Waitstaff Wine Training

World Rights Reserved, Merryvale Vineyards, 2004 Why Sell Wine?

As a food service by the bottle should be made accordingly. Never contradict a professional, the available (most winery web sites customer’s wine selection; everyone number one reason have wine fact sheets available). has different tastes and unless your to sell wine is opinion is solicited, don’t offer it. INCREASED ● Recommend Wine. Wine lists CHECK should be presented to the host Types of Customers AVERAGES rather than being placed on the ● Wine-Savvy Diners usually know AND HIGHER table randomly. Recommend wine what they want and are willing to GRATUITIES. and food pairings. Ask for the pay higher prices for a special For example, if you were to sell an wine order. bottle. additional 4 bottles of $25 wine per ● May I suggest champagne or ● Special Occasion Diners want shift, 5 shifts per week, 50 weeks per sparkling wine to start? something unique to celebrate the year, and receive 15% gratuity, you ● May I recommend a bottle to occasion. Often, they are willing would be adding $3,750 to your share or wines by the glass? to take recommendations. Offer a salary! (4 x $25 = $100; x 15% = ● Cabernet Sauvignon pairs range of prices to choose from to $15; x 5 shifts = $75; x 50 weeks = well with the beef special. accommodate their budget. $3,750) May I bring you a glass with ● Casual Diners may not want to your entrée? spend a lot of money on a meal Beyond the monetary benefits, there ● May I pair a glass of wine and appreciate budget-friendly are a number of great reasons to or cognac with your suggestions. recommend wine to your guests: final course? ● Frequent Diners patronize the ● It tastes good! restaurant regularly and like staff ● Food and wine are natural partners ● Banish Wine Snobbery. Many to know their preferences and and when paired properly will guests are intimidated by wine and make suggestions accordingly. enhance the flavor of each other. therefore never order it for fear of An enhanced dining experience embarrassment; pronunciations are will bring guests back to your difficult and tasting restaurant for repeat visits. etiquette confusing. ● Medical research suggests that, in Help your guests feel moderation, wine contributes to comfortable with good health. wine. Wine is a ● It tastes good! beverage meant to be enjoyed and it can be How to Increase Wine Sales enjoyed on many ● Familiarize yourself with the different levels, end wine list. Guests often look to of story! Some guests servers for recommendations since will welcome a little it is virtually impossible for the pomp and circumstance average consumer to be familiar with a fine bottle of with the 20,000 plus wine labels wine; others will available in the U.S. market. You simply want a great can’t make a recommendation if tasting beverage to you don’t know anything about wash down their the wine. It may not be possible to meal. Learn to taste the entire wine list, but wines read your guest’s by the glass should be tasted when wine level and possible and descriptions of wines accommodate them

Bud Swelling in Spring— Bud Break—Leaves from Leaf Emergence—Leaves Shoot Growth—More leaves A primary bud awakens from buds left on canes after winter are now recognizable and emerge as the shoot elongates. dormancy as the vine pumps pruning begin to emerge. shoots are beginning to At this point, shoots are still life up from its roots. (Feb/March) photosynthesize. (March) highly susceptible to frost (Jan/Feb) which can significantly damage crop yield. (March)

Flower Cluster Emergence— Flower Clusters Before Beginning of Bloom— Full Bloom—Because grape Many of these tender young Bloom—Flowers are fully Flower caps pop off to reveal flowers are self-pollinating flowers will become this year’s formed but have not yet the reproductive stigma and their bloom is unlike fruit. (March/Apr) bloomed. (Apr) stamens of the vine’s flowers. many fruits which display (Apr/May) extravagant blooms to attract birds and bees to help them pollinate. (May)

End of Bloom—All the Just Before Berry Set— Berry Set—Flowers that have Berries Enlarging—Cells flowers that will get fertilized Remnants of flowers remain been fertilized now become within the berries are dividing have been pollinated and the before the unfertilized berries firmly attached to the stem as well as expanding. (June) berries begin to swell. fall off the cluster. (May/June) and will eventually become (May/June) grapes. (June)

Cluster Closing—Berries have Beginning of Veraison— Veraison Nearly Complete—The Ripe Cluster—Grape flavors reached full size and have no Berries begin to turn color, point at which most grape clusters are fully mature, acids and room for further enlarging. soften and further develop have completed veraison is an ideal sugar are in balance—it’s (June/July) their flavors and sugars. (July) point to thin out those clusters harvest time! (Sept/Oct) which are the furthest from completing veraison. (July/Aug)

Images courtesy of California Wine Institute. © Merryvale Vineyards, Napa Valley, CA 2004 Winemaking 101 The Vineyard and What Affects the Vine

● Climate, as measured by European varietals on American temperature and rainfall rootstocks. The need to replant ● Sunlight energy many expensive vineyards caused ● Topography (altitude, slope, etc.) growers to look carefully at the ● Soil’s physical and chemical terroir of an area and plant characteristics accordingly. The results have been ● Soil water relations dramatic and as the young vines age, the wine quality of California Wine growing management: Specific will continue to improve. practices that the grower controls that ● Age of vine-Vine maturity affects directly impact the flavor of the grapes crop yields and flavor profile. A and wine produced. vine will not begin producing wine-worthy fruit until its third ● Canopy size-Depending on the year. As a vine ages, the grapes can varietal and weather conditions, become more complex, however, the grower must decide how many very old vines produce lower leaves to let the vine grow and yields. keep. Too much shade and grapes ● Crop yields-The amount of could produce vegetal flavors. Too grape clusters that are permitted to little shade and the grapes could reach maturity on any given vine sunburn and produce ‘burnt out’ has a direct correlation to flavor aromas. concentration. Too many grapes ● Irrigation-The amount of water and flavor is compromised, too the vine is given at key stages in few and the cost of production the growing season drastically becomes cost prohibitive for the affects the aromas. Too much winery. Sometimes, Mother water and the grapes aren’t Nature will control crop yields concentrated enough, too little with freezes, excessive rain or hail. and the fruit flavor suffers. ● Layout of the vineyard-Including ● Type of grape planted-Through vine spacing, trellising, and row technological advances, growers direction. The number of vines can determine the specific vari- planted per acre, the way the etals, clones, and rootstocks that vines are pruned, the direction are optimal for any given site. Not of the row and resultant sun all grape varieties thrive in any exposure all affect the grapes. given location. Napa was ‘blessed’ in the early ’90s with phylloxera, a For winemaking, see next two pages. devastating root louse that destroys the vine. It was discovered There are three main factors that during the 1870s drastically affect the flavor of the grape that American vine and ultimately, the wine that is made: species are resistant ● Terroir to the devastation ● Wine growing caused by ● Winemaking phylloxera. Therefore it is now Terroir is the one factor which cannot common practice be readily altered. The following in most wine factors determine terroir: regions to plant

White grapes (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon) are hand harvested, then WHITE hand sorted if necessary to discard defects. WINEMAKING Then whole clusters are gently transferred GLOSSARY directly to a horizontal pneumatic press. Bentonite: Neutral, powdered clay that binds with proteins and settles Pressing is done to maximize yield at the out of the wine, aiding stability and lowest pressure rating. clarity. The juice drips into a pan at the bottom Filtering: A process used to clarify of the press and is then pumped into a wine just prior to bottling, removing stainless steel, temperature controlled yeast cells and other particles. Racking settling tank. can make filtering unnecessary. Fining: Addition of a material that Juice is chilled to 50°F overnight. The alters the wine’s structure, then is clear juice is pumped off the settlings removed from the wine. Egg whites (lees) into another stainless steel tank and isinglass are fining agents that (racking), where SO2 and yeast nutrients remove tannins. Bentonite removes are added. The juice is immediately protein. pumped to fill 225L French oak barrels Inoculate: Process in which cultured for fermentation. Some lots are inoculated yeast is added to the juice for with yeast, and others are allowed to fermentation. ferment with naturally occurring yeast Isinglass: A particularly pure protein which lends additional complexity and obtained from the swim bladders of seamlessness. sturgeon and other freshwater fish that has been used for fining wine When the barrels have finished for centuries. fermentation (7-21 days) they are topped. The yeast sediment (lees) is stirred every Lees: Solids - including spent yeast cells and grape pulp - that settles out month (Chardonnay only) and one of juice or wine. month before bottling, stirring stops. Stirring the lees adds silkiness and flavor Malolactic Fermentation: Bacterial complexity to the wine. Wine is aged in fermentation in which malic acid is converted to lactic acid and carbon barrels from 4 to 16 months. dioxide, adding complexity to and Chardonnay is encouraged to undergo a ‘softening’ wines. second fermentation, called malolactic; Pneumatic Press: A horizontal press Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon are not. with an inflatable membrane that The secondary fermentation is really a gently squeezes the grapes against the conversion of malic acid to lactic acid. side of the tank as it swells. The conversion softens the wine and adds Racking: Process in which the clear buttery aromas. juice or wine is separated from the lees. Barrels are racked (clear wine separated Sulfites: Antimicrobial and anti- from lees) with pressure from inert gas oxidizing material used to protect (nitrogen)—for gentle handling and juice and wine. In the winery, sulfites minimal aeration—and the wine is may be used to clean and sterilize blended into stainless steel tanks. equipment, kill harmful bacteria, prevent wine from oxidizing, guard Some wines are fined with bentonite to against spoilage at bottling or inhibit remove excess proteins, and isinglass to spoilage microbes on the grapes. remove excess tannins and sculpt the Sulfites are also a natural by-product mouth-feel. of fermentation. (SO2 – sulfur dioxide) Some wines are filtered for clarification Yeast: One-celled organisms just prior to bottling. that, in winemaking, convert sugar to alcohol.

Red grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Syrah, RED Zinfandel, Pinot Noir) are hand harvested, WINEMAKING then hand sorted if necessary to discard GLOSSARY defects. The clusters are then gently de-stemmed without crushing and the must Bordeaux reds: The five classic put into stainless steel tanks. Bordeaux red winegrape varietals are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet When naturally-occurring yeasts have begun Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. to ferment the must, nutrients are added during the first pump-over. Rather than Fining: Process in which protein (such inoculating with an introduced yeast, using as egg whites) is added to the wine to the wild yeast results in added complexity combine with and remove excess tannin. and seamlessness in the wine. Fermentation Fining ‘sculpts’ tannins and helps to may last from 5 to 15 days. After fermentation remove astringency and may improve finishes, the wine is left on the skins, often wine clarity when the fining agent for an additional 30 days of extended attaches to suspended particles which maceration, to allow softening of the tannins then fall to the bottom of the barrel. which have been extracted from the skins. Free-run: Juice or wine that runs freely The free-run wine is separated from the from a tank before pressing. skins. The skins, which are still quite moist, are shoveled into bins and placed into a Maceration: The extraction of aroma, pneumatic press. The wine is monitored color, flavor and tannins from grape skins usually during skin contact coming from the press and only wine during the alcoholic fermentation. without aggressive tannins is included with the free-run, making it the most supple and Malolactic Fermentation: Bacterial concentrated of all the lots. The later press fermentation in which malic acid is fraction is kept separate. converted to lactic acid and carbon dioxide, adding complexity to and The wine is put into 225L French oak barrels ‘softening’ wines. where it completes the second fermentation (called malolactic fermentation). The Must: Unfermented grape juice produced secondary fermentation softens the wine. by de-stemming, crushing or pressing. At Merryvale, French oak is used exclusively because of its addition of distinctive Pump-over: Process in which fermenting flavors such as vanilla and nutmeg and its juice is circulated over the top of the complementary tannin components. must cap, to create more contact with the skins. (Conducted twice daily Racking of the Bordeaux reds occurs every during fermentation at Merryvale.) three months. In the first year the wine is aerated during racking to soften the tannins. Racking: Process in which the wine is In the second year in the cellar the wine is separated from the ‘lees’ (sediment not usually aerated during racking. (Less formed by the dead yeast cells). tannic grape varieties such as Pinot Noir and Tannins: Compounds extracted from Zinfandel are not racked nor aerated, and the grape skins and seeds that yields a red Pinot Noir is bottled after nine months.) wine’s color and structure. If not managed properly from vineyard to Blends are made in the winter following bottle, can result in harvest. In their second year the wines are dry or gritty mouth- fined with fresh egg whites if necessary to feel. resolve excess tannins. After up to 20 months in French oak barrels, the wines are racked Yeast: One-celled for a final time and bottled—usually without organisms that, in filtration. Unfiltered wines, because they have winemaking, convert not been stripped, tend to be more complex sugar to alcohol. wines. © Merryvale Vineyards, Napa Valley, CA 2004 Varietals and Styles White and Sparkling Wines

Sparkling Wine & Champagne— Sparkling wine is made in most wine producing countries, but technically the only region that has a right to call their sparkling wine Champagne, is the Champagne region of France. Sparkling wine can be made in different styles, but the common theme is bubbles. The bubbles come from dissolved carbon dioxide, held under pressure, in wine (remember, carbon dioxide is a by-product of fermentation). Chardonnay (shar-du-NAY)— Grown in most parts of the wine Extreme caution should be exercised when opening a bottle of sparkling wine. growing world, Chardonnay is ● Point the cold bottle away from guests or fairly neutral on its own, displaying valuable decorative objects green apple and mineral notes. ● Remove the foil wrap However, it is in the winery that ● Untwist the wire, keeping your thumb over this grape gets adorned with the top of the cork, remove the wire hood finery, from barrel aging and fermentation to malolactic ● Place a napkin over the cork fermentation. The styles run the gamut from dry to ● medium dry, rich, full and oaky to lean, crisp and flinty Holding the bottle at an angle, gently twist the bottle off the cork depending on their treatment. ● The sound you want to hear is a gentle whisper as opposed to a loud pop Sauvignon Blanc (SOH-vee- nyohn-BLAHn)—This grape is Dessert Wines—There are two intensely aromatic and acidic. main types of dessert wine: late Depending on the growing region harvested wines and brandy and winemaking techniques it can fortified wines. range from grassy, herbaceous, Late Harvest Wines—Grapes are flinty, and green, to aromas of harvested late in the season to peach, fresh hay and melons. It is also known as Fumé ensure high levels of sugar. The resultant wines Blanc in the United States. are high in sugar and low in alcohol. Acidity levels vary, but the wines are usually rich and Riesling (REES-ling)—This grape viscous. produces wines with a brilliant Fortified Wines—This wine type involves sweet/acid balance ranging from the addition of grape spirits either during bone dry to intensely sweet. fermentation to halt fermentation or after Riesling’s varietal characteristics fermentation. The great fortified wines of the are very distinctive; delicate, world include Sherry, Port, and Madeira. The perfumed, floral, and fruity with wines are high in alcohol and residual sugar fresh apple and apricot scents. levels range from bone dry to very sweet.

Bottle images courtesy of Demptos glass. Stemware images courtesy of Riedel Crystal. © Merryvale Vineyards, Napa Valley, CA 2004 Varietals and Styles Red Wines

Cabernet Franc (cab-er-NAY FRAHNK)—Herbal and slightly spicy in character. Sometimes found as a single varietal wine, but mainly used as a blending grape that adds aromatic complexity.

Pinot Noir (PEA-no Nwahr)— A difficult grape to grow and vinify, but when it’s done right, the wines are delicious with delicate and compelling flavors and aromas. The Cabernet Sauvignon (cab-er-NAY wines are low in tannin, with good soh-vee-NYOHn)—The king of acidity and broad expansive aroma and bouquet. red wines, capable of being the most tannic and long lived of the Syrah (sih-RAH)—Known as reds. Complex and supple, aromas Shiraz in Australia, Syrah is heavily of concentrated blackberry and pigmented, tannic, and alcoholic. cassis are most commonly found. One of the most plant- Stylistically, it can be fruit driven, ed top-quality wine varieties in the world. with aromas of blackberry, logan- berries and the like or it can be a Merlot (mehr-LO)—Lower in wild combination of rosemary, thyme, pepper, and anise color and tannin than Cabernet with aromatic accents of lavender and musk. Sauvignon, but no lightweight either. Stylistically Merlot can be Zinfandel (ZIN-fan-dell)—A fresh and grapey with tender tannins densely pigmented grape that and aromas of cherries or it can be frequently has high alcohol and deep, dense, and concentrated with massive tannins. highly extracted fruit flavors. Zinfandel is a heady, full-bodied Petit Verdot (peh-TEET-vehr- red with ripe raspberry fruit DOE)—Flavors of anise seed and accentuated by pepper and spice. When done right, a meaty savoriness characterize this it is often described as dusky, brooding, briary, brambly, grape. Used as a blending grape, exotic, brawny, exuberant, or opulent. this varietal adds color and a tannic richness to Bordeaux blends.

Oak in Winemaking— Among the constituents of oak are many flavorful The two main families of oak used for wine cooperage compounds. The molecules that give vanilla, cinnamon, are American and European. Merryvale uses French oak clove and nutmeg their flavor are all found naturally in oak exclusively. Although American oak is relatively dense wood. Oak also has a huge array of tannin molecules, plus making it easily watertight and cheap to mill and cooper, sugars that caramelize when toasted. Inside a properly made compared to French oak, it has relatively large amounts of oak barrel, the fermenting juice or wine slowly absorbs the some distinctive flavor compounds, reminiscent of dill and wonderful flavors and caramelized sugars from the wood coconut, that are not part of the classic, Old-World wine which complement and add complexity to the flavors of the tradition. American oak also tends to produce wines with fruit. Additionally, the tannins in oak blend with the tannins coarser tannin structure than the more subtle and supple and color of the wine to enrich and stabilize them. French oak. For many winemakers and connoisseurs, French oak just tastes and feels better than American oak.

Bottle images courtesy of Demptos glass. Stemware images courtesy of Riedel Crystal. © Merryvale Vineyards, Napa Valley, CA 2004 Progressive Wine List Wine Styles

Wine Styles— Any given varietal will have many different styles depending on the winemaking techniques and terroir. Consumers will find it helpful if wine lists are produced to reflect stylistic differences, either by region, or better yet, by primary flavor attributes, progressing from the mildest to strongest flavor profile.

Example of Progressive Wine List

It is important to note that different states within the United States have slightly different labeling laws. Other countries will also vary in their labeling laws and styles.

Vintage Alcohol

Varietal

Reserve/ Appellation Vineyard of Origin Designate

Vintage – The year that the grapes were harvested. 95% ● County – 75% of the grapes must come from the of this wine must have been harvested in the year listed. county listed. If more than one county is listed, the Non-vintage wines can be a combination of vintages. percentage of grapes grown in each county must be Typically, sparkling wines and fortified wines will be non- listed. vintage blends. ● AVA – Regulated by the Tax and Trade Bureau, Varietal – In California, wines are typically labeled as these areas have been designated as having unique varietals, like Chardonnay, or if the wine is a blend, the characteristics such as climate, soil, elevation, physical winery will create a features and sometimes historical data. 85% of the proprietary name for grapes must come from the AVA. the wine like Profile. Alcohol – The percentage of alcohol in the wine. The most common Reserve/Vineyard Designate blends are Bordeaux or ● Reserve – No legal definition exists in the United Meritage blends that States, however, generally wineries will limit the use include any two of the for some of their finest wines. following grapes: ● Vineyard Designate – 95% of the wine must come Cabernet Sauvignon, from the specific vineyard listed. Merlot, Cabernet European wine labels – It is common for European Franc, Malbec, and Proprietary Name wines to be labeled regionally rather than by varietal. Petit Verdot. Examples of this include Chianti, a region in Italy that Appellation of Origin – Indicates where the grapes come produces mostly Sangiovese-based wines. There are from by state, county (or counties), or American regional laws that govern the type of varietals that may Viticultural Area (AVA) be planted in the region, as well as blending, growing, ● State – 100% of the grapes must come from within and harvesting requirements. In order to appeal to the state’s borders. international wine drinkers, some European winemakers are labeling their wines by varietal.

Ideal serving temperatures: Range Ideal Fortified wine 61° to 64° F 62° F / 17° C

Medium- to 55° to 65° F 60° F / 16° C full-bodied red

Light-bodied red 50° to 55° F 53° F / 12° C

Dry white 44° to 54° F 48° F / 9° C and rosé

Sparkling 41° to 47° F 44° F / 7° C

Sweet 41° to 47° F 44° F / 7° C (but not fortified)

Storage/Cellar Basics – For a wine to be at its best when opened, it must be stored properly. The serious enemies of wine are prolonged contact with air, extreme heat or cold, fluctuations in temperature, vibration, sunlight, and strong odors. Wine is best stored under the following conditions: ● Horizontally to keep the cork moist and prevent it from shrinking. A shrunken cork allows air into the bottle, which may spoil the wine. ● In a dark, insulated and temperature-controlled room. Ideally, the temperature should be 11° C or 52° F, but anything between 40°-65° F (5°-18° C) is fine as long as the temperature doesn’t fluctuate. The higher the storage temperature, the faster the wine will age, as higher temperatures increase the rate of oxidation.

Cellar image courtesy of the Inn at Langley, Washington. © Merryvale Vineyards, Napa Valley, CA 2004 Restaurant Wine Service Tools of the Trade

Decanter – There are two main will make it easier to place the bottle reasons to decant a wine: to remove in the bucket for quick chilling. the sediment from an older bottle of red wine and to aerate a young bottle Glasses of red wine. To decant a wine off its ● Shape - The best shape for a wine sediment, it can be helpful to hold a glass is one that has a stem and a flashlight or candle under the neck of bowl that is turned in slightly at the rim to capture and hold the aroma of the wine. The stem will allow the customer to hold the glass without affecting the wine Corkscrew – The ‘waiters’ corkscrew temperature. The glass should be is the most commonly used corkscrew large enough to allow the customer in restaurants. A good one will have a to swirl a 2 ounce pour without blade for cutting the foil and a lever incident. Riedel has developed a for easier opening. To use this specific glass for each of the main corkscrew simply cut the foil with the grape varieties and these glasses will enhance the enjoyment of blade under the second lip of the wine to a greater extent. For more bottle. Next, center the point of the information on Riedel glasses, corkscrew in the middle of the cork please visit their web site at and give it a firm turn to anchor the www.riedelcrystal.com worm. Turn the corkscrew gently and firmly without pressing down, until the worm has been inserted entirely (depending on cork length, this will vary). Place the lever on the lip of the the bottle while pouring the wine into bottle and pull up slowly and firmly. the decanter. This makes it possible to see the sediment as you are pouring and stop accordingly.

Wine Bucket – The wine bucket should be used to lower the temperature of a wine or to maintain the proper temperature. Fill the bucket with two parts ice and one part water. The water

Ahso – Insert the longer prong of the ah-so between the cork and the bottle ● Placement – Every restaurant and, while applying slight downward will have its own distinctive table pressure, rock the prong back and setting. The most common forth until the shorter prong can also placement for wine glasses is to be inserted between the cork and the the right of the cover above the tip bottle. Once both prongs are inserted, of the dinner knife. If more than rock the handle from prong to prong, one glass is to be set the glasses applying downward pressure. When should be positioned at an angle the ah-so is fully inserted, simultaneously up from the tip of the dinner pull the handle upward and twist it to knife in order of service from release the cork. right to left.

Pull: Pull the cork at the table and present the cork to the host. The cork is presented so that the customer can see that the wine has been stored properly; one side of the cork should be wet and the other side should be dry. It is not necessary to smell the cork.

Pour: Pour 1-2 ounces Propose: Guests often depend on of wine for the host servers or sommeliers to propose a wine to taste. If the wine is recommendation. Know the wines on satisfactory, continue your list, as well as possible food pouring for the rest of pairings. Proposing several wines in the table, moving clock- different price categories will put the wise around the table. customer at ease and allow them Glasses should not be filled more than to make a choice that they are 1/3 full to allow the guests to swirl their comfortable with. glasses. The last person to receive wine is the host. A bottle of wine contains 24.5 ounces. Become familiar with your restaurant’s glasses so that pouring for large parties isn’t a problem. There is nothing worse than over pouring for five people and not having enough wine left for the sixth person! The remaining wine should be placed to the right of the host and poured when needed. Glasses should be kept filled, but be careful not to over pour. Ask for a second bottle order before the bottle is empty, ensuring uninterrupted wine service throughout the meal. It’s easy to feel Check with intimidated by wine service. So remember, your restaurant Practice Makes management on Perfect! If you don’t Present: Present the bottle to the host house policy for feel confident opening and repeat the wine name and vintage. dealing with a wine bottle tableside, wines that are practice with old bottles that have had flawed or that the the corked pushed customer simply back in at the end does not like. of the night.

Photo location and staff courtesy of Tra Vigne Ristorante, St. Helena, Napa Valley. © Merryvale Vineyards, Napa Valley, CA 2004 Winetasting The Five ‘S’s of Winetasting

See: Look at the wine color against a white surface. Aside from the aesthetic value, color tells a lot about the wine in the glass. As a white wine ages, it becomes darker, more golden in color and as a red wine ages it loses color. Oak aging, grape varietal and climate will also affect color.

Swirl: Swirling opens up the aromas and flavors and introduces oxygen which will help soften a young red wine’s tannins.

Sniff: Start smelling the wine a few inches above the rim of the glass. Often people miss aromas by plunging their nose straight into the glass. Note the types of aromas, their intensity and harmony. If there are unpleasant smells, that may indicate that the wine is flawed.

Sip: Take a sip and ‘inhale’ the wine—like a backwards whistle. Move the wine around your mouth. There are only four things that we actually taste: sweetness, saltiness, bitterness, and acidity. Everything else comes from ‘smelling’ the wine in the mouth. The slurping facilitates in mouth smell by drawing the aroma to the retro nasal passage where in mouth flavors are identified. The weight of the wine should be noted as this will help with food pairing suggestions later on. Think of wine weight like milk: a light-bodied wine is skim milk, a medium- bodied wine is whole milk, and a heavy-bodied wine is cream.

Savor: Think about what you’re tasting. Is it seamless, angular, full, light, crisp, Pressed for time? Tip your head back, take a buttery, well-balanced, overly sip, wait 2.2 seconds and decide what you acidic? Does it have a long think about the wine. finish or an abrupt end? Do you like it or hate it? It can be that easy!! Sometimes we forget that wine can be enjoyed at many levels!

When tasting wine, some find it useful to describe exactly what they are smelling and tasting. Common wine aromas are listed below. The aromas come from the grapes themselves as well as their cellar treatment (referred to as bouquet).

Herbs and Spices Dill, Tobacco, Bay Leaf, Mint, Green Grass, Straw, Basil, Vanilla, Black Pepper, Clove, Fennel, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Lemon Grass, Thyme, Licorice/Anise

Wood Smoky, Tree Bark, Sawdust, Tar, Raw/Green Wood, Eucalyptus, Cedar

Fruit Plum, Cherry, Blueberry, Currant, Raspberry, Blackberry, Strawberry, Fig, Coconut, Grape, Watermelon, Cranberry, Mango, Orange, Lemon, Pomegranate, Grapefruit, Lime, Tangerine, Pineapple, Banana, Kiwi, Apple, Apricot, Peach

Vegetable Rhubarb, Bell Pepper, Black Olive, Green Olive, Tomato, Celery, Green Bean, Beet, Baked Potato Floral Violet, Rose, Lavender, Lilac, Honeysuckle, Orange Blossom Earth Underbrush, Mushroom, Tr uffle, Humus

Other stuff Chocolate, Leather, Grilled Meat, Baked Bread, Butterscotch, Caramel, Soy Sauce, Cherry Cola, Coffee, Walnut, Almond, Musk, Butter, Maple Syrup, Hazelnut, Honey, Baker’s Yeast, Dusty, Chalky

Off-Aromas – Something is wrong here! Moldy, Garlic, Onions, Nail Polish, Burnt Matches, Vinegar

Off-aromas indicate that the wine is flawed in some way. The most common off-aroma is wine spoiled by cork taint. The affected wine has a musty, unpleasant odor.

Never drink or eat anything you Spicy/hot foods cancel Smoked foods don’t like. some of a wine’s fruitiness overpower all but too. Serve them with lightly the fruitiest, Sweetness in food cancels sweet, very fruity, low richest wines. the “fruit” and/or any residual tannin, and/or crisp Low tannin, sugar in wines, making them taste wines. Stay away from extremely drier than they are. higher alcohol, tannic rich, and/or Sweet dishes call red, and/or oaky wines. moderately for wines sweet wines of at least Spicy Thai food and are best here. equal Gewürztraminer sweetness. Smoked Duck and Merlot Crème Rich dishes Brulée and overpower delicately Antigua Dessert Wine flavored, lighter bodied wines. When pairing, look for Serve with full flavored, full complementary or contrasting bodied, higher acid wines. flavors in your food and wine Salty or selections. briny Pasta Carbonara or Braised Ribs foods also and Cabernet Sauvignon Bleu Cheese ancel the and Antigua “fruit” in Dessert wines. Salty Wine or dishes call for aromatic wines with Port high acidity, some sweetness, low tannins, and/or intense fruitiness.

Oysters and sparkling wine

Tart foods cancel Fish and game overpower mildly some of a wine’s flavored, medium bodied, dry fruitiness. Serve wines. Try these with very fruity, them with lightly full bodied, sweet, very fruity, and/or high acid, full bodied wines. In some cases, and/or medium tart or crisp wines will also work sweet wines. well. Salmon with Veal Piccata with Sauvignon Blanc Pinot Noir or a crisp Chardonnay

Around 6000 B.C.—The first wines are produced in Caucasia and Mesopotamia.

3000 B.C.—Egypt and Phoenicia start wine production.

50 B.C. - A.D. 500— Throughout the 14th-16th Wine production grows centuries, Europe had no to include most of supply of clean drinking Western Europe, water, and wine was Southern Russia, and a standard in the daily diet. parts of Britain.

The 17th Century saw Champagne invented and 1779—First vineyard in better glass making helped California planted at wine become more stable San Juan Capistrano. and transportable.

1789—Upon his return from France, Thomas Jefferson 1838—First vineyard planted in becomes wine advisor to the Napa Valley by George Yount. Presidents and advocate of wine consumption. During his eight years as President, Jefferson purchased over 20,000 bottles of wine from Europe. 1857—Count Harazsthy founds first winery in Sonoma.

1861—First winery founded in Napa Valley. Tragedy struck European winemakers with the spread of Phylloxera in the late 1800s. 1920-1933— Prohibition reduces 1976—Paris Challenge—Two Napa Valley number of wineries in wines beat top French wines in a the United States tasting in France. American wine, from 700 to 160. especially Napa Valley wine, is taken seriously for the first time.

1983—Napa Valley becomes an 1983—Merryvale Vineyards American Viticultural Area or AVA. is founded.

Map courtesy of the Napa Valley Vintners, Napa Valley Grape Growers and VESTRA. © Merryvale Vineyards, Napa Valley, CA 2004 California Appellations State, County, AVAs

North Coast Mendocino County Napa County Sonoma County

Sierra Foothills El Dorado County Amador County Calaveras County

Central Valley Lodi San Joaquin Valley

Central Coast Livermore Valley Santa Cruz Mountains Monterey County San Luis Obispo County Santa Barbara County

Southern California Temecula

There are 89 distinct American Viticultural Areas within California.

462,800,000: gallons shipped by California Other wineries in 2002 (US and abroad) Fun Wine 4,400: approximate number of winegrape growers in California. Facts 3,000: number of commercial wineries in the U.S. 1,300: approximate number of wineries in California. Order of tasting: sparkling, white, red; 1,000: number of commercial wineries in California, roughly half which sell fewer than 5,000 cases. young before old; light before heavy; 232: number of commercial wineries in Napa County. dry before sweet; 25: number of California’s largest commercial wineries who ship 90 percent of all California wines to U.S. markets. common before fine. 10: In the late 1850s Los Angeles had 10 times as many vines ▼ as Napa. Wine Consumption 4: California’s ranking, by volume, among wine producers in in the U.S. reached the world—behind Italy, France and Spain. a high of 2.68 gallons 4: percentage of California’s total wine production from the per resident in 2003. Napa Valley, known worldwide for outstanding quality. ▼ 3: The number of commercial wineries in the U.S. has tripled in the last 20 years. Turkey has nearly ...acre of land is home to between 450 and 2,200 vines. twice as much ...vine produces between 15 and 50 clusters of grapes. vineyard acreage as ...vine typically produces between three and four bottles the United States. of wine, or between 15 to 20 glasses, annually. ...ton of grapes makes about 60 cases of wine, which equals 720 bottles. Merryvale Vineyards is ...225-liter barrel of wine equals 25 cases, which is 300 located in the heart of bottles or 1,500 glasses. the Napa Valley. For more information, ...bottle of wine contains about 2.8 lbs. of grapes. call 800-326-6069 or go 1 ...5-oz. glass of wine contains a little over half a pound to www.merryvale.com. of grapes.

Statistics courtesy of the California Wine Institute. © Merryvale Vineyards, Napa Valley, CA 2004 Wine Quiz Rate Your Wine Knowledge

1. What is the term for the training 8. When should a wine be decanted? 15. Why is wine stored horizontally? of the vines with posts and wire? a. To aerate a young red a. It looks better a. Pruning b. To fortify a wine b. It takes up less space b. Thinning c. To remove off odors c. To keep the cork moist c. Trellising d. To hide the wine producer d. To collect the sediment on one d. Shading side 9. Tannins are extracted from... 2. What is the term for the second- a. Grape skins 16. Swirling wine... ary fermentation in which malic b. Grape seeds a. Makes you look like a wine geek acid from the grape is converted c. Oak barrels b. Releases the aroma of a wine into lactic acid? d. All of the above c. Should never be done a. Carbonic maceration d. Traps the volatile molecules b. Enoculation 10. Which of the following wines is c. Malolactic usually the most tannic? 17. Fume Blanc is another name for... d. Lacticidity a. Cabernet Sauvignon a. Blanc de Blanc b. Sauvignon Blanc b. Chardonnay 3. The human tongue perceives each c. Pinot Noir c. Sauvignon Blanc of the following taste sensations d. Sangiovese d. Pinot Blanc except... a. Bitterness 11. Why would fresh eggs be used in 18. Which of the following U.S. b. Acidity the winemaking process? Presidents was a big wine fan? c. Saltiness a. Tannin management a. Thomas Jefferson d. Spice b. Palate cleansing b. George Washington c. To add depth c. Richard Nixon 4. Which of the following is not a d. Filtration d. Helmut Kohl term associated with vineyard management? 12. What does ‘AVA’ stand for? 19. How many 6 ounce pours does a a. Lees a. American Viticultural Area 750ml bottle hold? b. Trellising b. American Vineyard Appellation a. Four c. Canopy c. American Vineyard Association b. Three d. Spacing d. Approved Viticultural Area c. Five d. Six 5. Stainless steel tanks are used… 13. What percentage of grapes must a. Only for inexpensive wine come from a particular vineyard in 20. Successful wine salesmanship b. To add mineral notes order for that vineyard name to depends on... c. To ferment red wine appear on the label of a California a. Product Knowledge d. To sterilize wine wine bottle? b. Enthusiasm a. 100% c. Suggestive selling 6. What is added to ‘fortify’ a wine? b. 85% d. All of the above a. Egg whites c. 90% b. Sugar d. 95%

c. Brandy

d. Vanilla 14. The most appropriate wine to d 20. a 19. a 18. c 17.

serve with spicy food is... b 16. c 15. c 14. d 13.

7. What is the technical term for a. A tannic wine a 12. a 11. a 10. d 9.

the conversion of grape sugar to b. A wine high in alcohol a 8. c 7. c 6. c 5.

alcohol by yeast? c. A sweet wine a 4. d 3. c 2. c 1. a. Reduction d. An acidic wine Answers b. Racking c. Fermentation

d. Stimulation © Merryvale Vineyards, Napa Valley, CA 2004 Napa Valley California 1000 Main Street St. Helena, CA 94574 707.963,2225 Fax 707.963.4441 www.merryvale.com

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