Discover valuable wine, travel, and restaurant tips (see sample & surprise!)

     Fine dining restaurants are excellent places to develop your palate and taste exciting new wines. Today sommeliers (increasingly known as wine directors) are experts in their field and can act as your personal guide to finding wines that are within your price range, compliment what you will be eating, and introduce you to a new region or type of wine.

     Not long ago, many sommeliers seemed intimidating creatures, walking around in an odd uniform with a metal tasting cup around their necks. Now - for the most part - the tasting cups are gone, and wine directors are increasingly both younger and female. Their job is not to "upsell you" a wine you can't afford, but help you make the most of your restaurant experience.

Wine with the Business Dinner

     Many people become anxious when entertaining clients in a restaurant, and much of that anxiety occurs when they are handed the wine list. If the host is a neophyte on wine, the anxiety can be acute.

     One of the best ways to combat this anxiety is to speak directly with the wine director before the engagement, or ask the restaurant to fax you the wine list. If you are operating with a limited expense account, you'll want to identify a white and red wine within your price range, and either read up on it on the Internet or discuss your choices with the wine director.
In any event, you will want to sound knowledgeable about the wine as you order it. This can include mention of an award, a quirky story about the winemaker you read on the Internet, or a visit to the region (if true).

     If it's impossible to speak with the wine director before your dinner, when it comes time to choosing the wine and you are on a budget, indicate a few choices with your forefinger subtly posed on the price.

     In many industries it is common for the host to pass the wine list to the client to choose. Frequently, Europeans are more well versed in wines than Americans, and they may appreciate this honor.

Principles of Food and Wine Matching

     No longer will you find hard and fast rules when it comes to pairing wine with food. The motto is '(almost) anything goes.'

     To achieve a good match it is advisable to consider the basic components of wine and food and 'balance' them so that one does not overpower the other.

Considering Food Flavors and Textures

     Have you considered matching the 'texture' of the wine to the food? Steak and Cabernet Sauvignon naturally seem to pair together well because both are rich, full bodied, and somewhat chewy. As you can imagine, steak with an especially light white, would seem out of balance.

     After weight comes flavor. Sole, steamed simply with lemon, is a light dish with a very delicate flavor all too easy to overpower with wine. In this scenario, you would want to choose a lighter white that won't overwhelm.

     However, if the sole (or any other 'light' fish or meat) is roasted it takes on a new flavor and would require a richer, fuller-bodied wine.

     People often ask what wines to serve with vegetarian, or vegetable-based, meals. The same rules apply. Hearty wines such as Cabernets, Zinfandels, and Syrahs are great with roasted, grilled, or even smoked vegetables.

Understanding Taste

     We recognize only four basic tastes: sweet as in sugar, sour as in acid, bitter as in quinine, and salty. If you saw your tongue under a microscope, it would appear to contain 50,000 taste buds that resemble cups. We have a different type of taste bud for each of the four tastes.

     Taste buds for sweet are at the front of the tongue. Along that and on the sides are the salty receptors. Then come the sour perceivers and on the back of the tongue, the taste buds or bitterness.

     When tasting, it is important to move the wine around in the mouth in order to ensure we experience all four tastes.

     In closing, remember that the wine director is on your side. He or she is employed by the restaurant to ensure you have a great experience. So once you've established your budget, listen to their suggestions, make your decision, and be certain to really take time to taste the wine thoroughly, see how its texture and flavor interacts with your cuisine, and remember it for next time.