You probably know them; those people who boast in a hospitality venue with their so-called wine knowledge. To save you from the mistakes that many of them make, here are six golden rules that you should not do if you are in a bar/restaurant and intend to drink wine:
1. What we hear quite often, especially by the “posh” Spanish speaking population, is the word “caldo” (stock, soup). “Let's wash down the food with a few caldos” (Vamos a regar la comida con unos caldos) you hear. Yes, yes, it may sound fancy, but using this word as a synonym for wine really hurts the ears. Bodegas, oenologists and distributors hate this. Why? Well, because this name detracts greatly from the wine product. I don't want to detract from the quality of soup, but this comparison is really flawed. We owe the origin of this strange use of words to wine journalists who, if they want to avoid using the word “wine” too often in a text, look for synonyms, no matter what. “Caldo” is not one of them, so don't do it.
2. “Waiter, can you please take the white wine from the table, I have ordered meat.” Dear people, the time when we only drank white wine with fish and red wine with meat is really over. Just drink whatever you feel like. Your own taste determines what you like. So don't let anything be forced on you by a table companion who supposedly knows how things should be done. Moreover, today there are white wines that have been matured in oak and are delicious with a thick steak. There are also beautiful, soft, young red wines that go great with a piece of fish. For the doubters among you; just give it a try! Of course it’s important to pair the right wine with the right food. Because if both suit each other and are in balance, the wine will taste better and so does the food. Double win situation.
3. “Can you bring me another bottle?, this one has depot” (dregs). Yes, so what?, deposit in a wine bottle can be because the bottle has been lying down for years and the natural solids of the wine have settled down (think of a glass of orange juice that has stood for a few hours), but it can also be the case that the maker wanted to make a “lively” wine that is not or hardly filtered. If this sediment bothers you, ask them to decant the wine for you, but don't ask for another bottle.
4. “I would like the wine served at room temperature, waiter.” If, in the case of red wine, you have in mind a temperature of around 16ºC/61ºF, then there is no problem. But the chance that the temperature in the restaurant is actually 16ºC/61ºF is quite small (especially in the summer). “Room temperature” dates back to the time when there was no central heating and the average temperature in the house was about 16 to 18/61 to 64 degrees. Today, room temperature is understood to be around 21ºC/70ºF and that is really too warm for red wine. When the red wine temperature comes above 18ºC/64ºF the wine gets “fever” and you will mainly get the smell of alcohol instead of a nice bouquet and the alcohol transcends the original flavors… And, by the way, if a server brings you a bottle of too warm red wine don’t hesitate to send it back!
5. Some people also just order a bottle of wine calling the region where it comes from. For example: “We would like to have a bottle of Rioja (California, Washington, Naperville, etc.) please.” Oh yeah?, Really? There's nothing wrong with ordering a bottle of Rioja, on the contrary, but a slightly better specification wouldn't hurt. Riojas come in all shapes and sizes. There are good Riojas, bad Riojas, young Riojas, crianzas, reservas, gran reservas... If you want to make a better impression, ask for the wine list and tell the waiter clearly which one you want.
6. Evaluate the wine. We all know it; the waiter who comes to the table to uncork the ordered bottle of wine and pours a little into the glass in order to hear from you whether the wine is in good condition. And then the circus begins; swirl for a moment, hold the glass up to the light, smell it, take a sip and suck in the wine with a lot of fanfare and wait a few seconds before passing judgment. And all the while that poor waiter is just waiting and probably thinking; “There's one of those again...” Dear reader, the above method is absolutely the right way when it comes to wine tasting, that's how it should be. But if you have ordered a bottle of wine in a restaurant, the waiter only wants to know whether the wine is in good condition and nothing more. You certainly don't think that if the wine meets the quality requirements, but you would prefer a different taste, that the restaurant will agree and take another one from the range for you at no cost? It may sound strange, but just smelling is enough. You can immediately smell whether the wine is good or not. After all, a smell of sulfur, wet dog or cork says enough...
Enjoy the wine moments and if you have any wine-related questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.
Roel Peters RP-Vinos USA
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