Learn how to taste wine!
So we seated a table of six on a Saturday night. The chubby man at the head of the table wanted the wine list. He picks a Barolo, I forget the year and producer but it was by far the most expensive wine on the list. The guy was very obnoxious but what the heck he bought $190 bottle of wine.
We will get back to Mr. Obnoxious after I explain the wine. I don’t remember the year or producer but I remember the guy.
The Bottle
A little backstory. My restaurant alway found great wines at great prices and there was no wine over $70 a bottle except this Barolo $190.00. First, the price of the wine doesn’t reflect the quality. We also never upsold or tried to embarrass people for buying the cheapest bottle.
I believe there shouldn’t be a bad bottle of wine on a wine list, most glass wine is poured from cheaper bottles so if you drink wine by the glass then why not by the bottle. Restaurant usually sell a glass of wine for the price they paid for the bottle. Read this post about why to buy the cheaper bottles.
Back to the Barolo! My idiot brother who I will write about later acted like a bis shot and bought a case of this Barolo for around $85 buck a bottle. I think he bought it so he could drink it because I finally pulled the wine from the restaurant and put it in my cellar. Guess what? My brother drank them all.
Back to the guy.
Mr Obnoxious
So the order is in. The server goes to the wine room and retrieves a bottle of the Barolo. Six nice wine glasses are set in front of the people at the table and the server begins to preform a traditional wine service.
First the bottle is presented to the host so they can read the label, then the foil is cut off, wipe, pull the cork and present it by putting it on the table near the host, another wipe, and a taste is pored for the host. If approved the wine is poured ladies first.
Yes He Did! He Sniffed The Cork.
So Mr. O immediately smells the cork and grimaces. Now the server knows he has an obnoxious idiot. First the cork is presented so you can see if the cork matches the bottle. You can’t tell much from smelling it. Some shady restauranteurs refill bottles or switch labels.
Back to my idiot/sleazy brother. He would play big shot at his bar by pretending to open a bottle of Dom Perignon champagne and share it with the big spenders. He actually refilled the bottles with Moet and pushed a shaved cork back in. I will soon write a big post about my brother in which the sleaziness will blow your mind.
The Taste But… No Swirl or Sniff
Now is the time to use your nose. A little swirl to release aromas and enhance the taste. Mr. O picks up the glass and take a gulp, puts it down and says no, take it back. At this point I am sure everyone at the table is embarrassed, he just opened a $190 bottle and sent it back. The server offers to decant the bottle so it can open up. Mr. O says no he doesn’t like it.
My server brings the bottle to the kitchen (I am an owner/Chef)and say Mr. O doesn’t like it. My head is about to explode>
“You don’t taste the wine to see if you like it!! You taste it to see if the wine is corked (spoiled)!!!!
I calm down, tell my sous chef to decant the bottle for us to drink later and I head over to the table.
In my calmest voice
Me; can I ask you what was wrong with the wine.
Mr O; I just didn’t like it.
Me; was it corked.
He didn’t understand the term.
Mr.O; No it just wasn’t my bag.
Don’t say it! Don’t punch the idiot! Be nice!!! Try harder!!! Breath!!
Think!! Think!!! Ok I got it. I just bought a case of a close out, wine that the stock is about out. Most restaurants don’t want it because they don’t want to change their wine list. I have no problem changing lists because my customer are exited to try something new.
I bought a case of a Rhone blend from IO wines foe $5 a bottle. The bottles were usually over $25 buck each but it was a closeout. The wine ended up being so good that kept it for myself.
So I tell Mr. O that I have some wine from my special stash that I can let him have but it costs a little more, $195. He smugly smiles feeling special and pays $195 for a bottle I bought for $5 bucks.
My sous chef, wife, and I poured a glass of the Barolo in the kitchen and it was amazing. A guy from the table came back to apologize and I gave him a half glass to try and it blew his socks off. He knew what I did, gave me a a big smile and handshake.
Don’t be this guy and learn how to taste wine.
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