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Maarak posted:I won tickets to a wine tasting event, any of these look like a must try? http://secondglass.com/wineriot/dc-2011/wine-list/ Santa Ema Amplus One is a good Carmenere dominated blend. Delicious savory pepper notes. The Montes Alpha Syrah is probably tasty. Joseph Carr Cab isn't bad. A ton of cheap stuff in there, but some of those Old World wines might be worth trying, particularly the Italians (I love Barbera) and the German Rieslings (aka the best wine on Earth).
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Oct 22, 2011 10:04
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4liters posted:Here is a funny article about biodynamic wine: Hah that's a good article. I did a biodynamic farming camp at Paul Dolan/Parducci, and it was...interesting. The way Mr. Dolan spoke about Steiner was the way Christians speak of God speaking the commandments to Moses. I literally couldn't get him to disagree with a single aspect of Steiner's work. He just took it all at face value. Extremely nice people, of course, just like the article says. On an unrelated note, just passed my certified sommelier exam! Super excited. I can slow down on a bit on all the blind tasting, at least until I apply for the advanced.
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Dec 8, 2011 07:56
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Being more environmentally friendly and trying to really get a feeling of terroir is definitely a great thing, in my opinion. It's only when you start bringing in astrology and talking about the difference between root, plant and water days based on planetary positions that I'll start to question it. For example, at Dolan, they had a syrah planting not go well. 7-8 months into it, they looked back and found that they had planted the vines on a water day or something, instead of a plant day, and determined that was the cause. Of course, it's infinitely more likely to be any of hundreds of other variables, but don't tell them that... One of my favorite wineries, Movia in Slovenia, talking about his odd techniques: http://www.movia.si/video-predstavitev Try his pinot nero if you ever get the chance. The only pinot I've ever seen that needs decanting and gets better and better over several days. It's a monster.
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Dec 8, 2011 20:59
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Mister Macys posted:Just out of curiousity, how are unoaked wines, in comparison with their oak-aged brethren? Small nitpick but everyone does this: a "varietal" wine is a wine made entirely from 1 grape and generally carries the name of the grape on the label. Grapes come in different varieties, not varietals. Some of the best and most expensive wines in the world are blends, namely those from Bordeaux, France. Definitely no reason to be wary of a blend.
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Dec 22, 2011 20:32
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Walked posted:Any good books to teach me more about wines / whatever? Wine for Dummies. Seriously. It's an outstanding book. It's where I started.
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Dec 24, 2011 20:49
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This book is a must for anyone who enjoys wine with food. It's incredible. It even offers non-wine pairings. It has a list of most major types of food and what goes well with each, indicating the best pairings in bold. It also has a list of most wines, and what to eat with each. I use it daily at my restaurant. I've created some amazing wine dinners starting with this book as a guide.
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Jan 17, 2012 04:44
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paradigmblue posted:Quick question - I get paid $150-200 for parties of generally about 12-20 people, for about 4-5 hours of work. This includes selecting wines before hand, and doing a small presentation at some point teaching them about wine (usually focused on the particular region of their wines for the evening). I'm also part of the service team, maintaining everyone's glasses. And I generally just hang out and schmooze with them, people always have 1,001 questions about wine. The charge is also not from a tips pool, but rather a built-in sommelier charge that goes directly to me. You are absolutely not out of line charging! People get paid decent money to do this. My situation is a little different because I'm an employee of a hotel, and the sales team sells my services. But I hope this helps, you definitely should be getting paid for your expertise and time.
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Jan 28, 2012 21:03
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Cpt.Wacky posted:Have you consumed Pepto-Bismol or anything containing bismuth? The combination with sulfur (sulfites in the wine) seems to be the leading theory. Caduceus Naga is a great Sangiovese based blend. 2010 AZ Stronghold Nachise is wonderfully aromatic, gamey and spicy. Probably gonna run that one by the glass. The rest of Stronghold's lineup can be really hit or miss. The Bordeaux blend Lozen is pretty tasty, if expensive for AZ wine. Their Rosé Dayden is god awful in my opinion. Pillsbury's lineup is actually fairly impressive across the board, with most being quite light but complex and delicious. Mountain Sky is a newer winery, their reds are ok, with the best one being their blend from Paso Robles grapes sadly enough. The whites are not that good.
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Feb 18, 2012 23:46
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Would love to tell you what I know, since I unfortunately had to take it twice. Apologies if any of this is underneath your knowledge level, just some basic tips. Some of the easy stuff can be really easy to forget under pressure. Common questions they will ask during service: Would you recommend me a vin du liqueur? " an herb based liqueur? " a fruit based liqueur? " a nut based liqueur? " a brandy that is NOT a cognac? " an aperitif? " a digestif? And have some pairing ideas for common entrees like duck, lamb, steak with a reason why. Listen to what the master says about the dish. E.g. he told me duck with lots of herbal components, so I went southern Rhone. Don't just give a name, you need to tell them where it's from as well, and a vintage if appropriate. Know the products you want to recommend and sell them to the master with enthusiasm. Review the cocktails in Brian Julyan's Sales and Service for the Wine Professional because they're the classic ones you'll get quizzed on. You just need to know the base spirit in most cases. Negroni is a popular one to ask (gin based). I was asked about a Cuba Libre (white rum). Know them all though. Know how to decant and open sparkling the Court of Masters way. There are videos on YouTube that go over this. Julyan's book also goes over it. They may give you a cheap bottle and claim it's Dom Perignon. If they ask who the winemaker is, don't say Dom Perignon like I stupidly did (it's obviously Moet and Chandon, I just wasn't thinking/wasn't expecting the question). Keys to remember for sparkling, as I've only done the sparkling service: -Line your silver tray with the provided linen -Circle clockwise, serving glasses to the right with right hand -If you have to pull a sparkling bottle from ice, wipe it with a different linen than the one on your arm -Watch your elbows -Give the host a taste! My coworker actually forgot this when he passed -...and pour host last -Slow, steady pours. Should fill the glass in no more than 2 tries if you have to initially wait for bubbles to calm before filling the glass -Don't take the cage completely off the sparkling bottle. Loosen it with your left thumb over the top (never move this finger) with your linen draped over the top, and then move your right hand to the bottom of the bottle to aid in twisting the cork out. Loud pop loses points. -Remember to offer an ice bucket after you're all done pouring -You may be asked to evenly distribute some sparkling between 8 glasses. You don't need to use the whole bottle, but they should all be poured relatively the same amount. Just review some videos/Julyan for decanting. For the tasting, just remember that they're not trying to stump you. They're going to give you something classic. Napa cab, Aussie Shiraz, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Barolo/Barberesco, Malbec, Rhone North and South, etc. Same thing with the whites. Chard, Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Rhone White, Sauv Blanc. Probably a couple I'm forgetting but you get the idea. Don't get crazy with your guess and go with your gut. The tasting grid they use is posted somewhere on the guildsomm.com website. If you need it I think I have it at work. Focus on describing the wine accurately rather than your final guess, that's where you score all your points even if you get the conclusion wrong. Their grid doesn't include sight but this is obviously a very important aspect. For the theory they love New World regions. Know Australia in and out, all the Napa and Sonoma AVAs, and the districts of Willamette. Some weird tips you may/may not know: Smaragd is dry white from Austria. Nigori is unfiltered sake. Nemea is in Greece. I have some study guides around somewhere, but you said you're not too worried about the theory. This turned out super long! Let me know if you have any other questions. Also, what the hell is the IS?
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Mar 1, 2012 08:24
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Overwined posted:IS = Introductory Sommelier. Level 1, basically with CS (Certified Sommelier) being level 2. Oh duh. Yeah I'd definitely recommend Julyan's book for service review. Also remember, ladies first of course, circle the table twice if needed. Oh and are you aware of the awesomeness that is flashcardexchange.com? They have a few useful sets of general certified sommelier cards, and more specifically they have sets for important wine regions like Australia and the DOCGs of Italy. I used those intensively and it helped a lot.
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Mar 1, 2012 21:43
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paradigmblue posted:I have a quick question. I'm putting on a tasting in a couple of days focusing on white wines from Germany, Austria and Hungary, and haven't had a chance to taste some of the selections. I would like to order the tasting from dry to sweet. Here is the order I had placed them in, any advice would be appreciated. Mmmmmm...that SA Prum Spatlese is delicious, I use it as a wine pairing pretty frequently. Actually I use that Royal Tokaji 5 puttonyos too, with foie gras. I haven't had those gruners but I'm assuming they're dry, so I'd say the gruners, followed by the dry riesling, royal tokaji furmint, kabinett, spatlese, and then the other Royal Tokaji wines. I'm not familiar with the Royal Tokaji Mad Cuvee so I don't know how sweet that is. This is primarily from driest to sweetest. Like Benito said, it might be fun to group the regions together too.
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Mar 21, 2012 11:06
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Anyone ever been to/heard of (removed). Realized being specific might be a dumb idea. Interviewing for a nice somm position in Vegas! Very excited.
Crimson fucked around with this message at 18:18 on Mar 27, 2012 |
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Mar 27, 2012 08:23
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pork never goes bad posted:Did you get that job Crimson? I did! Manager/Sommelier at L'Atelier! Had my first night tonight, seems like it's gonna be a lot of fun. "I am protected" gets 50% off wine! Ok not really, but do we have any Vegas wine goons?
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Apr 21, 2012 10:39
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pork never goes bad posted:drat!!! Congratulations! That's a pretty good gig, all told. Just make sure to get some more interesting wines on that list than Vegas places (with some few exceptions) tend to have, and you could be on to the second star. Thanks! Very excited. And yes, it's too bad Vegas is dominated by the large distributors, because back in Phoenix I got all kinds of boutique wines from the smaller guys. My restaurant has a pretty good selection (2 glasses wine spectator award), but the new world wines especially aren't really off the beaten path.
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Apr 22, 2012 09:54
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Perfectly Cromulent posted:L'Atelier is a terrific restaurant. Congratulations! Thanks! And yes, although there is a wine director of both restaurants who will oversee any big changes. Edit: Already tried tons of amazing things in the few days since I started. People blow so much money on wine in this town. Had 1998 Chateau Cheval Blanc and 1979 Opus One tonight. Crimson fucked around with this message at 08:43 on Apr 25, 2012 |
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Apr 25, 2012 08:40
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Mr. Glass posted:Sup wine thread, I'd probably roll with a nice dry (or slightly sweet, depending on your taste) Riesling. Riesling goes well with almost anything, and sounded like a good match for most of the dishes at my local Moroccan restaurant I just looked up. If you want it dry look for wines from Alsace, France. If slightly sweet sounds good, maybe grab a German Riesling with "Kabinett" on the label. For a red, hard to go wrong with Pinot Noir. Pinot is the most universal red wine for food pairing. I'd personally get either a red Burgundy or an Oregon Pinot if I wasn't sure what the cuisine was going to be.
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May 11, 2012 09:26
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Mr. Glass posted:Well unfortunately "tonight" was 3 days ago so I just got a decent Cotes du Rhone. It worked reasonably well, but I think I probably should have gone with a white (like a Riesling or Gewurztraminer) since we ended up getting a quail dish and a salmon dish (I was expecting lamb). Haha whoops, guess I need to look at the dates. Pinot Noir would have worked very well with both quail and salmon.
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May 13, 2012 10:12
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I've found many people will have god loving awful 6.99 gas station wine growing up at parties here and there and decide they hate the taste of wine. It usually takes someone forcing something actually well made down their throats to make them realize that it doesn't all taste like that. Kind of reminds me of how I thought beer was disgusting because all I was exposed to was my dad's Coor's Light. For similar taste but not quite as expensive I'd highly recommend Robert Mondavi's Napa Valley Cab, or Stratton Lummis Napa Cab if you can find it. If you're buying the Mondavi make sure it's labeled "Napa Valley" and not "Private Selection", because the latter is loving terrible.
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May 19, 2012 11:48
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Absolut_V posted:I drink a lot of wine and I drink a fair amount at restaurants. I am familiar with wine prices generally and ok with markups but I was having dinner at the French Laundry on Wednesday and the wine markup was insane. Is this just a matter of "we know you have it so we are going to charge you" or is there such a greater expense in keeping a large cellar and a sommellier on staff for 16 tables that justifies the prices? A little of both. Their markup is a little high, I'd say about 3.5-4x cost. Most places do 3x these days. What I'd like to mention though is that although people tend to think places like this are overpriced, the reality is that they're likely not turning a large profit at all. I can't speak specifically for French Laundry, but generally fine dining restaurants like these are lucky to break even. Margins are razor thin, with insane food costs and payroll. In terms of overpriced for what you get, your local Applebee's is generally marking things up more as a percent than fine dining. They can easily mark up beer and liquor 5x or more.
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May 21, 2012 11:30
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benito posted:Cleveland was a great place to drink wine. Because of some local laws (which I'm sure the restaurants hated), a bottle of wine was capped at 2X retail, or they would sell it to you unopened at 1X retail. I always thought that latter part was a neat idea, because if a table really likes a wine they had with dinner, instead of having to direct them to a separate shop (who probably won't have it), you can make a small sale right on the spot, move some inventory, and create a positive customer service experience. Michael Symon's restaurants even had pretty reasonable and very fresh wine-by-the glass options, and those lists had fun, affordable wines like nero d'avola. Wow a fine dining restaurant would be losing money on those bottle sales. The costs involved in employing a sommelier(s), storing and maintaining a temperature controlled cellar, and renting the physical space of a cellar or warehouse all add up to a lot more than the retail markup.
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May 22, 2012 09:02
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Mr. Glass posted:I'm sure they make up for it with higher food prices. They really don't. That's the thinnest margin of all. I've tracked the P&L margins for two five stars, both oscillated between losing money and making insignificant profit. We turned a profit of $40k one year at my last restaurant, mostly because I got really aggressive in my wine buying and pricing.
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May 22, 2012 18:35
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Perfectly Cromulent posted:It's a miracle that wine retailers are able to remain in business. Wine retailers have WAY less overhead in every facet. That is not apples to apples. Even the glassware needs to be considered. At my old place we used Riedel somm series, which we got for $60-90 a glass depending on the glass, and we broke 1.5 a night. There's probably a reason Cleveland isn't a hotbed for fine dining. If that were enacted here we'd go from turning a slight profit to the red immediately. Actually I bet they just compensate with higher margins for food items. My initial point was simply that you can't really bemoan high prices at fine dining because they really don't make much money, despite the sticker shock at those prices. Perfectly Cromulent posted:The French Laundry's markups are absurdly high, far more than 3.5-4x. For example, the 2010 Dönnhoff Riesling (QbA) retails for around $20, but is $95 at the restaurant. That's a 4.75x markup over retail and probably around 6-7x cost. That is in no way an exceptional markup on their list. I admit I actually looked at some more expensive bottles to ballpark their markup. My estimate is probably their markup for their higher tier items. Cheaper wines definitely get marked up way more. No need to offer a bottle at $60 at a place like that.
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May 23, 2012 08:37
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Murgos posted:And you're being extremely pretentious. I think his definition was a little verbose. Many people believe wine should show where it's from. If you bathe the soil and vines in chemicals, over-extract the hell out of it, over oak it, etc. etc. you end up with something that represents the winemaker's heavy handed approach, rather than tasting like the place it comes from. There is a reason Old World wines are more popular for blind tasting. It's because the winemakers usually strive to have place show through in the wine, so it can reasonably be guessed with a discerning palate. Chalky minerals in the soil will definitely show through in Germany, for example. If the winemakers left it on the lees and stirred em around, and aged it in new oak that beautiful minerality would get destroyed and it would no longer represent where it was from, but rather the winemaker's techniques.
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Jun 5, 2012 10:24
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Aws posted:Also, I don't know what those guys in the whisky thread are talking about. One night we ran out of wine and we found a bottle of Scottish whisky. It was the most foul poo poo I have ever tasted. I kept yelling "RACING FUEL!" before every shot. Then I passed out for a few hours, woke up, puked, passed out, and had a day-long hangover afterwards. I found your problem. Do not shoot Scotch.
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Jun 5, 2012 18:13
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4liters posted:Incorrect. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0i86xFOAVLI#t=3m53s
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Jun 6, 2012 10:37
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Perfectly Cromulent posted:What's the rule of thumb for determining the cost for a glass pour? Speaking simply, the cost of the bottle = cost of a glass. It varies slightly but it's a really common rule of thumb.
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Aug 2, 2012 11:31
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Probably 99% of Sauvignon Blanc is dry and unoaked. Oaking isn't very popular with that particular grape. Some will stir the lees to round out the sharp acidity though. This is most common in California. If you're cooking with it any cheap <$10 bottle of CA Sauv Blanc will do.
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Aug 12, 2012 21:20
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I like Klinker Brick's zins too. Ridge's blends aren't too shabby either. Can some of you guys that have spent a lot of time in CA wine country tell me the best tourist wineries? I get asked the best places to go all the time, but I've only ever been on guided tours where my distributor takes me around. I know places that make great wine, but these are not always tourist friendly, and for all I know the experience at any particular winery might have sucked if I wasn't trade. Crimson fucked around with this message at 05:21 on Aug 14, 2012 |
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Aug 14, 2012 05:17
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Please post all about your experiences. I'm really considering working a harvest in Spain or France next year. Help speed up the language acquisition and get a little more hands on experience at the same time, I'm thinking.
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Sep 23, 2012 20:36
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Delille Cellars Grand Ciel Cab is a fantastic wine from your neck of the woods. I love all their wines actually.
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Jan 7, 2013 11:58
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You can probably find a Macon-Villages or even a Meursault for cheaper. I absolutely love Meursault. But yeah Puligny-Montrachet will run you probably ~$40 minimum. Actually you can snag some 2009 Louis Latour Puligny-Montrachet for about $40. It's good, and would be a good entry point to White Burgundy.
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Jan 10, 2013 10:22
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Which of the following is a region in Southern Rhone? St Emilion Cote de Nuits Vacqueyras Anjou-Saumur Which of these is a first growth Bordeaux? Chateau Palmer Chateau Lafite-Rothschild Chateau Petrus Chateau Montrose What is the grape used in Chinon? That's about as difficult as the questions get on the level 1. Give me your email and I'll send you a loose list of topics to know.
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Jan 14, 2013 11:17
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Have any of you guys taken the advanced? I applied for April, doubt I'll get a seat for my first application but I'm studying like I will anyway. Edit: Forgot to say congrats on passing the CS exam! Do you work on a restaurant floor?
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Feb 9, 2013 10:11
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Jubs posted:Here are more photos: Judging from a pic is hard, but that level is WAY down, and the color looks like absolute soup. What a shame. Can you explain a little better on how they ended up having this sitting around for so long? Do they have a large wine collection? Or this is just a bottle they've been hanging onto for a "special occasion" that never happened?
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Feb 17, 2013 13:45
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benito posted:I can't tell from the pictures, but can you see any sediment? When you tilt it can you see a thin black layer caked to one side or a thicker black layer at the bottom? A flashlight will help with this, and it will let you know in which orientation it spent most of its life. Additionally, if/when you decide to open it you're going to need to decant it or be willing to sacrifice the last few ounces. Who would buy the empty bottle is my question. If there's a market for empty bottles of expensive wine I'm gonna be rich. This is from just tonight. Not pictured is 02 DRC Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Duvault Blochet and 99 Chateau Lafleur. Crimson fucked around with this message at 12:21 on Feb 19, 2013 |
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Feb 19, 2013 10:47
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4/20 NEVER FORGET posted:drat Crimson.... ballin' outta control Ha...clarification, sold at my restaurant. I am not a baller.
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Feb 19, 2013 21:20
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How topical. Just tonight someone staying in our high end suites was drinking 2000 Petrus. They had the butler bring it to our restaurant so us two sommeliers could try it, because they believed it was a counterfeit bottle. It tasted like the cheapest, most nondescript generic Bordeaux AOC wine, almost definitely a fake. Like an even worse Mouton Cadet. The first time I've ever seen that, at least knowingly.
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Feb 20, 2013 09:50
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Exergy posted:Gurus, could you recommend sweet wines for my wife? She is a big fan of Port, likes Ice wine and recently has discovered Sauternes, which so far is her favorite. Anything of the same nature, worth trying? She'll probably love the above examples. Tokaji is a real crowd pleaser, I pour it for dessert wine pairings instead of Sauternes. You could also go further along the Port route and have her try some Pedro Ximenez Sherry or Madeira. PX Sherry will be pretty thick and have a maple syrup type sweetness to it, whereas a Madeira will have a sweet prune/raisin mixed with caramel thing going on. I personally love Madeira, but to be honest most women don't.
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Feb 27, 2013 07:22
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No Wave posted:I'm loving nuts about Sauternes. Does anyone have any favorite brands for around $30 a half-bottle (or less)? I've only had a few types. Chateau Roumieu Lacoste is tasty and inexpensive.
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Apr 4, 2013 05:24
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Just finished my Advanced Sommelier theory exam, with the service up tomorrow. Extremely difficult, doubt I passed even with a 60% threshold. I don't feel too bad though, very few people pass on their first attempt. I can email all the questions I remembered to any certified somms interested in taking the exam.
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Apr 11, 2013 05:45
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