New to wine, need advice

[sciko67]

So, just turned 21, and I am also starting work at a very fancy restaurant. I want to know and understand wine. I will slowly buy some, and have it with dinner, but how about some of you help me out with my understanding.

Knowing these wines and how to properly pair them with food will help me make better tips. Better tips mean more money, with witch I will buy new tires for the S/R. It is essential to me to learn this. Going beyond Red Wine with red meat, white wine with white meat, what are good wines to recommend with certain foods?

[sciko67]

If you care enough to actually want to research what foods, and wines I have available to me, here is the website of the restaurant. Menu and wine list can be found there.

http://www.chapmansrestaurant.com/

[SoCalZX2]

Drink scotch :p

j/k

I'm not a wine fan.

[fusew3rks]

merlot is great...nice and dry.

[scort2498]

that menu sucks... dont worry...
Its not that great of a restaurant... U'll get it its not that many wines...
pinot noir is a nice all around red.
A strong cab goes with the NY
A lighter cab or merlot goes with the tenderloin.
and whites are pretty much universal the ladies will know what they want they usually go with Riesling... just know which chards are buttery or oakey

BTW if U want to see the fancy restuarant i work at www.HarryCarays.com check out their wine list if u have any questions just let me know.

[tre2000zx2]

easiest/best way is to go to a local wine tasting ... most of the larger beer wine stores have them.. usually on a saturday.. of if you have local vineyard .. unlikely ..but .. never know..

[fusew3rks]

I'm a red wine drinker...never like the white.

[AZN_ZX2]

In my experience most people will know what they want, along the lines of wine.

[sciko67]

easiest/best way is to go to a local wine tasting ... most of the larger beer wine stores have them.. usually on a saturday.. of if you have local vineyard .. unlikely ..but .. never know..

Actually, I know of at least four vineyards within 40 miles. LOL. I need to go to a tasting.

[scort2498]

yes however the vineyards in IN wont give you a true flavor profile... best is just to go to a wine tasting with wines from napa washington argentina and italy.

[CJW]

If I drink wine I normally like the sweeter wines. I'm not a dry wine fan.

That being said my favorite wines are "Ice Wines." They also end up being like 15-20 dollars for a bottle that is about 2" round and slightly shorter than a normal win bottle. Basically about half of a normal bottle. Really freaking good though.

[scort2498]

cjw thats actualy really cheap for an ice wine...but delicious non the less.

[CJW]

It's a local place here. But it's expensive as hell compare to a regular bottle of baringer lol.

[conquest-king]

I prefer to make my own wine. My personal favorite has to be wine made from oranges. I used to make this in my dorm room. The most I made at once was 20 gallons. :beernana: At 17% alcohol

[CJW]

I like apple wine...

[conquest-king]

Yes hard cider is good and easy to make.

[joshalabama]

Lets progress through wine:

Type of wine is most likely grape used except for a couple of exceptions. Chardonay grapes, merlot grapes, cab grapes etc.

With that being said most wine bottles will describe how they are supposed to taste for you or where they are from, this is important information to have when describing it to a guest.

Also know your wine progression from the lightest white to the heaviest red. Something like: White Zinfadel (rose wine), Riesling, Pino Grigio, Chardonay, Pinor Noir, Merlot, Sangeovese (also known as Chianti), Cabernet, Shiraz.

These are just some popular wines that you will find in stores. One of the great things of describing wines, is the more you taste the better you will be at telling the flavor. Swish it around a little before drinking, people don't swirl their wine to look fancy. You do this to oxidate the wine and bring out the bouquet of smells and so that the wine can get a little more flavor and not taste so flat/dull. When you taste it try to open your mouth a little bit, let oxygen in, breath out your nose. When you swirl take notice of how the wine runs down the glass/how thick it is. Will help you describe it.

White Zinfadel - Chick Wine - Blush/Rose - Sweet, light, fruity pairs with most anything because it is kind of the non-wine drinkers wine.
Riesling - German -White - Sweet, light; pairs with sweeter dishes, fish, chicken if in a light sauce, and some red meats generally if they are in a light sauce.
Pino Grigio - French - White - Sweet, Crisp, Fruity; pairs great with fish, chicken, most seafood, lemon butter sauces and other dishes of that nature. Would go great with calamari and is a very crisp wine that will have a rich fruit bouquet in most situations. Look for flavors such as apple, peach, pear, etc in it.
Chardonay- French - Thick White - Buttery, Sweet, Full bodied white; pairs wonderfully with heavier chicken dishes, marsala, sea food, can be paired with red meats as well if tastefully accomplished. Very thick white wine, feels buttery on the pallet, Look for crisp fruitys ranging from apples to tropical varieties, also notice the barrel in which it was aged in, may get a rich Oak taste sometimes. Or subtle.
Pinot Noir -My favorite red, and the lightest red. - Going to have a sweet, light, delicate taste that will pair nicely with almost anything. Goes great with lemon cakes, and other light deserts to the most complex tenderloin. Going to have thin runners, a passionate red color, and flavors can be cranberry, blackberry, rasberry, cherry, black cherry, sandlewood, tobacco, etc. Look for La Crema Pinot Noir or Frances Copolla Pinot Noir. Two of my favorites!!! This is a very delicate grape and the most care of anyother wine is put into making fine Pinot Noirs!

Merlot - Most popular red, grape is easy to grow, very simalar to a cabernet though CAN offer a more robust/complex flavor profile. Pairs well with and red dish.

Chiati (Sangeovese) IF grown in the Chianti Region of Italy this wine is known as a Chianti Wine the grape is actually called a Sangiovese grape but this wine is crisp and deep red. It is a true Italian Wine and can be paired excellently with many Italian dishes. IF it is grown from the Chianti Region it is a certification label on it making it known called teh DCG I believe.

Cabernet Sauvigon - Very popular deep red, flavors include dark fruits, earth,chocolate soil, tobacco, various trees, etc. Very rich and can pair nicely with dark meats, dark sauces, chocolate cake etc.

Others: Zinfadel is as dark red, Shiraz is a dark red Australian wine. There are thousands of grapes though, these are just some of the most popular...If you have any questions on wine presentation, upkeep, learning how to taste, etc just ask me. I'd be happy to help.

[sciko67]

Looks like a nice write up, I'll read it soon.

Last night was my first day on the job, and my shift started by drinking on the clock. I was told I can sample any wine they they already have open, at the beginning of any of my shifts. That being said, Riesling is my favorite so far.

[ScarlettZX2]

Basic Italian food, go with Pinot Noir or Chianti. They are both nice mild Reds.

Chinese: Riesling is almost always suggested for this: However, there are so many different Rieslings it will depend on what you are having specifically. Riesling tends to be a sweet wine with a tangy flavor, but they also make dry ones. I prefer Chenin Blanc or Pinot Grigio/Savignon Blanc whites because they are simply not nearly as sweet.

Turkey: Same as Chinese. Again, I prefer the Chenin Blanc. If you like a stronger, heartier taste, go with a Chardonnay. Warning: the first time I drank Chardonnay, I polished off the whole bottle and kept saying "Oh, this isn't bad at all, I don't even feel bad" then missed 2 days of work because I couldn't lift my head out of the bed. It was Yellow Tail Chardonnay. That shit was fabulous, but by God did it kick my ass.

Chicken: Chardonnay, Savignon Blanc (Pinot Grigio). These have citruses tastes usually that go really well with chicken in white sauces. If it's Chicken in tomato sauce like Chicken Parmasean, I'd go with Chianti or Pinot Grigio just because of the acidity of the tomatoes. Sav Blanc is considered French and Pinot Grigio is Italian but are primarily the same thing.

Steak & Beef: Lots of people suggest the "heady" rich reds like Merlot, Zinfindel, or Cabernet Savignon. These are fine, if you like the dry, rich, sometimes berryish flavor, but they are not sweet at all and some beginners don't like them. If you find they are too strong, go for a good Chianti or Pinot Grigio. They are mild but still maintain the richness enough to balance the dark meat. I prefer Zinfindel or Shiraz with thick & meaty homemade beef stews. The blend of spices & veggies in the stew will need a stronger red to balance the taste.

Rose wines are usually considered appetizer or dessert wines because they are sweet. I think they tend to be acidic. However, these go great with your normal "cheese" appetizers. White Zinfindel is the mildest, and White Grenache. These tend to have lighter, fruitier flavors. White Merlot and White Cabernet are fabulously sweet and tend to taste like black cherries, but I'm prejudiced because I love black cherries....lol.

Remember, different brands will each have their own taste. Experiment til you find the ones you like. When in doubt, go for something Italian, it always works for me.

Don't forget the high sulfate content can cause migraines so if you are prone to that read the bottle. Some stores will actually have a "sulfate free" section.