Tips For Dealing with the Wine Steward in Restaurants.
For many, the enjoyment of a dining experience includes ordering wine. Where wine is involved, there are two types of restaurants. There are the restaurants that are not experienced in the etiquette of wine service and selection, and those with a knowledgeable staff that will help you in choosing from their superior wines.
Bad wine restaurants generally have limited wine lists, and offer little information about their wines. The staff tends to be uninformed or worse, overbearing. In these situations, it's a good idea to opt for an Australian or South American wine if one is available. They are generally of reliable quality and a good value for the money.
Good wine restaurants offer wine lists featuring selections carefully chosen to compliment their food menu. The list doesn't have to be huge to be good, just thoughtfully planned. In addition to wine by the bottle, good wine restaurants offer a variety of choices by the glass and feature quality house wines. Staff will be helpful, well informed and will not pressure you to spend. They will also he happy to replace faulty wine should the need arise.
Decide on your price range before ordering, and consider what type of food you will be eating If you let your wine steward know what you will most likely be ordering, he or she can help you make the best choice. You may want to inform them that you are having, for example, a seafood dish and that you enjoy something dryer. With this information, they may be able to recommend a nice Chardonnay in your price range Selecting your wine should not be intimidating and a good wine steward should be able to help you make a good decision if you ask.
There are certain formalities that are involved in serving wine. Though they are mostly formalities, they are done for a reason and you should be aware of each step in order to recognize good wine service.
The first thing that will happen is that your wine will be retrieved, brought to the table, and presented to the person who ordered it with the label facing out. This allows for verification that the wine is the correct bottle and vintage.
Check the temperature of the bottle to determine if it is too warm or too cold. You can request an ice bucket if the wine is not cold enough and leave it sit at your table for a few minutes. Or, if it is too cold, wait a few minutes before opening. As soon as the bottle has reached a good temperature, you can signal to your server that you are ready to be served.
The cork will be presented to you as soon as the bottle is opened. You may choose not to smell the cork, but if you do smell it, gently squeeze the bottom to release some of the liquid trapped in the cork. The purpose of smelling the cork is to determine if the wine is tainted. A moldy smelling cork could be an indicator of this.
The server will then poor a small amount of the wine into your glass for you. This is where you will have a chance to completely inspect the wine. When you taste the wine, you are doing so to determine if the wine is flawed, not to see if you like it. Before you taste the wine, you should use a few other sensed to evaluate it.
How does the wine look? Is it bright or is it cloudy or murky? If it is cloudy, notice if it is from sediment. Red wines tend to develop a dark deposit over time, which can be relieved with decanting. Reds that are not as old should not have a brownish tinge and white wines should look pale to yellow. Pieces of cork in the wine are not great, but they do not make the wine faulty. White crystals on the cork are caused by tantrates, which are natural deposits in white wine and are also not signs of bad wine.
The smell of your wine can be a good indicator of its state. There are several different smells that can indicate that there is something amiss with your wine. If it smells like sherry, it could be a sign that the wine has oxidized. If it smells like vinegar, there is a good chance it will taste like vinegar, too. One sign of faulty wine making and fermentation is a smell similar to rotten eggs. When the cork smells musty or moldy, it is a sign that they cork is bad and the wine may not taste good On the other hand, the smell of sulphur is not necessarily a bad sign. Many wineries use sulphur-dioxide in the wine-making process, which can sometimes be absorbed into the wine. Let the wine stand for a few minutes to eliminate the smell.
Swirl it to release aromas, smell it like a flower, then taste it.
If you approve of the wine, indicate to the server that you are ready to be served. Your party will then be served clock-wise, ladies first, ending by topping off your glass.
Gusatore Delluva is the founder of Avia Wine a quality source of online wine information. If you enjoyed this article please visit -http://www.aviawine.com/newsletters/archive.shtml
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Chef2Chef News Desk