simple ? and way overrated -- ritual that has been around for years. And, luckily it?s the same ritual in every restaurant. So learn it once and you?re all set.
This is a three-step process. There really are no time limits; although you could annoy your server to no end if you drag it out too long. And annoying your server needlessly is rarely a good idea.
Step 1: The presentation of the wine bottle
The server is slowly walking up to your table and you swear you hear the theme song from Rocky playing in the background. Take a deep breath and make eye contact.
He or she will execute the presentation-of-the-bottle portion of the ritual. This is simply so you can verify that it?s what you ordered. Hopefully, you can remember.
Take a good look at the label. Is it the correct wine and vintage (year)? If it is, nicely tell the server you are accepting the bottle for the table and to be opened. If it isn?t, nicely point out the mistake to the server. (Hey, no one?s perfect).
As the server is opening the bottle, this is a good time to smile and say something witty to your guests who have been staring at you the entire time. Although not necessary, it makes things a little lighter.
Step 2: ? The opening of the wine bottle
The server opens the bottle and gently places the cork next to your hand. No matter what, fight the urge to smell it! Smelling the cork accomplishes nothing, and will make you look like a dork. Especially if it?s a plastic cork or screw top.
Just feel the cork to make sure the bottom is moistened with wine and that it?s intact. It?s okay if the cork is dry, but it shouldn?t be cracked or falling apart. There?s not much you can learn by feeling a plastic cork or, worse, a screw top.
While you were feeling the cork, the server has poured a small amount of wine into your glass. Simply swirl the wine a tad. No need to go crazy and create a whirlpool in your glass. Just a little, calm swirl. This helps ?open up your wine? or oxygenate it so you can smell and taste the true flavor.
Now, with nose in the glass, take a nice long whiff. Without getting into the complexity of the specific aromas of the grapes, you are simply making sure the wine is not bad. Believe me you will know if it?s bad as the essence of vinegar or mold will be present.
Now taste it. Odds are it will be great. Every now and then a wine will be either ?corked? (the cork has contaminated the wine) or it was damaged by improper storage. If either of those has happened, you will probably taste something like moldy bread or fruit, a wet basement, cork, cardboard, or vinegar. It will be pretty obvious that it should be sent back.
Step 3: Serving the table
If your wine passes steps 1 & 2, then let the server know that the drinking can begin. He or she will pour to your guests first, beginning with the ladies. Your glass will be the last one to be filled. Chances are good you?ll get the bill at the end of the night, too.
Congratulations! You?ve now mastered the ritual that intimidates and scares many people and you didn?t look like an idiot! In fact you undoubtedly looked fabulous.
?2006, Let?s Talk About Wine
Lynne Thomas knows a good glass of wine when she drinks one. She is a founding partner of Let?s Talk About Wine, a wine information resource created to connect people who want to learn about wine the fun, easy way. Visit http://www.letstalkaboutwine.com/ for a few laughs and a lot of info.
Short Review on Tasting Notes
Wine Tasting Ritual De-Mythed: How to Test Wine in a Restaurant
You?re at a restaurant and somehow the job of ordering wine has landed on your plate - literally. You realize that, much to your dismay, not only wil...
Click Here to Read More About Wine ...
Recommended Tasting Notes Items
Dominus Estate Propriety Red
"Dominus Estate Propriety Red is a wine of great intensity, depth and complexity. Beautifully crafted, ripe, rich and creamy, showing off pretty vanilla and mocha-scented oak before a deep core of currant, blackberry, black cherry and minerally flavors fold in. Firm tannins add structure on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2004 through 2014. 7,000 cases made." WS - 95 Wine Spectator ranked this Californian dry red wine # 11 in their Top 100 Wines of 2002. (Subject to availablity) DOM01 DOM01
Price: 178.99 USD
Headlines on Tasting Notes
Great Wines to enjoy at any moment !
Thu, 13 Mar 2008 09:22:04 PDT
You will find a selection of any kind of wines (red, white, rose, sparkling or not, even beers, spirits...) to enjoy at any moment, just as an aperitif, with cheese, game, vegetable plate...
Pairing Food With Champagne & Sparkling Wine
Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:24:49 PDT
First, lets take a look at the wine. While fizzy, yeasty and sparkling there are a collection of styles to sparkling wines. Their light bubbly character matches well with both special occasion and casual fare. It is this versatility of sparkling wines that is often overlooked.
A new film by Scorsese
Sun, 16 Mar 2008 10:14:53 PDT
Each year, the Spanish sparkling wine juggernaut Freixenet produces a long-format TV commercial to promote its bubbles during the holidays. This year, it was Martin Scorsese’s turn at bat and he decided to do a spot as an homage to Alfred Hitchcock. See it here.
UKTV - Food - Wine FAQs
Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:33:18 PDT
"Food and drink journalist Richard Ehrlich, answers some of your most common qualms and queries about wine." Some of the questions answered include: "What is 'corked' wine?" "Are screwcaps as good as corks?" "What should I do when the waiter asks me to taste the wine I've ordered?" "What's the difference between Champagne and other sparkling wines?
Types of Wines
Sun, 30 Mar 2008 22:58:17 PDT
On this page you will read the four basic types of wines (Natural Still wines or table wine, Sparkling wines, Fortified wines, Aromatic wines) and the classification (Appetizer Wines or Aperitif Wines, Table Wines, Dessert Wine, Sparkling Wines)of wines according to how they are served.
How the Four Basic Types of Wines are Made
Sun, 30 Mar 2008 23:02:57 PDT
On this page you will read how the four basic types of wines (Natural Still wines or table wine, Sparkling wines, Fortified wines, Aromatic wines) are made.
Bubbly, Jelly-Bellies and Chocolat Bunny Ears
Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:08:02 PDT
A Sparkling Wine and Jelly-Belly tasting.
Cell Phone
Champagne Wine | Chardonnay Grape
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Wine Tasting Ritual De-Mythed: How to Test Wine in a Restaurant
You?re at a restaurant and somehow the job of ordering wine has landed on your plate - literally. You realize that, much to your dismay, not only will you have to order the wine; you?ll also be expected to make sure it?s okay for your table to drink.
You?ve just encountered one of the most intimidating public wine drinking experiences; and, naturally, you?re wondering how to pull it off without looking like a bozo.
First step, relax! This is a simple ? and way overrated -- ritual that has been around for years. And, luckily it?s the same ritual in every restaurant. So learn it once and you?re all set.
This is a three-step process. There really are no time limits; although you could annoy your server to no end if you drag it out too long. And annoying your server needlessly is rarely a good idea.
Step 1: The presentation of the wine bottle
The server is slowly walking up to your table and you swear you hear the theme song from Rocky playing in the background. Take a deep breath and make eye contact.
He or she will execute the presentation-of-the-bottle portion of the ritual. This is simply so you can verify that it?s what you ordered. Hopefully, you can remember.
Take a good look at the label. Is it the correct wine and vintage (year)? If it is, nicely tell the server you are accepting the bottle for the table and to be opened. If it isn?t, nicely point out the mistake to the server. (Hey, no one?s perfect).
As the server is opening the bottle, this is a good time to smile and say something witty to your guests who have been staring at you the entire time. Although not necessary, it makes things a little lighter.
Step 2: ? The opening of the wine bottle
The server opens the bottle and gently places the cork next to your hand. No matter what, fight the urge to smell it! Smelling the cork accomplishes nothing, and will make you look like a dork. Especially if it?s a plastic cork or screw top.
Just feel the cork to make sure the bottom is moistened with wine and that it?s intact. It?s okay if the cork is dry, but it shouldn?t be cracked or falling apart. There?s not much you can learn by feeling a plastic cork or, worse, a screw top.
While you were feeling the cork, the server has poured a small amount of wine into your glass. Simply swirl the wine a tad. No need to go crazy and create a whirlpool in your glass. Just a little, calm swirl. This helps ?open up your wine? or oxygenate it so you can smell and taste the true flavor.
Now, with nose in the glass, take a nice long whiff. Without getting into the complexity of the specific aromas of the grapes, you are simply making sure the wine is not bad. Believe me you will know if it?s bad as the essence of vinegar or mold will be present.
Now taste it. Odds are it will be great. Every now and then a wine will be either ?corked? (the cork has contaminated the wine) or it was damaged by improper storage. If either of those has happened, you will probably taste something like moldy bread or fruit, a wet basement, cork, cardboard, or vinegar. It will be pretty obvious that it should be sent back.
Step 3: Serving the table
If your wine passes steps 1 & 2, then let the server know that the drinking can begin. He or she will pour to your guests first, beginning with the ladies. Your glass will be the last one to be filled. Chances are good you?ll get the bill at the end of the night, too.
Congratulations! You?ve now mastered the ritual that intimidates and scares many people and you didn?t look like an idiot! In fact you undoubtedly looked fabulous.
?2006, Let?s Talk About Wine
Lynne Thomas knows a good glass of wine when she drinks one. She is a founding partner of Let?s Talk About Wine, a wine information resource created to connect people who want to learn about wine the fun, easy way. Visit http://www.letstalkaboutwine.com/ for a few laughs and a lot of info.
Short Review on Tasting Notes
Wine Tasting Ritual De-Mythed: How to Test Wine in a Restaurant
You?re at a restaurant and somehow the job of ordering wine has landed on your plate - literally. You realize that, much to your dismay, not only wil...
Click Here to Read More About Wine ...
Recommended Tasting Notes Items
Dominus Estate Propriety Red
"Dominus Estate Propriety Red is a wine of great intensity, depth and complexity. Beautifully crafted, ripe, rich and creamy, showing off pretty vanilla and mocha-scented oak before a deep core of currant, blackberry, black cherry and minerally flavors fold in. Firm tannins add structure on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2004 through 2014. 7,000 cases made." WS - 95 Wine Spectator ranked this Californian dry red wine # 11 in their Top 100 Wines of 2002. (Subject to availablity) DOM01 DOM01
Price: 178.99 USD
Headlines on Tasting Notes
Great Wines to enjoy at any moment !
Thu, 13 Mar 2008 09:22:04 PDT
You will find a selection of any kind of wines (red, white, rose, sparkling or not, even beers, spirits...) to enjoy at any moment, just as an aperitif, with cheese, game, vegetable plate...
Pairing Food With Champagne & Sparkling Wine
Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:24:49 PDT
First, lets take a look at the wine. While fizzy, yeasty and sparkling there are a collection of styles to sparkling wines. Their light bubbly character matches well with both special occasion and casual fare. It is this versatility of sparkling wines that is often overlooked.
A new film by Scorsese
Sun, 16 Mar 2008 10:14:53 PDT
Each year, the Spanish sparkling wine juggernaut Freixenet produces a long-format TV commercial to promote its bubbles during the holidays. This year, it was Martin Scorsese’s turn at bat and he decided to do a spot as an homage to Alfred Hitchcock. See it here.
UKTV - Food - Wine FAQs
Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:33:18 PDT
"Food and drink journalist Richard Ehrlich, answers some of your most common qualms and queries about wine." Some of the questions answered include: "What is 'corked' wine?" "Are screwcaps as good as corks?" "What should I do when the waiter asks me to taste the wine I've ordered?" "What's the difference between Champagne and other sparkling wines?
Types of Wines
Sun, 30 Mar 2008 22:58:17 PDT
On this page you will read the four basic types of wines (Natural Still wines or table wine, Sparkling wines, Fortified wines, Aromatic wines) and the classification (Appetizer Wines or Aperitif Wines, Table Wines, Dessert Wine, Sparkling Wines)of wines according to how they are served.
How the Four Basic Types of Wines are Made
Sun, 30 Mar 2008 23:02:57 PDT
On this page you will read how the four basic types of wines (Natural Still wines or table wine, Sparkling wines, Fortified wines, Aromatic wines) are made.
Bubbly, Jelly-Bellies and Chocolat Bunny Ears
Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:08:02 PDT
A Sparkling Wine and Jelly-Belly tasting.
Cell Phone
Champagne Wine | Chardonnay Grape
Labels: Cell Phone
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