Restaurant Wine

Hello Wine Lovers!

Today I am going to vent about one of my pet-peeves... shabby restaurant wine service.

I'm sure I can't be the only person that feels this way, so to all of us out there... strap yourself in and here we go!

I choose a restaurant to visit as much for their wine list as their menu. I refuse to have dinner without good wine, they go hand in hand, in my book you just can't do it. So... the wine list looks good, the menu appears to be good, the decor is inviting, the staff sharp, the music is perfect, the lighting is romantic, we're all set. I choose a bottle of wine and then it happens, it begins to fall apart! The waiter comes back to the table embarrassed to say the restaurant is out of the wine I ordered and please select another. So now that I had my mind set on that particular wine I have to change my thoughts to something different. OK, the next bottle is selected and the waiter brings it to the table with what someone considers to be wine glasses (certainly not me) and shows me the bottle, I approve and it is opened and a taste is poured for me to check. I don't understand how someone goes to all the trouble to put a respectable wine list together and then screws it all up by choosing sub par wine glasses. The glass is as important as the wine! I swirl the wine and put my nose in the glass... and it's corked! Can't drink it, it's bad. The next big mistake is about to happen... I tell the waiter the wine is "corked" and to please bring another one. He looks at me like I have 2 heads with this total dumb founded blank look on his face and says"I don't see any cork in the glass" which at that point I want to leave and go somewhere else to spend my money! Educate your staff! Inform and teach, it is an on going process if you want to have a successful wine program. So at that point usually a manager type will come by the table and also with a blank look on his or her face say something stupid that has nothing to do with a corked wine and then another bottle shows up. (A corked wine is from a fungus that grows in the cork and then destroys the wine... a later blog) We go through the same steps and I approve the wine... next mistake and my least favorite of all, wine is served at the wrong temperature! I really dislike red wine too hot or white wine too cold! Again, you go through all the trouble to put a wine list together and the don't bother to serve it correctly! Red wine should be served at "cellar" temperature, around 54 degrees and white wine should be served at around 44 degrees, unless of course it is champagne and that should be cold! Too cold on whites kills the flavors and too warm on reds disguises the flavors. If you don't have proper wine storage at home use the 20 minute rule. Take a white out of the refrigerator for 20 minutes and put a red in the fridge for 20 minutes before drinking them. This will just about put them at the correct temp! The next big mistake... the waiter pours way too much in the glass! Just a bit, leave room for the bouquet to work it's magic, breath and grow and swirl. Again, educate the staff. All in all most restaurants get most of it correct with one exception, the temp.

That is why I dine at home and if there is anything wrong with the wine service there, I am the one to blame!

I feel better now that I have that of my chest... thanks for listening.

Cheers

J

Zesty New Zealander

Hello Wine Lovers! So what a beautiful fall day in Chicago, we set our clocks back so we all got an extra hour of sleep, the sun is out and the temp is perfect! A perfect day to go for a walk in the park, take the dog(s) work up a good appetite for dinner and go to your local wine shop and buy a bottle of this wine... Cairnbrae Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. It will cost you about $10 but you won't believe what comes out of this bottle!

This wine is produced in the Marlborough Region of New Zealand. Long hot summer days followed by cool nights created another near perfect growing season for this grape varietal. This is typical for a Sauv Blanc from New Zealand, bright tropical fruits in the mouth and fresh cut grass on the nose. This wine has plenty of acidity to handle food and enough structure and complexity to surprise even the wine snob you may have as a friend or neighbor. Your best girl will enjoy this wine as well. Go get it and share!

Cheers!

J

White and Red Wonders

Hello Wine Lovers!

What a beautiful day we had in Chicagoland! Happy Halloween to all of you. Which leads me to my first wine to talk about... Wolftrap from South Africa. The name is so appropriate for this Halloween day. First off many of you may have forgotten this area of the world for wine but South Africa has certainly been holding their own on the wine world lately and this is another example. This is a blend of 68% Syrah, 30% Mourvedre and 2% Viognier, in other words a Rhone blend. (Rhone being a region in Southern France) This wine is full of dark berries, blackberries and cherries with a touch of smoke and a little chocolate on the palate. It has just enough oak to give it character and a nice long finish. A perfect match for grilling or BBQ ribs. At around $9.99 give this wine a try, you will not be disappointed!

My white for today is a Peter Lehmann Selection 2006 Barossa Semillon from Australia. This wine is bright and delicate with a greenish gold color. On the nose you smell lemon zest and in the mouth you taste tropical fruit with a refreshingly clean and crisp finish. This wine is more complex than the $9.99 price tag. It has a lot of punch in the mid range and has a long finish with a lot of dancing on your tongue.

Both of these wines are a little off the "norm" of what many drink, trust me when I say you will enjoy!

Cheers

J

A Pair of Drinkers

Hello Wine Lovers!

Fall is officially here and the leaves are changing to vibrant colors, there is the smell of burning logs in the air, you wake up with frost on your lawn and you anticipate the upcoming holidays and family get togethers.

Here is two wines you can bring to your get togethers that will not force you to take out a second mortgage and will impress your family and friends!

Round Hill Oak Free Chardonnay is my first selection to talk about. You ask "Why is he talking about Chardonnay when I know he doesn't like most Chardonnays?" Well I'll tell ya... this is not like most California Chardonnay due to the fact this wine has not even been close to an oak barrel. It is clean and crisp with bright fruit flavors of green apple, lemon and pear with a soft finish that lingers in your mouth. At $6.99 you will be blown away.

The next wine for today's entry is Tilia Cabernet from Argentina. This bottle will set you back $7.99 and will also floor you! Tilia is the Latin name for Linden, which is a traditional tree in Mendoza whose flowers are used to make a relaxing herbal tea. Many vineyard workers and their families enjoy a cup of this tea after a long day working the vines. This wine is sustainably farmed which is another positive! You will find a dark purple color with a nose of sweet spice, red fruits and a touch of tobacco. The palate will give you cassis fruit, red currant and a touch of cedar. It finishes soft with enough tannin to add structure and length to the finish.

You will not go wrong when you show up at your friend's house or family's house with these bottles in hand!

Cheers

J

Spanish Wonder

Hello Wine Lovers!

What a beautiful weeken d, perfect for the last minute get together with friends on the patio and a casual dinner with a cigar chaser.Which brings to mind my entry for today, 2005 Las Rocas Garnacha from Spain. This wine is perfect for the grille with your favorite cut of the cow. It is made from low production vines that are between 70 and 100 years old. The mouth is full of raspberries, pepper and a touch of fig with a full well rounded finish. It is soft enough for our girls in our lives but has enough backbone for us guys. It is sourced from vineyards high in the mountains which of course puts a strain on the vine which in turn, produces a small berry with intense juice. Now for the kicker... this little number will cost you a whopping $8.99 a bottle! That's right, your eyes are not playing tricks on you... buy this now! You will not be disappointed!

Cheers!

J

Drinking

Hello Wine Lovers!

I was on my way home the other day stuck in Chicago's construction traffic (We have two seasons... winter and construction) and was anticipating dinner and a cocktail and wine when I finally arrived home, and it struck me. Why not talk a little about my favorite cocktail... the martini. I figured this was a blog about wine and how wine fits into our lifestyles so I certainly know for me a cocktail fits into my lifestyle as well.

First let me start by saying you can't just drink a martini to be drinking one, you have to lead up to it. It is similar to making love to a beautiful woman, it takes all day, flirting, teasing sending her texts getting her to anticipate... and then make love to her. The martini is much the same way. You have to think about your day leading you back home to enjoy one! The right music should be playing, the correct lighting and atmosphere, the correct companion to enjoy it with, and most of all, your undivided attention and relaxation.

Oh and by the way, the classic martini is not some "Cosmo" sweet tasting thing that the girls drink on girl's night out. A true "broad" drinks a martini period. (One of the many reasons I married my beautiful bride) There are two stories of the martini here in America. One is the importing of vermouth from Italy named Martini & Rossi and a bartender mixed gin with it and called it the martini, approximately in the late 1800's.

The second is of the bartender's name was Martini and he tended bar at the Knickerbocker Hotel in New York City in 1911. I don't care which story you follow... just follow one; it makes for fun dinner conversation. The "Classic" martini is always made with gin and is stirred and not shaken. You may know a certain spy with the last name of Bond who liked his shaken and not stirred. (As I do) Some believe when you shake a quality gin or vodka you actually bruise it. A shaken martini is know as a "Bradford" and I will bet you the farm the next time you are in one of your favorite watering holes and order a "Bradford" the tender will not have a clue. The classic garnish is a plain old olive. I know there are plenty of different takes on this classic drink, but I got to tell you the original classic is the best! Remember, take the time to really enjoy one of these little babies and you won't be sorry.

Cheers!

J

A Tastey New Zealander

What's Up Wine Lovers!

Can you believe summer is over? The Labor Day weekend is here and summer will start to wind down and bring fall colors, cool weather, the smell of firewood burning, football and hearty food. Hearty food brings us big tannic wines that make us feel warm inside. Big over the top Cabernets, juicy Zinfandels, big Sangioveses from Tuscany and powerful Syrah's. That is why I am talking about today's entry, a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough Region, Arona. Arona is a girl's name meaning "Colorful". This wine is bright and exuberant with a touch of pineapple and passion fruit with the typical intensity of a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, and a perfect match for the name. This wine is a perfect wine to celebrate summer winding down, perfect for the patio or as an aperitif before dinner. This will set you back $8.99 a bottle at your favorite wine shop, not a big investment and a pretty good pop for your buck. I would suggest you go buy a few bottles to keep you company for those last days of warm weather.

Have fun this weekend and remember to celebrate Labor Day!

Cheers!

J