on wine, volume 1
It all begins with an idea.
BY PATRICK MURPHY, Sommelier
For those of us who enjoy the unique pleasure of dining in a restaurant with a forward-thinking chef and sommelier, there is always the likelihood of being stumped by an ingredient, preparation, or region. While this is a welcomed experience of the intrepid diner, for most it can harken a fear of disappointment in their selection.
The cultivation of ideas and concepts by the culinary and beverage team are stoked in hours of contemplation and lively (dis)agreements. This forging process is reflective of our passion to make as many guests smile with a bite or sip.
The challenging part is how to focus this commitment into the truncated opportunity of the menu’s tableside description. Then to add a splash of charm atop the details of a wine or a dish's execution, is a rarefied skill set that is required by top restaurants.
Maximizing your enjoyment of the menu can best be done by inquiring about certain menu items with your server or researching dishes in advance. But what of the wine list? Some of these can stretch into thousands of selections or be so esoteric that even an educated guess of a wine's pronunciation can be oddly problematic. Below are a few incredibly valuable tips on how to maximize your enjoyment of wine specifically as an integral part of your gastronomical experience.
1: Embrace not knowing.
The only way to continue learning about all things food and wine you must admit that you actually DO know what you don't know. Learning how to be comfortable with this, allows you to be comfortable in asking for details about a specific wine, region, flavor profile etc. thus, opening the door to asking the right questions. For example, I was scanning the shelves of one of my favorite wine shops when I came across a varietal that is most commonly reserved for a Master Sommelier candidate's tattered flashcard. The varietal in question was Susumaniello, a wine I've only had once before and very much in passing. Knowing that I wasn't certain of the flavor profile, I simply had to ask!
After a brief rundown of the wine, I was reminded of similar tasting wines that helped me make sense of this obscure grape from Puglia. Based on what I did know, I was able to paint a picture of what I did not.
2: Provide the Sommelier with as much information as possible.
Helping create a template of what type of wine you are after is best done with examples of wine that you have enjoyed in the past. The more specifics the better! While most wine professionals have the ability to find a wine that you will enjoy off of a simple, "I like red", the odds are far better that the appropriate selection will be made with specifics. A photo of a wine label is a great example and likely the most helpful in transmitting details to the sommelier. Additionally, indicating how adventurous you would like to be can add wines to the sommelier's short list of recommendations which often prove to be incredibly eye-opening and memorable.
3: Get the temperature right.
One of the great injustices to a wine that is often overlooked is incorrect service temperature. Red wine served too warm and white wine served too cold are the easiest ways to sap all the joy out of your experience. At Trust, we keep all red wines served by the bottle in a temperature-controlled wine fridge set to 60 degrees. This is a great catch-all service temperature for red wine as it keeps the volatilization of the alcohol in check. When a wine is served at a temperature greater than 65 degrees, the balance of aromas and flavor become unbalanced and alcohol takes center stage.
Despite the profound difference made by proper service temperature, some still like their white and rose wines bitterly cold. Therefore, nearly all restaurants keep those wines in a refrigerator set at or below 40 degrees. This is far too cold if you want to accurately experience subtle aromatics, delicate structures, or the deft touch of the winemaker. The solution, thankfully, is as simple as leaving the bottle on the table or decanting to help bring the wine to a more expressive version of itself.
While there exists an endless amount of opinions and preferences when it comes to enjoying wine, these ring true to the largest majority of wine drinkers and are the most effective when practiced as second nature.