Wine Etiquette - What Are Your Rights and Responsibilities?

Have you ever found yourself in one of the following situations:

One:  you are dining in a fabulous restaurant, one you have waited to try for a long time!  The wine list is extensive, yet contains only unfamiliar selections.  You order what you believe will be a delicious dry red to accompany your steak, but the wine your ordered is a sweet red and you are absolutely not a fan of sweet wine; or

Two:  you are dining at any restaurant and you order a glass of wine - familiar or not - and it just doesn't taste right.  It has a vinegar-like or cardboard-like taste and you are sure the wine is past its prime; or

Three:  you are in a restaurant that, by design, has a heavy focus on wine (maybe even has "wine" in its name?).  You order a chardonnay to go with your seafood pasta, but instead of having a nice chill, the wine is warm.

What do you do when your wine experience does not meet your expectations or, worse, the wine is just plain bad!?  This blog post will discuss suggestions to handle the situation and your rights as a "wine customer".

Situation one is when the wine you choose doesn't turn out to be what you wanted.  First, ask yourself, "who suggested the wine?"  Are you in the type of restaurant that offers sommelier service?  Did the som or the waiter suggest the wine after discussing what entree you were ordering?  Or, did you take the risk of ordering a glass or bottle that you ended up not liking?  The Urban Etiquette Handbook from New York Guides suggests that if you take the risk, you don't get to send it back.  If the waiter or som suggests a wine that is completely opposite from what you wanted, it is their fault.  (Side note, some restaurants offer a small taste of the wine prior to ordering).

(wineinprovence.com)

Situation two is when the wine simply tastes or smells bad.  You don't always have to be an expert to tell if a wine is bad.  Does it taste like vinegar or cardboard?  According to etiquettescholar.com, simply call the waiter or sommelier over and tell him you believe the wine is bad.  They should replace the bottle without incident, and they will, in turn, receive a free replacement from the distributor.  This holds true even if you are the only person who notices the flaw.  You absolutely do not have to, nor should you, drink a bottle of wine that tastes like there is something wrong with it.

(rmwineschool.com)

Situation three is one I have found myself in a time or two.  You go to a restaurant that claims to have a strong wine list, yet the wine is served at an inappropriate temperature or is not decanted, when, in fact, it should have been.  If you have ordered a hefty red wine, it is proper to ask the waiter to decant the wine for you.  Remember, these wines need a little time to open up prior to drinking.

(vinofied.blogspot.com)

(theworldwidewine.com)

As far as temperature, this is a must.  Temperature of wine can completely change your enjoyment.  Whites should not be "iced" and reds should not be hot.  A red served too warm can lose its aroma and flavors, as well as losing freshness.  According to basic-wine-knowledge.com, you should not serve your red above 60 to 65 degrees, depending on the wine.  A pinot noir, chianti or zinfandel may be served with a chill on it (60 degrees), but cabernet sauvignon, bordeaux, merlot and shiraz are best served a bit warmer than that (63 to 65 degrees).  In spite of common belief, it is not best to serve red wine at room temperature.

For white wine (45 to 55 degrees), a riesling is best colder than a pinot gris or chardonnay.  If the chardonnay is in the refrigerator, pull it out for about 30 minutes before drinking.  If at room temperature, place the wine in an ice bucket for 30 to 60 minutes prior to drinking.

Ultimately, if you order a glass or bottle of wine and the temperature is off, politely tell the staff and allow them to correct the problem.  You are spending money on this wine, you deserve to get the most enjoyment out of it.

Even if you are not a wine expert, don't be shy about practicing your skills when ordering wine in a restaurant.  You are paying for it, don't let anyone intimidate you!  Also, take advantage of the sommelier service if offered.  These are the experts, learn from them! (side note:  if you utilize a sommelier, it is proper etiquette to tip them 10 to 20% of the price of the wine.)

Cellarraiders.com gives the following tips when ordering a bottle of wine at a restaurant:
1.     Observe the label and be sure that it is the bottle and vintage that you ordered.
2.     Taste the small amount that the server pours into your glass.  (Feel free to swirl, observe the nose, then taste.)
3.     Observe the cork (the server should place it next to your place setting) to be sure there is no mold, that it is not too dry and that it has consistent color.

Finally, one option you have is to bring your own favorite bottle of wine to a restaurant.  Few, if any, restaurants do not allow a patron to bring their own wine.  Be prepared, however, to pay a corkage fee when you bring your own.  Typically, this fee is around $20, however, I recently dined at Spago in Beverly Hills, California and the corkage fee was a whopping $50!  It was worth it, though, as it was a 2009 Turley Zinfandel which was absolutely amazing!

(cellartracker.com)
Now, you are armed with your wine drinking rights!  Drink on, Friends!

Cheers!
Mary Jo

Wine Word of the Week

 





Aeration - the process of exposing wine to oxygen. During winemaking this occurs when the wine is transferred from barrel to barrel. At the time of serving, wine is aerated when poured from the bottle into a decanter, carafe, or even into a wine glass. Just the act of pouring wine into a wine glass and swirling the wine will help to aerate or "open up" your wine.

Wine Maker's Dinner

     Saturday evening was a first for two of the winos (Mary Jo was busy having a fun weekend with her hubby in Beverly Hills), we had our first ever “Winemaker’s Dinner” featuring Cobblestone Ridge Pinot Noir, that our husbands produced in my basement. Our guys were excited to try out their first batch of wine, but a little anxious as well. So we decided what better way to try their new wine than pairing with a great dinner and throw in a blind tasting to boot!

 

    

     Before we sat down to dinner, we decided to match the Cobblestone Ridge up against two other moderately priced Pinots from California. We chose the 2010 Castle Rock Mendocino County Pinot which came in at just under $15 and a 2011 Carmel Road Monterey Pinot priced at about $20 a bottle. Mike and Bart were a bit nervous trying their wine at such an early stage (only 6 months in the bottle), but they were hoping to learn from their first batch to improve future wines. And what better way to learn than tasting and experiencing! To make the tasting more interesting, we decided to invite our neighbors and friends, Jim and Carla, to get an unbiased impression. Each couple had three small carafes labeled a, b, and c filled with the three wines. We had time to examine the color both in the carafes and in our glasses, the nose, and finally the taste. We all made sure to save a bit of the wine to try with the dinner as well! When the results were in Mike and Bart were pleased. Although most were able to determine which wine was The Cobblestone, they felt it was very close quality to the Castle Rock wine which has had more time to mature. It will be interesting to let the wine sit 6 more months and see how it changes.

 

     Then it was time to eat! Everyone was starving after smelling the wonderful aromas from all food preparation. In deciding on the menu for the evening we tried to choose dishes that would pair well with Pinot. Bart made a fantastic pork loin rolled in spinach, spices, cheese, and pork belly! He found the recipe in the Wall Street Journal, Pragmatist's Porchetta. I made my Smoked Gouda Risotto with Spinach and Mushrooms (Cooking Light 1999 and myrecipes.com). There were plenty of green vegetables and Greek salad to top things off. Everything tasted fantastic and paired nicely with all of the Pinot Noir. We also enjoyed opening a 2008 J Vineyard Pinot, a 2011 Decoy Pinot, and to top things off a 2009 Elk Cove Shea Vineyard Pinot (thanks Bart and Lisa)-just to get the comparison of between Oregon and California Pinots. For dessert we had Bissinger’s Porcini Truffles. If you ever have a chance to pair those truffles with a Pinot-don’t miss out.

     What more can you ask for in an evening? We had great friends, wonderful conversation, delicious food, and fantastic wine. In the process we all learned a bit more about wine and the care and time it takes to make good wine. It really makes you appreciate all those hard working growers, pickers, winemakers, and all the support people it takes to make the wine we love to enjoy.

 

Cheers,

Beth

 

Wine Word of the Week

 

 

Deacidify -winemaking process undertaken only after very cool summers whereby the acidity of a wine or must is deliberately reduced, usually by adding calcium carbonate (chalk) or occasionally water.



Wine School, February 19, 2013-Wine Pairing

Note:

We decided to mix things up a bit for this wine school. Two of our three husbands were out of town on business this week, so we decided to make a meal of it! Each wino was in charge of picking a dish and a wine to pair with it. Lisa also provided cheeses and chocolate to try with all. The wine and food was definitely varied, but we had great fun with this concept and the food was delicious!

Wines

Crios Torrontes 2012 - Mary Jo's Pairing

Color:  Light straw
Nose:  Perfumy, aromatic wine with hints of peach
Mouth:  Wonderful peach up front with a crisp acidic finish
Price:  $14.99
Conclusion:  Wonderful wine perfect to enjoy on a warm summer evening with friends or with a light salad with friends for lunch. We all loved it!

Pairings

Camembert with Gourmet Wafers - Deepened the flavors of the wine and added to its complexity-a winner!!
English Cheddar Cheese - This cheese was a bit too sharp for the delicacy of the wine. We all thought Manchego would work well with this wine.
Rembrandt Extra Aged Gouda - Nice pairing with this cheese, but we all liked the Camembert even better with the Torrontes.
Thai Chicken Spinach Salad - Definitely this salad and wine complimented each other-a perfect balance.
Lindt-Touch of Sea Salt Dark Chocolate - We weren't expecting to like this match, but it was surprisingly good.
Lindt-70% Cocoa Smooth Dark -This one was not so great :(

Trimbach Reserve Pinot Gris 2007 Lisa's Pairing

Color:  Golden
Nose:  Fresh and refined
Mouth:  Nice minerality with a wonderful minerality that will pair well with food. Nice finish with a hint of cool, mint down the back of the throat.
Price:  $25.99 Randall's Wine and Spirits
Conclusion:  A wonderful, well balanced, medium bodied wine. We all adored this wine.

Pairings

Camembert with Gourmet Wafers - Love the wine, but not with this cheese.
English Cheddar Cheese - The sharpness of this cheddar was able to keep up with the fuller bodied Pinot Gris from France.
Rembrandt Extra Aged Gouda - This was a nice pairing, but we preferred it with the Torrontes.
Salmon - A great pairing! The wine has a much "richer" feel on the mouth.
Lindt-Touch of Sea Salt Dark Chocolate - No, the wine and chocolate fought against each other.
Lindt-70% Cocoa Smooth Dark

Silvano Bolmida Dolcetto d'Alba Manescott 2008 - Beth's Pairing

Color:  Deep, dark red
Nose:  Earthy, peppery, with decaying leaves
Mouth:  More tannins than we expected for a Dolcetto, with red fruit and typical acidity of an Italian wine
Price:  $17.99 Plaza Wine and Liquour/O'Fallon
Conclusion:  Not our favorite wine from Italy.





Rigatoni with Tomato, Pancetta, and Chevre

Pairings

Camembert with Gourmet Wafers - As expected, this cheese was too rich and creamy for this wine.
English Cheddar Cheese - Not a match.
Rembrandt Extra Aged Gouda - It was an ok match, we thought the wine would go better with a variety of Italian meats for appetizers.
Rigatoni with Tomato, Pancetta, and Chévre - This was a good match with the wine. As usual an Italian dish and Italian wine bring out the best in each other.
Lindt-Touch of Sea Salt Dark Chocolate - This match was ok, but we were expecting something better.
Lindt-70% Cocoa Smooth Dark - Yum!  Great match with this wine.

Final Thoughts

Beth - What a lovely evening we had with great friends, food, and wine. The Thai salad and salmon was delicious. They paired wonderfully with the wines selected by Mary Jo and Lisa. I enjoyed the Rigatoni too. It was a nice match with the Dolcetto, but I think a Chianit Classico would have been even better. The Torrontes was also great with the pasta. I don't think I can pick a favorite wine this time, I loved the Torrrontes and the Pinot Gris. They both had me looking forward to summer!

Lisa -  This class was fun because we made it different!  With each of us bringing a wide range of pairings, we were able to really compare and see the vast differences in what worked and what didn't. For the most part, the cheeses were not the best and the chocolates were sometimes a hit and sometimes a miss.  As for the main dish pairings, they were ALL perfect pairings.  As for my favorite wine of the night, I think I leaned toward the Crios Torrontes, but the Pinot Gris was a close second. I agree with Beth, with this gloomy winter that just won't go away, I'm SO in the mood for crisp white wines.  Come on spring!

Mary Jo - This class was a departure from what we normally do and it was a really great time!  It gave us all a chance to focus on one part of the meal and pair a wine with it, and also see if our wine paired well with the other two dishes.  The Crios Torrontes was my favorite of the three wines.  It went very well with the Thai chicken salad and the Camembert.  I felt the English cheddar was too harsh for this wine.  Finally, the sea salt was my favorite chocolate with the Crios.  The Trimbach Pinot Gris and the Crios were both great with the pasta.  The Trimbach was also nice with the salad, but I was not a fan of this wine with the cheeses.  The Trimbach definitely increased the richness of the salmon from Sam's and enhanced the fruit of the salmon that was seasoned.  Finally, the Dolcetto was only okay with the gouda, but I was not a fan of this wine with the other two cheeses.  This wine was an excellent pairing with the pasta!  This was a really fun class and, since we all loved the Crios so much, we headed to Wine Merchant and split a case!

 

Making the Grade

We've all been to the wine store looking for a new wine to try so we look for wines that have high ratings and feel confident that if it has a high score it should be great even if it is a little pricey.  But what do those numbers really mean?

When you first think of scoring you go back to the old high school days:
            A (90-100)= Excellent
            B (80-89) =Above average
            C (70-79) =Average
            D (60-69) =Below average
            F (59 and under)= Failing

However, in the world of wine, there are several wine rating systems in use today and many wine sellers and auctions use a combination.

A wine with a higher rating is normally more expensive than average wines, although this is not always true.  Rating scales are useful if you'd like to try a new wine and don't want an unpleasant surprise.

However, there could be a major drawback to wine ratings. The score given to wine depends on the person doing the rating.

So how did the rating system begin?  While tasting notes and other wine literature have been around for about as long as wine itself, the numerical system is relatively new.  During the mid 20th century, American interest in wine was growing and consumers found themselves being introduced to a vast assortment of wines from all over the world. This abundance of options created a niche market for critics who could provide a service in reviewing wines and making recommendations that could make the buying process easier for consumers.  We are all familiar with Consumer Reports, so why not rate wines like other products?

The popularization of numerical scoring is widely credited to the American wine critic Robert Parker who patterned his system of numerical ratings on the American standardized grading system in the 1970's.  Parker is arguably the world's most influential wine critic.  His by-monthly newsletter "The Wine Advocate" has a profound effect on both prices and market demand for fine wines around the world.  Parker is not the only critic at the Wine Advocate and many wines are tasted by colleagues at the publication.  Note that and RP next to  a wine means that it is rated by Robert Parker's  Wine Advocate , not necessarily Robert Parker himself.  Below is Parker's wine-scoring scale:

96-100:  An extraordinary wine of profound and complex character displaying all the attributes   expected of a classic wine of its variety. Wines of this caliber are worth a special effort to find, purchase, and consume.

90 - 95:  An outstanding wine of exceptional complexity and character. In short, these are terrific wines.

80 - 89:  A barely above average to very good wine displaying various degrees of finesse and flavor as well as character with no noticeable flaws.

70 - 79:  An average wine with little distinction except that it is a soundly made. In essence, a straightforward, innocuous wine.

60 - 69:  A below average wine containing noticeable deficiencies, such as excessive acidity and/or tannin, an absence of flavor, or possibly dirty aromas or flavors.

50 - 59:  A wine deemed to be unacceptable. Another rating system is from Wine Spectator(WS).  Each wine region is the sole jurisdiction of one editor who has developed an expertise in that region's offerings.  Other editors can offer opinions, but the final say comes from the region's primary editor.  It is also a 100-Point Scale:     95-100-- Classic; a great wine     90-94-- Outstanding;superior character and style     80-89-- Good to very good; wine with special qualities     70-79-- Average; drinkable wine that may have minor flaws     60-69-- Below average;drinkable but not recommended     50-59-- Poor; undrinkable, not recommended Wine Enthusiast (WE) wine ratings are based on tastings by the magazine's editors and other qualified tasting panelists, either individually or in a group setting.      95-100-- Superb. One of the greats.      90-94-- Excellent.  Extremely well made  and highly recommended.      85-89-- Very good. May offer outstanding value if the price is right.      80-84-- Good.  Solid wine, suitable for everyday consumption. Wine and Spirits Magazine (W&S) tastings are a two-step process.  First, all wines submitted to us  or purchased are tasted  by screening  panels composed of retailers, sommeliers, winemakers an other wine professionals whom they are invited to taste with them.  The wines recommended by the screening panels are then presented  at a later date  to their critic, who scores  each wine  and writes the reviews.  Their score scale is below:      80 to 85-- good examples of their variety or region      86 to 89-- highly recommended      90 to 94-- exceptional examples of their type      95 to 100-- superlative, rare finds Other publications using a 100-point system include Stephen Tanzer of International Wine Cellar; James Laube, author of California Wine; James Halliday, author of many books and reviews on Australian wines; and Allen Meadows of Burghound. There is yet another rating system on the 5 Star Scale.  This one is similar to the hotel star ratings. Some examples include The Wall Street Journal, Michael Broadbent, and Decanter, a British wine magazine.  The New York Times uses a 4 Star Scale and a couple users of a 3 Star Scale are Wine X Magazine and Gambero Rosso, a major Italian wine publisher. As you can see there is a plethora of critics who can help and guide you in making decisions as to what wine you may enjoy.  Yes, wine ratings may influence your decision, but the ultimate judgement is yours.  Everyone has a different palate and different preferences, so basing purchases on wine rating may not garner the perfect wine match for your tastes.  Always read the tasting note to find out more.  And when you do purchase based on ratings, you will soon learn which publications or tasters posses your style of palate. Cheers! Lisa

WINE WORD OF THE WEEK

LEES:  The sediment (consisting mainly of grape particles and dead yeast) that accumulates in the bottom of a wine container during fermentation.  Some wines are aged "on their lees" (sur lie) to add complexity, body, and flavor.  (Taste Buds and Molecules, Chartier, Francois).

Break It Down For Me, Fellas...

Did you ever wonder why certain wines taste so amazing with certain foods?  Why, even your favorite wine, just doesn't go well with your favorite appetizer?  The Stay At Home Winos always preach that the rules of wine are not hard and fast, and that even if a certain wine "isn't supposed to" be paired with a certain food, it is okay to go with what you enjoy.  However, the "rules" are in place to allow you to get the most "joy" out of both the wine and the food.  That joy being determined by others who know a lot about the subject.  I recently purchased, and am currently enjoying, a book that discusses the art and science behind food, wine and flavor.  But a little history first.

The question of why foods and drinks go together so well requires delving into a subject I do not profess to know much about - molecular gastronomy - which is a subsection of Food Science.  Molecular Gastronomy is defined as that which seeks to investigate, explain, and make practical use of the physical and chemical transformations of ingredients that occur while cooking, as well, as the social, artistic and technical components of culinary at gastronomic phenomena in general. (Wikipedia.com)  

The term was first used by late Oxford Physicist Nicholas Kurti and the French INRA Chemist Herve This (known as the Father of Molecular Gastronomy) in 1992 as the title for a set of workshops held in Italy to discuss the science behind traditional cooking preparations.  Technically, the term "molecular gastronomy" was coined only to refer to the scientific investigation of cooking, although some adopted the term as a style of cuisine or referring to cooking itself. 

(Wikipedia.com)

Later, some chefs rejected the term as a mis-classification of their food and cooking.  One such chef was Ferran Adria of the famed restaurant elBulli.  In a joint statement, released in 2006, Adria and other chefs stated that "molecular gastronomy" was used in 1992 only to refer to a single workshop that did not influence them, and does not describe any style of cooking.  (Heston Blumenthal (2006-12-10). "Statement on the New Cookery - Guardian Observer. London: Observer.guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2010-09-08.)

(Ferran Adria-Wikipedia)

The restaurant referred to in the paragraph above, sets the stage for the fantastic book on the subject that I keep referring to, but we will discuss this book a bit later.  In the meantime, lets talk about elBulli!  (http://www.elbulli.info)

(Front and Rear views of elBulli-Wikipedia.com)

This famous Michelin 3 star restaurant, near the town of Roses, Catelonia, Spain is run by Chef Ferran Adria.  This amazing restaurant has been named "Best Restaurant in the World" a record five times (2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009) and was #2 in 2010. 

elBulli is known for its groundbreaking research on methodologies in the kitchen and dining room and is said to be influenced by molecular gastronomy.  This unique and controversial restaurant is said to have received over one million table requests per year, but could only fill around 8,000.  

The restaurant closed on July 30, 2010 due to the massive monetary loss it was incurring.  After some confusion as to the future of elBulli, it was stated that it will reopen in 2014 under a new format and focusing on the limits of creativity from an interdisciplinary view.  (Elbulli.com. 2010-01-26.)  However, the latest information states that the restaurant is closed and has been converted to the elBullifoundation.  No further information is known about the direction of elBulli.  Interestingly, since elBulli has closed as a restaurant, its wine cellar will be sold by Sothebys in April of 2013.  See http://www.sothebys.com/en/sales-series/2013/the-elbullicellar-sold-to-benefit-the-elbullifoundation/overview.html for more information.

This research also partly influenced my latest read, "Taste Buds and Molecules" by Francois Chartier.  

(jbprince.com)

I read an article about "Tastebuds and Molecules" recently in a wine magazine and it was extremely intriguing!  Not necessarily for the chemistry portion of it, but for the results!  The book sets forth a cutting edge approach of wine and food pairing.  While traditional pairings that one can locate on the internet are helpful, what if you could know the breakdowns of foods and wines that would allow you to know the most perfect pairings?!  This book breaks down food and wines to a molecular level (hence the name) to find those perfect pairings.  The author even makes clear that if you aren't interested in the science, buy the book for the recipes and pairings he offers!

The book is divided into two main sections - the introductory chapters which discusses aromas and flavors, among other subjects (including a chapter on elBulli!) and chapters on food and wine pairing.  For example, there is a chapter on beef.  The chapter discusses the makeup of the animal and divides the section into grass fed and grain fed types of beef.  Further, it discusses aged and angus beef, various stages of cooking and why they go well with certain types of wines and cooking techniques related to wine pairing.  There are three charts in this chapter.  First, a charge on volatile compound and aromas/textures/flavors; Second, a chart discussing complementary wines based on the type of beef and how it is prepared, and third a charge outlining complementary foods to go along with beef, as well as complementary foods rich in amino acids/umami.  This chapter also discusses lamb and pork.  WOW!  You could use this as a map to the perfect meal and wine pairing AND know why!  What a conversation starter!

There are many other chapters focusing on cheeses, as well as other spices, aromas and flavor enhancements.  All those chapters have similar charts to those discussed in the previous paragraph.  This book is truly a who, what, when, where and why of preparing food and pairing wines.  Chartier has put a tremendous amount of research into this wonderful and informative book, including much information credited to Ferran Adria and Juli Soler from elBulli.  He is clear in his acknowledgements, that their work has "transformed" his way of thinking "since 1994".  Further, Juli Soler and Ferran Adria from elBulli wrote one of the Forewards in Chartier's book.

This book is truly a must-have for anyone who enjoys cooking great meals and pairing with great wines.

Taste Buds and Molecules by Francois Chartier can be found at any major book outlet, including Barnes and Noble and Amazon.

Cheers!

Mary Jo

Wine Word of the Week

 

Balance - a term used to describe a wine that has an equilibrium between its components - acid, tannins, alcohol, fruit, etc. In a well balanced wine, one component doesn't overwhelm the other components. A fine well will be a balanced wine.