StoneWallKid asked:
I have almost no knowledge of wines… whether they are red, white, dry, etc… Is there anywhere on the internet That breaks down the major types of wines, whether they are red white etc., and what foods go best with them? And I need some help with wine service. THANKS
Adler
I have almost no knowledge of wines… whether they are red, white, dry, etc… Is there anywhere on the internet That breaks down the major types of wines, whether they are red white etc., and what foods go best with them? And I need some help with wine service. THANKS
Adler
red wines are good with meat, white wines are good with chicken and fish. i think whites also tend to be a bit sweeter. beyond that, i can’t offer much help.
Comment by B-2 — January 16, 2008 @ 5:25 pm
Winecyclopedia looks like a good website:
I suggest you go to your local library and take out some books on wine tasting.
The book that really got me excited about wine was a thin little book written by Oz Clarke, called “Oz Clarke’s Introducing wine”. Simply written and very descriptive, it will help you a lot. If you can’t find that, look for one of his other introductory books on wine.
Also, “Great Wine made simple” by Andrea Immer is another book that I found really helpful.
I hope it helps, and I hope they will make you into a wine lover, such as myself.
Comment by Anthony M — January 18, 2008 @ 5:48 pm
Your local mass market book seller should have a large section dedicated to information exactly like you seek. Beyond the reading, I would recommend trying as many wines as you can as often as possible. Have the bartender pour you just a little taste (like 1 oz) of all your “by the glass” selections. That way you can begin to see how all the wines differ and what each on is kind of like. It doesn’t matter how much knowledge you personally have. You will learn by comparison. Try wines at home too. Even cheap bottles (
Comment by winenut — January 19, 2008 @ 2:05 pm
Wine is unbelievably complicated, but it can be simplified. If you literally know nothing about wine, then get Wine for Dummys. Sounds silly, but that is a really good place to start. It will tell you the difference between dry and sweet wines, how climate, region and soil affect the wine, grape varietals, etc.
Once you have that basic knowledge, then you can move on to more complicated stuff.
Probably the best place to start is to check out the wine lists of the fine dining restaurants you are interested in, and then Google the names of the wines. You will probably get the vineyard’s website, but more likely you will get dozens of wine reviews and tasting notes.
If you really want to impress your prospective employer, subsribe to Wine Spectator Magazine. If you want to “sample” it before you commit to subscription, you can pick up a copy at the bookstore when you get your Wine for Dummys book.
The thing to remember is that, because wine can be so complicated, most customers are intimidated by it. Your job as a server is to make it less initimidating and fun. Yes, FUN. Wine is so fascinating, and the servers who are enthusiastic have the highest wine sales. I worked in a restaurant where the top wine selling server was a recovering alcoholic, so he never touched or tasted it. He got all his sales info from the internet, and from smelling and swirling the wine.
Chances are the restaurants you will be looking at will have a predominantly California wine list, but make sure you have some basic knowledge for French, German and Italian wines, as a smattering of South American, Spanish and Australian.
Comment by Elsie — January 19, 2008 @ 6:45 pm
There’s some great stuff here already. Like one poster said, I always prefer the fun aspect to the stuffy aspect. If you’re passionate, you will be successful.
I found myself in a similar position about ten years ago. This is what I did.
I bought “Wine for Dummies.” Despite the title, it is a great introduction to wine. I bought several of the popular wine types (whether Chardonnay from new world or white Burgundies, inexpensive of course) to taste so I could begin understanding the wines. I’ve found that tasting and reading at the same time to be the most effective way to get knowledge. It only took a couple of weeks to get enough knowledge to discuss the basic and most common wines sought by US consumers (Chardonnay, Sauv Blanc, Merlot, Cab Sauv., and Pinot Noir) with a bit of knowledge on place and history.
From a server wine sales position, these are the bricks and you need to know these at the very least. Moving beyond the basics takes a lot more work and will not likely be gotten in a short period. I actually bought the Encyclopedia of Wine and studied every wine that I served so I could be passingly familiar with it in the future. Also, learning how to “palm” the last sip so you can try in the walk in is a great trick.
As far as service, an earlier poster had good comments. A few more that will make you look very polished:
1) Whenever possible, approach the taster from the taster’s right. Also, pour from the customer’s right with the right hand. If this is not possible, pour from the left with the left hand. The important part is to never present your elbow to someone.
2) When cutting the foil, do not spin the bottle. Keep the label facing the customer being served at all times. As a side note, practice pouring so you do not dribble. There’s a simple gentle flick of the wrist that usually helps. It’s not always possible to prevent, so you should have a side towel wrapped around the neck to prevent even a small drop from landing in the wrong place, like a customer’s bald spot (seen it happen).
3) When pulling the cork, it should be silent.
4) After the cork is pulled place it on a side plate for inspection. There’s a lot of mythology around this practice and the best I’ve heard is that the customer should check the authenticity of the bottle through the name on the cork. Also, some defects in wine can be noticed in the condition of the cork, but I’ve found this overrated. Once all the wine is poured, remove the cork.
Good luck and I hope you enjoy wine.
Comment by Nathan R — January 22, 2008 @ 4:36 am