Wine Baskets

Have you ever watched small children open a large gift for a birthday, Christmas, or some other event?  Their faces are beaming with excitement as they tear at the wrapping paper to reveal… a box.  They can hardly wait to get to the prize inside the box, for which they may require some assistance to open.   Finally, they get whatever is inside the box and they jump up and down enthusiastically before commencing to play with their new toy or contraption or whatever is inside the box.  This lasts for a short time, perhaps an hour, maybe more, maybe less.

Then they play with the box.

For hours!

The box becomes the main attraction.  They crawl inside it, wear it, jump on it, and any other kind of activity that can be done with a box and one can only sit back and wonder if going to U-haul and buying a few big boxes would have been the smarter move. 

In short, at least from the perspective of the child, the box is more valuable and more fun than the intended gift. 

Lesson learned: make sure the gift is something that the recipient will find more valuable than the box.

Translated lesson: don’t make a beautiful wine basket filled with inappropriate wine. 

The appropriateness of the wine requires the gift giver to know a little about the tastes of who they are giving it to.  For example, the casual White Zinfandel drinker will probably appreciate a nice blush or rose and possibly a light and fruity white wine such as a Riesling.  Conversely, the person who has their own collection of wines and enjoys a diverse selection of wines might enjoy some more complex and interesting reds.  Finally, with respect to the individual who has an abundance of wines, it might be fun to challenge them with something really tasty and cheap that they may have overlooked, but also include a novelty such as the Vinturi aerator or some exotic chocolates.  In other words, know who you are giving the basket to.

Along the lines of appropriateness, beware of giving wines to a co-worker unless you are certain that this person is into wine.  There was a time when I bought wines for several co-workers during the holidays only to find out that one was a recovering alcoholic and the other avoided alcohol all together for different reasons.  It was embarrassing to say the least!

Now, it’s actually very easy, especially during November and December, to find pre-made wine gift baskets at most popular stores including your local grocery and warehouses like Costco.  For giving casual gifts in order to participating in gift giving, white elephant games, or for someone who you know in advance will love the give, this is a perfectly great way to give a wine basket.  They are usually quite attractive with the wines displayed label up and sometimes come with some crackers or chocolate and even a couple of glasses.  It’s important to note here that, if the cost of the wine basket is under $30, the individual bottles can probably be bought for somewhere around $7-10.  This doesn’t mean it’s not a good gift that someone will not appreciate, of course.  It’s just good to be aware of what you are buying. 

Along the lines of pre-made wine gift baskets, some of the wine warehouses sell fairly high-end baskets with some very good wines.  Of course, these are not baskets that can be purchased for under $30.  They tend to be in the $75-150 range and I’ve seen some baskets with very rare vintages priced in the range of $5,000 or more! 

Assuming that you are not in the market to spend $5,000 on a wine basket, there is another option here.

Make your own.

This is where you can exercise some creativity and be as innovative as you want to be. 

Start by deciding what wine you’d like to include.  I would recommend two bottles but one really nice bottle can make a great give as can three or more.  The quantity is up to you.  The key here is to buy wines that you are sure the recipient will enjoy. 

Once you have the wine, the next step is deciding on what else you want to put into the basket.  Did you buy bold, tannic, red wines that might go well with some bittersweet dark chocolate?  Is it a white wine that might go well with crackers?  If the person you’re buying for is only an occasional wine drinker, is it possible they might enjoy a nice corkscrew?  You could also put a CD or a book in the basket as something to be enjoyed aesthetically with the wine.

Next, stand back and look at the wine bottles.  What do they look like in terms of the color of the wine as well as the labels?  Are they from the same region?  They don’t have to be but these elements may help you coordinate the style of basket (or container as there are many items that can be used as ‘baskets’ here) and its’ color.   This step in the process is simply about appearances.  It’s about giving the wine basket the essence of elegance or specialty.  Of course it’s special; it’s wine!  Let’s just make it look that way as well.

Finally, assemble the basket by first putting the bottles inside.  It might be a good idea to use some color-coordinated shredded paper to pad the bottom of the basket.  Next, add any of the accessories, arranging them so that the wine labels are facing upward and easy to identify.

Complete the arrangement by wrapping in clear cellophane and tying it off with a ribbon.  Adding a bow is a nice touch but not necessary if the ribbon is tied into a bow. 

It’s probably a good idea to add a card or note and attached it to the tied portion of the ribbon as you would when giving any gift. 

I’ve found that people who like wine, love receiving wine baskets.  There’s an element of culinary artistry combined with a sense of closeness when a gift such as this is given.  It is a gift that suggests good times and special occasions.  It is a great gift among friends and family alike.  Whether it is purchased as a complete gift or you put it together yourself, the person you give it to will remember it for a long time and appreciate that you gave it to them. 

Cheers!

Navigating Wine Shipping Laws

“UPS does not accept shipments containing wine to or from Massachusetts.”

This is a quote directly from the UPS webpage on Shipping Wine (www.ups.com/wine). 

If this sounds simple for those who wish to ship or receive wine in any other of the 49 states, it’s not.  In fact, this is probably one of the simplest guidelines, from UPS anyway, with respect to wine shipping laws that vary from state to state.  Actually, FedEx does not ship to Massachusetts either, even though it is legal in the state to ship to consumers who have a permit.

For instance, in Arkansas, unlicensed individuals cannot bring wine or brandy into the state, let alone order from a winery and have it shipped to their homes. 

Live in Hawaii?  It’s not a problem as long as you don’t exceed 6 cases per year to your personal residence. 

How about if you reside in Washington D.C.?  You may buy one case per month to be shipped to your home. 

Want to ship wine to a friend?  It’s illegal without a permit and a federal crime if the United States Postal Service is used for shipment.

In some states, it gets even more complicated.  For example, some states such as Alaska only permit wine shipments to certain zip codes as Alaska still has communities that are “dry”. 

It is a felony in Alabama to have wine shipped to your home, even if there are no minors living there!

What is a bit ironic is that the United States is one of the premier wine producing nations on the planet.  There are wines produced in all 50 states.  There are wine drinkers in all 50 states.  There are restaurants that serve wine in all 50 states.  So, what happened?

In short, after the years of prohibition, laws governing the transport of alcohol were left to each state.  There really isn’t a standard for all states to abide by.  This leaves consumers and wineries across the country in a state of disarray when it comes to ensuring maximum flexibility for the wine industry to grow and thrive as well as the consumers’ ability to explore and enjoy wines from all over without being limited to the selections at local markets which are usually dictated by the bottom lines at major distributors. 

Of course, this makes a wine drinker such as me, glad to live in California – a state with abundant wineries and a wine culture that is forward thinking and supportive of this vibrant industry.  In addition, there are no volume limits in California. 

The state of Oregon is somewhere in the middle which limit a wineries shipments to 2 cases per individual per month for combined onsite and offsite sales. 

All told, 37 states now allow residents to order wine and have it shipped directly to their homes. 

In other words, there is progress being made.  And in the face of this is looming a new challenge that could affect wineries and wine lovers all over the country.  I’m referring to bill H.R. 1161, euphemistically called the Community Alcohol Regulatory Effectiveness act (CARE), which would reduce and, in some cases, eliminate direct to consumer shipping of wine.  This would force wineries to ship through wholesalers who, incidentally, are the architects and aggressive lobbyists for the bill’s passage. 

To gain some insight into the potential impact if this bill passes, look no further than the local grocery chains in your own neighborhood.  Have you ever noticed how they all seem to have the same wines on their shelves with very little variation between them?  Have you also noticed that it is very rare to see wines from small boutique producers on these shelves?  Many of these small wineries depend to a great extent on the ability to sell directly to customers.  Reciprocally, direct shipments are sometimes the only way customers are able to obtain hard-to-find wines that aren’t carried in the local supermarkets. 

Can it get more complicated than this? 

Of course, it can. 

The nuances that already exist from state to state are cumbersome enough for the wineries.  For the consumer, it’s a little simpler as one must abide and are limited by the laws where they live.  In our previous example, if you live in Arkansas and try and order wine, nobody is going to legally ship it to you anyway.  But the wineries and retail stores that conduct interstate shipping, they must keep track of the laws governing each state that their existing and potential customers live in so that they do not risk losing their licenses.  This is why, when you go to a website the offers wine for sale and shipment, you are asked which state you live in as this determines the policies that affect both the seller and the buyer.

There are several websites with detailed information on individual states.  For your convenience, I’ve provided a list of a few that seem to be well organized and updated.  However, there are many more places to go for this information.  Here are some of the sites I found:

Free The Grapes - http://www.freethegrapes.org

California Wine Online - http://www.california-wineonline.com/shipping.htm

Wine Institute - http://wineinstitute.shipcompliant.com/WhoShipsWhere.aspx

Wine Intro - http://wineintro.com/regions/us/

FedEx Wine Shipping Pairing Guide - https://www.fedex.com/cgi-bin/wineShipping.cgi

UPS Shipping Wine - http://www.ups.com/wine

Wine is part of the Harvard Food Pyramid.  The health benefits related to moderate consumption of wine are being discovered and published regularly.  The culinary aspect of wine is, at least for people who love wine, inseparable from the rest of a meal.  The United States is now producing some of the finest wines on the planet.  These are exciting times for wine making and the enjoyment of wine and it’s a ripe time to look toward the future and not get stuck in the past.

Cheers!

Buying Wine on a Budget

My dad once said, “It’s a funny thing about wine.  Once you start tasting better wines, which seem to cost more, it’s hard to go back to what you had before.”

When he said this, I couldn’t disagree.  For quite some time, I loved going to places like Trader Joe’s and finding a five dollar bottle of wine to take home and enjoy with some pizza or all by itself.  I thought White Zinfandel was delicious and that Barefoot Zinfandel was the pinnacle of wines.  After all, how could a more expensive wine be better than these? 

Then, one night while dining with some friends, they ordered a bottle of 1994 Heitz Cellars Bella Oaks Cabernet.  Once taste of this wine and the light bulbs all went on at once!  “Oh, so THIS is what people who love wine are talking about!!!”  Everything changed.

I spent a few months after that looking for this particular wine and, after quite a few phone calls and some rudimentary web searching, I surmised that there were only 8 bottles left in the Los Angeles area.  I bought three at the very big price (at the time, for me anyway) of $38 per bottle.  Funny enough, I really knew nothing about wine except that this one was delicious.  Of course, I began to wonder, “Could there be other wines this good out there?”

Thus, my quest began.  I bought everything.  I put the wine on credit cards.  I did whatever I could to learn, taste, experience, and find out about the seemingly immeasurable variety of amazing wines.  It was like taking a trip without ever leaving the farm.

And it was very expensive.  And it probably wasn’t the best way to go about learning about wine.  But it’s what I did and, I did learn some lessons.  And I drank too many of these wines way too soon because I didn’t fully understand the concept of aging. 

Anyway, the most important lesson I learned was that price isn’t necessarily an indicator of quality and taste – at either end of the spectrum. 

With this, I took on a personal challenge to find wines at lower prices that would blow my mind.  Essentially, I set out to get really good wine really cheap!!! 

And I was pleasantly surprised.  It was a reawakening of the wine adventure!  And, as someone who loves food and considers wine a necessary part of the culinary experience, I became reinvigorated about wine and the idea that there were some very good, and some great tasting wines at prices that were mind boggling in terms of the quality that I found. 

It actually became a very fun challenge to set a budget for wine that was considerably less that what I was used to spending and see how much yummy wine I could buy in that range. 

The question is, how does one start looking for really good wine for really low prices?

For me, there are several approaches that one can take.  The positive aspect is that, because we are talking about fairly low prices, less than a 6-pack of domestic beer in many cases, it’s a bit more financially okay to take some risk and do more exploration than if we were talking about bottles in the fifty dollar range.  That said, here are a few approaches, although I recommend trying any combination of them in order to learn where the deals are and get a better idea of how competition can work in your favor.

Random Selection

With this, I’ve gone to the market and simply looked for bottles that were at a certain price point.  For example, if I’ve decided to spend $40 on wine, then I’ll get as many bottles as I can for $40.  I might even mix them up a bit; some Australian Shiraz, Washington Merlot, California Zinfandel, and some Malbec from Argentina.  Most local grocers carry some low cost wines in the $5-7 range that would enable you to pick up half a case or more for $40.  I like this approach because it almost compels the buyer to explore new territory.  In addition, because of the price, finding a bottle that you don’t like isn’t too big a headache.  Finally, most of the wines sold in local grocers tend to be young – perfect for low cost wines that typically aren’t created for aging but for immediate consumption.  Another advantage of this approach is that, with the commonality of “membership” cards, it’s very easy to spot wines that have been discounted, some significantly, enabling you to find wines that ordinarily might fall in the $10-15 range.

Descriptions on the price tag

This is very similar to simply using random selection, except it may involve reading some of the little notes that many groceries will place next to the price tag.  Sometimes these descriptions will include rating information or awards won at local fairs.  My only caution on this is that the vintage on the shelf might not match the vintage on the little description card.  But, like our first approach, this is not too bad since we are not breaking the bank to buy the wines.

Two Buck Chuck

Trader Joe’s sells wines from the Charles Shaw Winery, more commonly known as two-buck Chuck.  This is because each bottle is sold for $1.99.  I’ve tried a few of them and, honestly, they tasted like two dollar bottles of wine – a bit like wine coolers without the fizz.  Occasionally, however, there are surprises!  I’ve tasted a Chardonnay and a Zinfandel a couple of years ago that, although not the most complex wines on the planet, were actually very drinkable and pleasant tasting.  For two dollars, one’s expectations cannot be too high so it’s a nice surprise when one comes along that tastes like it cost, well, shall we say five dollars?

The Wine Warehouse

The internet is a great place to search for wines.  Many wine specialty warehouses provide on-line ordering of their wines as well as the ability to search their inventory during the on-line shopping experience.  This is one of my favorite approaches as many of these stores offer advanced search options which let the buyer focus on particular varietals or regions as well as price and even ratings from some of the more well-known publications such as Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast.  Since I live in California, some of the stores that I’ve used are KL Wines (www.klwines.com), The Wine Exchange (www.winex.com), and The Wine Club (www.thewineclub.com).  BevMo (www.bevmo.com) is also a popular one.  Another advantage of this approach is that the buyer can compare prices and quickly get an indicator of what is possible in terms of price points.  After some research you will notice that the prices can vary from 30-40% from place to place.  Finally, for me, this approach is quite fun – and somewhat educational as well! 

Club Stores

Stores such as Costco and SAM’s sometimes have fantastic selections of wines, even if the number of wines is a bit limited.  They have the purchasing power to have quite a compelling inventory of high end AND low end wines.  They also almost always post tasting notes and rating information.  In addition, the wines are usually organized by varietal and there is usually a section that caters to the buyer who is looking for wines under $10.  One more thing to observe is that Costco sells its’ Kirkland brand of wines which are actually wines from known wineries bottled under the Kirkland label.  They cannot disclose the source of these wines, but some are quite good and gaining respectable scores from the magazines that rate wines.

The Wine Magazines

Wine Ratings are somewhat suspect but, in general, fairly reliable in my opinion.  I can’t say that a 90 point rated wine at Wine Spectator is going to taste like a 90 point wine to everyone who drinks it, since we are all human and wine tasting is a very subjective process.  However, I’ve not had an experience where a wine was rated highly and it tasted really bad when I opened it.  That said, I have actually opened wines that were rated in the high 70’s or low 80’s and found them to be quite good.  Like the stores that have their wine inventories online, the Wine Magazines have a subscription service that is about the same as a magazine subscription which will enable you to do the same kind of searches by vintage, rating, region and even specific wineries.  The prices listed are the retail prices and are not usually very practical except it might help you recognize when markets have elevated the prices beyond what the wine would be sold for at the winery in order to appear like they are giving you a good deal on something else.  For example, BevMo has a 5 cent wine sale where, if the customer buys one bottle from a designated selection of wines, the 2^nd bottle is only 5 cents.  However, the price of the first bottle is a non-discounted bottle so one has to average the cost of both bottles to get the per bottle cost before comparing it to prices elsewhere. Usually it’s a pretty good deal – if you want two bottles. 

Good wine doesn’t have to be expensive.  Occasionally, low cost wines are great and, because they are low cost, stumbling upon a bad one isn’t that upsetting and finding one that is pleasing is a wonderful surprise! 

Cheers!

Hidden Wine Gems of California

If you do most of your wine shopping while also buying groceries, you might notice that most of the major grocery chains seem to sell the same wines.  It’s not uncommon to find respectable offerings from the likes of Columbia Crest and Chateau Ste Michelle from Washington, or Sterling and Robert Mondavi from Napa Valley, or Yellow Tail from Australia.  All of the above wineries certainly have something delicious to offer for every taste; finding similar wines in multiple locations also gives you the option of comparing prices and looking for the best deal. 

But, what if you want to try something new?

At this point, you have a couple of options.  You can start with the internet and go to a website such as Wine.com or Bevmo.com.  Surely, these sites give you some flexible browsing and shopping options as well as some general descriptions and ratings of various wines.  In various regions of the country, there are some wine warehouses that also have websites.  In Southern California, for example, I like browsing the inventories at Napa Cabs, The Wine Club, The Wine Exchange, and KL Wines. 

There is another option as well.

Hit the road.  Go wine tasting and pick something unfamiliar.  Now; the upside of this approach is that you may find a wine that you never even considered and discover that you really enjoy it.  The downside is that you may find some wines that you never want to taste again.  Truly both experiences are possible on any wine trail. 

What I’d like to do is suggest a few wineries that I’ve visited and share what I enjoyed most about their wines.  Take note that these are mostly wines that you are unlikely to find in the local market, although you might get lucky shopping at a store nearby these wineries.  Also, each has offerings that are only available directly through the winery.  All have websites to assist you with buying wine and even joining their wine clubs in order to receive regular shipments of new releases.

In no particular order, here are some of the wineries in California that I’ve discovered; some more easy to find than others, but all with very tasty wines.

Terra Valentine (www.terravalentine.com)

Terra Valentine is located about 2,100 feet above Napa Valley.  The location is quite secluded but worth the drive west of St. Helena.  They only offer tastings by appointment but we were able to get a same-day appointment.  They offer up an array of delicious wines including a magnificent Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.  Their Sangiovese just cries out for some pasta with red sauce.  That said, their Cabernets are elegant and such a pleasure to taste.  I’ve also had the great delight of pairing their Spring Mountain Cabernet with some grilled rib-eye steak on two occasions and I’m already looking forward to the third.
 

Topel (www.topelwines.com)

I discovered Topel during a visit to Healdsburg in Sonoma County.  I actually found their tasting room during a walk around central Healdsburg, a very charming and even somewhat vibrant small town that is developing a beautiful blend of country living and culinary sophistication.  Anyway, at Topel I found some really great wines from a winery I’d not heard of until my visit.  At the winery, it was explained to me that that Topel was known for its' Cabernet.  The bonus for me was tasting their 2007 Serendipity Monterey Pinot Noir. This wine tastes in two waves: the first filled with soft fruit, then 2nd wave with the spicy characteristics that give it enough structure to be diversely food friendly.  They also make some very nice Syrah.  Topel’s wines aren’t as easy to find as some of the others on this list, but if you are in Healdsburg, CA, it’s worth a visit.

Denner (www.dennervineyards.com)

About 2 hours south of San Francisco, west of the quaint and upcoming town of Paso Robles, are some of my favorite wineries.  Many of these wineries are starting to gain popularity and you may find several wines from this region on your grocer’s shelves.  Names such as Justin, Wild Horse, Tobin James, and J. Lohr are just a few of the more popular wineries.  However, on Vineyard road, just about 2 miles north of Highway 46 west, is one of my all-time favorite wineries, Denner. 

I cannot sing Denner’s praises enough.  They wide array of varietals including Viognier, Mourvedre, Syrah, and Grenache are splendid across the board.  A few of their wines have some really interesting names, such as the Ditch Digger, which is a GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre) blend or the Dirt Worshipper (Syrah and Viognier).  Tastings are done by appointment only, however and I recommend calling ahead.  Many of the Denner wines are starting to gain recognition with several accolades in the popular wine trade magazines. 

Jaffurs (www.jaffurswine.com)

Santa Barbara County is generating quite a local buzz with the quality of wines being produced there.  In fact, that buzz is starting to go national.  I’m just waiting for some of them to show up at the grocery store around the corner.  However, the fact that they haven’t, simply means it’s another reason for a road trip. 

Jaffurs makes wines in the Rhone tradition similar to those of Denner with a bit more subtlety.  One of my favorites here is their Grenache Blanc with its’ refreshing and zesty tropical flavors.  One cannot dismiss their Petite Syrah or Grenache – both elegant and filled with aromas and tastes of brilliant and haunting dark fruit.  The structure of these wines is quite a thrill.  This brings me to their Syrah. 

From Jaffurs 2008 vintage, they offer up 6 vineyard-specific Syrah bottling.  It is easy to find a good one because they are all good.  It will be quite a bit more difficult to just walk out with one, however, Jaffurs makes this decision a bit easier by only offering them to wine club members.  I assure you; once you taste their wines, the decision to be a club member will seem like a natural next step in the process.

Leonesse (www.leonessecellars.com)

About 80 miles Southeast of Los Angeles is the town of Temecula.  Just East of Temecula are several wineries, many whose wines are readily available throughout Southern California.  In my opinion, Temecula is an up-and-coming wine region that is still carving out its identity as a serious player in the world of wine.  Clearly, they are moving closer to that with each vintage. A great example of this is Leonesse. 

I highly recommend their vineyard selection Syrah offerings as well as their signature selection Merlot.  Before even tasting these wines, the nose will let you know that you’re in for a treat!  They also make a fantastic and surprisingly complex Zinfandel from their signature selection as well.  What’s more, you can enjoy the Leonesse wines amidst a beautiful hillside setting with a scenic view of Palomar Mountain.  There is plenty of room to walk around and find your own “perfect tasting spot”.

For our purposes here, I’ve only mentioned a few wineries.  I discovered these mostly by accident or sheer curiosity.  There are many more than this on my list of recommendations.  My best recommendation, however, is to take wine tasting with a sense of adventure and discovery.  Aside from drinking plenty of water, don’t rush.  Give yourself time to explore and take in each wine that you taste.  Ask questions.  Have fun.  You may just find something that you can take back home and surprise your friends with. 

Be safe.

Cheers!

Wine Etiquette

In the wine-infused movie, “Sideways”, one of the characters uncharacteristically tells the server at a wine-tasting bar to “hit me again”.  This is because he is distraught over failing to secure a book publishing deal.  When the server refuses, he grabs the bottle to pour his own glass and incites a tug-of-war with the server.  When the server reclaims the bottle, our protagonist grabs the wine tasting spittoon and, in a scene that would make anyone who knows of its contents, squirm in their seat.

A less extreme example of non-etiquette involves a dinner out with my wife and another couple who also happen to be long time friends, very good friends of ours.  Our friends, who I’ll call Bob and Nadine, enjoy fine dining and good wine in spite of knowing very little about wine.  Like most people, they simply understand that a good wine, by definition, is one that tastes good. 

For this particular outing, I brought a bottle of 2006 Sea Smoke Southing Pinot Noir – a very nice bottle from my cellar that probably could have aged well beyond our evening out.  I selected this particular bottle because it would go well with the food at this seafood restaurant.  We all agreed to start with the Sea Smoke just after ordering.  Our server poured glasses for each of us; we raised a toast and sipped from our glasses.  Well, three of us sipped, while Bob finished about half of his glass in one swallow, followed by a second swallow that emptied the glass.  He immediately exclaimed how delicious the wine was and poured a second glass, which was also gone within five minutes.  Subsequently, he poured a third glass, emptying the bottle. 

I didn’t want to stay anything to Bob because he simply didn’t know any better.  From his perspective, it tasted good and was there for the drinking.  Surely, there was no point in embarrassing a good friend who, I know, would have felt quite badly and probably bought another bottle from the restaurant.  From my perspective, our friendship and ability to hang out and enjoy our time together is much more important and valuable than even the most expensive bottle of wine.

These stories bring up a question: what is proper wine etiquette?   Coupled with this, at what point do the many ideas on etiquette go beyond what is necessary and appropriate in various settings? 

I believe wine is there to be shared as part of the culinary experience among friends or like-minded individuals.   The experience should be fun and festive, although there are times when it can also be serious and contemplative.  For our purposes here, I’m going to focus on the fun and festive.

Experimentation

With all of the notes that follow, feel free to experiment.  Some of the things you try will work better than others, but you will learn.  You will also get educated on what you like best and what your friends and/or associates like as well. 

Technical stuff

Without going into the nuances of storing wine for long term aging, I’ll just focus on a couple of simple tips.  Lighter wines are typically served slightly cooler temperatures than darker wines.  However, beware of the idiom “at room temperature” since, if the temperature in your room is 70 degrees F, it’s too warm for any wine to be served.  Reds are served well in the high 50 to low 60 degree range while whites work well in the low 50’s.  As with all ‘guidelines’, they are not scientific. 

As for the glasses, clear and clean is a good place to start.  Glasses for white wines tend to be a bit narrower than glasses designed for bolder or subtle and complex wines.  You should note here that there are many complex white wines that can be just as bold as dark red wines.  As a basic rule, the glass should hold about 2-3 times the amount that will be poured into it.  It should enable people to see the wine clearly and take in its’ aromas in advance of actually tasting it.  There are many glasses that will accomplish these things.  As you get farther into wine, you will start discovering even more details as to glass sizes and shapes that are designed specifically for certain types of wine in order for those wines to fully be expressed and appreciated. 

A topic that has come up in recent years is that of corks versus screw caps.  In the past, serving a wine from a bottle that is screw capped might appear in bad taste or indicate a cheap wine.  This is no longer the case as more and more medium to higher end wines are being bottled in screw caps.  A few years from now, there will be very little stigma attached to screw caps.

Sharing and Pairing

First off, there’s something very tranquil about pouring a glass of wine in solitude and reading a book or just relaxing at the end of the day.  In the company of others, however, wine is to be shared.  Most people I know are very appreciative when offered a glass of wine.  The offer doesn’t need to be accompanied by any explanation of the wine or description, unless your guest asks. 

I also recommend serving a lighter wine and a heavier wine, unless a food pairing would be offensive with one or the other.  If a meal is part of the gathering, it’s probably a good idea to have a ‘starter’ wine to enjoy prior to the meal and a wine (or wines) to enjoy with the meal. 

It’s also a good idea, if you know that a guest enjoys a particular wine, to have some on hand for them.  If someone brings a bottle, it’s also okay to ask them discreetly if they want to pour it right away or if it is intended to save for later – especially if you are among friends and family. 

As for the food pairings, I love to experiment – sometimes just to find out if a particular wine can handle a certain kind of food.  However, this is not something to be done in mixed company unless everyone is on board with this approach.  Instead, as a general guide lighter wines (in terms of color), tend to work better with lighter colored foods.  For example, serve white wines with Chicken or Sea Bass or Reds with Steak and hearty red pastas.  And, remember, that it’s okay to experiment.  Part of the fun with wine and food is discovery!

Restaurant wine lists

I used to be quite intimidated by wine lists.  I was afraid to say the wrong thing or appear like I knew too much while appearing completely ignorant.  I didn’t want to ask a stupid question or buy a wine only to find out I didn’t like it and not know what to say.  What if I order something and those with me don’t like it?  What if I overspend just because I don’t know any better?  Is it okay to bring my own bottle?  Will the restaurant be offended?

I’m going to try and tackle these questions in a basic sense. 

First off, understand that any reasonable wine steward or, as they are called in the wine business, Sommelier, has already experienced  customers who know very little all the way to the other side of the spectrum of those who know even more than they do.  Most questions are okay.  A good Sommelier will quickly recognize how to answer your question honestly and with sincere hospitality. 

Second, if you are on a budget, it’s okay to ask about a wine that is in the price range you have already decided upon.  This will tell the Sommelier where you’re at without having to be explicit about your spending level.  The target price is up to you.

Third, if you are the one who arranged the meal outing, it’s okay to ask someone else at the table, especially if you are aware that someone is particularly knowledgeable about wine, to select a bottle.

Fourth, there are some restaurants that have a wide variety of menu offerings with which one particular wine will not always go well with.  There’s nothing wrong with asking others at the table if they want to simply order by the glass.   You can also ask the Sommelier advice on how best to pair wines with what everyone has ordered.  Remember, a big component of enjoying wine is all about fun and togetherness.  When the Sommelier comes to the table, the attention of all will probably be naturally diverted to their direction.  At this point, you can ask the folks at the table their opinion.  Questions like, “What do you think we should order?” are fine at this point.  Most Sommeliers I’ve known love engaging in wine-related conversations – they understand the social nature of enjoying wines and usually appreciate a short question and answer endeavor if it means that they can help make your experience more enjoyable.

Finally, if you’re going to bring your own bottle, call ahead and find out if this is okay and what the restaurant’s corkage policy is.  Remember that beverages are usually a reliable profit source for restaurants but customer service is their first goal.   It is also advisable to bring a bottle that is worthy of the cuisine at the restaurant.  In other words, a cheap bottle of wine might be appropriate for a local pizza joint but not appropriate at a world class steakhouse.  Also, if you are going to bring your own bottle, bring one that isn’t on the restaurant’s list.  This is usually easy to determine as many restaurants now post their wine lists on their website.

My last note on bringing your own bottle is, offer a taste to the Sommelier and, if the restaurant allows it, your server.  A small bit to the floor manager is also an option.  I do this every time I bring a bottle and the folks at the restaurant are very appreciative of this.  Sometimes, I’ve brought something they’ve never tried before and they’ve gone as far as to waive the corkage fee.  One manager brought out a complimentary glass from a wine that wasn’t even on their list! 

The alcohol angle

At the risk of overstating the obvious, here it is.  As amazing as wine is, it is important to remember that it is an alcoholic beverage.  Some wines have quite a bit of alcohol, in fact.  People who have learned to enjoy wine as part of the culinary experience understand that the objective isn’t to get buzzed any more than having 3 desserts will make you feel better at the end of the meal.  It’s about the scents, tastes, and nuances implicit in the pairing of wine to the social element or to the food or both.  Moderation is the key.  Also, if you are looking to learn more about wines, know in advance that any level of intoxication – however mild – can impair your ability to discern and truly enjoy the subtleties of the wine and how it works with the food – never mind the impairment of motor control!  Pacing the enjoyment of wine in the midst of tasty foods, engaging conversations, and most importantly, time spent with friends, will merely enhance the experience and make everyone want to come back again. 

If you have any other thoughts or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you.

Cheers!