Don't Pass the Wine List
Tonight 24 Hubert Wines hosted a group of women business leaders for a Don’t Pass the Wine List seminar. Manager Rose Balderson and Erica Nonni of Nonni Strategic Marketing shared some tips for ordering wine with confidence:
1. Prepare. Arrive at the restaurant a few minutes early, glance at the list, and introduce yourself to the sommelier so s/he knows that you are the host.
2. If you’re looking for a particular style but want a more interesting talking point, look for classic grape varieties made in similar conditions or with the same production method as their famous counterparts, e.g. cabernet sauvignon from an unusual place, or English sparkling wine made in the champagne method.
3. Choose wine with which you have a personal connection or experience: you will naturally have more to say.
4. Get into the habit of reading a straightforward wine column like the New York Times’ The Pour by Eric Asimov. You will learn about wine style trends and find real recommendations
5. Pace yourself, order wine in two stages - start with a good sparkling or still white or rosé for the first course, and don’t worry too much about the food pairings. This way you buy time and order the red wine(s) after everyone has placed their entrée orders.
6. Choose syrah – people generally like syrah but don’t necessarily know it.
7. Look beyond big-names like Napa Valley Cabernet and consider similar styles from emerging regions, like the Central Coast of California and Chile.
Wines tasted:
- Ridgeview Estate Cavendish 2011 (Sussex, England)
- Moreau Naudet Petit Chablis 2013 (Chablis, France)
- Terrebrune Bandol 2014 rosé (Provence, France)
- Loimer Langenlois 2012 Pinot Noir (Austria)
- Qupé Edna Valley Syrah 2010 (Central Coast, California)
- Concha y Toro Don Melchor 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon (Puente Alto, Chile)
