What are some versatile wine picks?

Sometimes you'll need to find a wine that matches a range of dishes, say salmon, red meat, and a vegetarian entrée. You'll want what we call a crossover wine - able to bridge both red and white meats. Try Pinot Noir (from Oregon, Canada or New Zealand), Beaujolais from France, and Chianti, Valpolicella or Barbera from Italy. All have good fruit flavour and enough acidity to make a great match. Another option is to forgo the bottle and have everyone go by-the-glass.

:: Back to top

What if I don't want a whole bottle of wine?

You have a few alternatives: house wine, wine by-the-glass, or even half bottles. Most restaurants have at least two house wines - red or white - that they sell by the glass (five or eight ounces) or by the half litre (about three glasses worth). House wines are usually chosen for their price point, availability and being least likely to offend anyone. Ask to try a sample and if you like it, order it.

Restaurants with extensive wine lists -and hopefully a good wine preservation system - may also offer a wine by-the-glass program. This gives you the flexibility to match different wines to each course or to the different preferences of your guests. Again, you may want to ask for a small sample first to make sure the wine is fresh.

Finally, seeing half bottles on a wine list is rare, but a good sign. Half bottles are great if there are two of you and you want to try one wine with appetizers and another with your main course. Stick with more recent vintages as half bottles age faster than bigger bottles.

:: Back to top

How much does one bottle serve?

A regular 750 ml bottle of wine is equivalent to 26 ounces and gives you about five glasses of wine. Some wines are sold in half bottles of 375 ml. If it's a dessert wine, servings are smaller and one bottle will cover about eight glasses.

:: Back to top

Do vintages matter?

They do, but you probably won't get to choose amongst different years because most restaurants sell the most current vintage available.

In cooler climate regions like Bordeaux, New Zealand or Ontario, vintages make a big difference. For warmer regions like California, Chile and Australia, it's less of an issue. If you are buying a wine from a cooler climate region or from the reserve list (special wines at premium prices) refer to a vintage card or consult with the sommelier to find out how the wines rated that year.

:: Back to top

Do glasses make a difference?

Some restaurants have larger-sized crystal glasses they are pleased to bring out on request. These really do make a difference, especially for red wines that need space to breathe. Better glasses are tapered in toward the rim, concentrating the wine's aromas and bringing out the most in the wine's aromas and taste.

:: Back to top

What is a sommelier?

The sommelier is a knowledgeable wine professional, there to help you make a wine selection that will bring out the best in the food and the wine combined. If you want advice from the sommelier, describe what you and your guests are planning to eat, the style of wine you prefer (red or white, light or full bodied, neutral or intense), and some idea of the price range. The subtlest way to do this is to point out on the list some of the wines you were "thinking about."

:: Back to top

What's the tasting ritual all about?

We've created a video to show you how to handle the tasting ritual next time you order a bottle of wine in a restaurant. In just a few seconds, you'll see just how easy it is."

If you're the host, expect the server to present the wine to you before it is opened. Make sure it's the wine you ordered, including the vintage you expected.

Once the cork is pulled, you will be poured a small amount of the wine to make sure it meets with your approval. Take a look at the wine to make sure it's clean and clear and doesn't have bubbles when it shouldn't have (or does when it should). Then, sniff the wine. If something doesn't smell right to you, it's probably off. Defective wines are rare but when you come across one that is musty (corked), flat and flavourless (oxidized), or smells of sulfur, acetone, or vinegar, send it back. It should be replaced with no questions asked.

:: Back to top

When do I taste the wine?

If the wine smells like wine should, then it's okay to taste it. This should confirm what you first smelled in the wine, and let you discover how it tastes - you can only taste sweet, sour, bitter and salt, by the way - and how it feels in your mouth.

The pros have a system to assess wines that we condense into our four-step program - The 4 S's. In a matter of only a few seconds, you can See, Sniff, Sip, and Swallow - or Spit if you're tasting a lot of wines and you can do this politely - your way to discovering if you like the wine and therefore would buy it.

Some people write notes when they taste a wine they like in order to remember about it later. Drop us a line and we'll send you a tasting sheet we've designed for this purpose. You can also use the tasting information in our book to design one of your own.

In the tasting ritual video for the question above, we've demonstrated how to actually taste a wine in restaurant. A quick sniff, swirl, sniff again, and then a small taste is all that's required to determine if the wine is okay.

:: Back to top

What do I do with the cork?

The short answer is "not much." You don't need to touch or sniff the cork. Just glance at it to make sure it's in sound condition. In our tasting ritual video you will see how Jocelyn ignores the cork after it is placed on the table by the sommelier. If the cork is dry and crumbly, or wet and stained, there may be a problem with the wine. The real proof comes in the tasting of the wine.

So if the server hands you the cork, look at it, nod knowingly and place it back on the table. If you are in to collecting corks - it's okay to take it.

:: Back to top

How full should the glass be?

When the wine is first poured, the server should make sure that everyone gets a few ounces, and some is left over in the bottle. The general rule is that the glass be filled to its widest part, about five ounces.

:: Back to top

Do I need re-taste a second bottle of the same wine?

Wine defects are very often bottle-specific, and you don't want to have the server top up glasses of good wine with one that is bad. The server should bring a clean glass so that someone can taste the wine from the new bottle. If all's well with the second bottle, just carry on using the same glasses from the first wine.

:: Back to top