Big Fat Wine

Restaurant Etiquette

As with ordering and pairing wine, serving wine also has its own rules of etiquette. Keep in mind that the following refers to wine serving etiquette in a restaurant and that the main points of this ritual are to verify you received the bottle you ordered, and to make sure the wine is not spoiled. This is not a test to see how much you know about wine.  Relax, and enjoy:

• Once you order the wine, your server will bring the bottle you selected to your table.
• Before opening the bottle, your server will present it to you so that you can check the vintage and year printed on the wine label to make sure it is the wine you ordered.
• The server will then open the bottle of wine in front of you at the table.
• Once the bottle is opened, the server will present you with the cork. Look at it to make sure it is not cracked or dried out because that can indicate that the wine is spoiled.
• The server will then pour you a small amount of wine to taste.  Smell the sample to make sure that there is no strong aroma or offensive odor.  Specifically, if the wine smells like vinegar, send it back because the wine has oxidized and is spoiled.
• If the wine smells fine, taste it.  If you are trying a new wine and are not sure what it should taste like, ask the waiter. Keep in mind that it is only appropriate to send the wine back if it is spoiled. You can’t send wine back because you don’t like how it tastes.
• Once you approve the wine, the server will pour a glass for your guests and finish off with you.

Knowing these wine etiquette tips will help you impress your next date, client or dinner guest, making you look like a wine expert in the eyes of any guest.

When is it okay to send a bottle back (and how to do it politely)
Sending back a bottle of wine at a restaurant can seem intimidating or snooty, but the occasion to do so can come up. Have the confidence and voice your informed opinion if either a) you smell or taste the wine and sense cardboard or musty basement aromas or flavors. That means it’s faulty or “corked.” or b) if the sommelier or waiter chose the wine for you after you described what you were looking for and the actual wine doesn’t fit the description, send it back.

"This one's rubbish as well"

You can’t send it back if you just don’t “love” the wine you picked, unfortunately. A way to avoid this situation in the future is to order a glass or bottle that is sold “by-the-glass” and ask for a taste of it first.  The wait-staff should easily oblige you.

To politely send a bottle back, first ask the waitress to smell the wine herself and comment that you think it’s corked and mention the musty aromas. Or, ask her to try the wine herself either from the bottle at your table or, if you ordered it by the glass, the bottle from which it was originally poured. Communicate in an authoritative yet kind tone and you should quickly be accommodated.

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My brother and his wife invited us out to celebrate their 21st wedding anniversary at Chopstix in Tacoma, WA. Since it is located near Cork (one of our favourite wine bars) and Jazzbones on 6th Avenue, we knew right where it was located.

Given its close proximity to Cork, I probably never would have ventured inside,  expecting  just a mellow candle lit place to listen to Burt Bacharach (not that there’s anything wrong with that). What a fun place to bring your friends and family! I am still astonished at how packed this place was at midnight and happy to hear they actually stay open until 2am on Saturday night. Admittedly, we were not raising our hands to volunteer our talents upfront, but if you bring an open mind, some drink money and a few crazy friends, you won’t be disappointed. They played a variety of tunes from Bon Jovi to Neil Diamond and yes, even some Beastie Boys. The food was not inexpensive but fairly priced. I had the “New York State of Mind” and the rest had the “Seafood Mornay”. Great tasting dinner but the portions left us wanting more. Perhaps that is best considering our “American Style” appetites. The waitstaff was very friendly and instictively knew when we wanted attention.

Not being a wine-centric bar, I was not expecting much, but one of the house reds was really enjoyable. The Sycamore Lane Cabernet is a foodservice-only wine made by the Trinchero Family Estates in California. An enticing aroma of red cherries and vanilla with herbal tones really enhanced everything we had for dinner. It was medium bodied with light tannins and well balanced. We were pleasantly surprised and thirsty! Luckily, we didn’t partake in more than a few glasses, otherwise we would have been up on the piano strutting to “Blue Suede Shoes” or something equally revealing! Maybe next time.

Chopstix – Tacoma
2702 6th Avenue
Tacoma, WA 98406

253.627.7555
tacomainfo@chopstixpianobar.com

General Manager – Jasmine Baker

Here is just a sample of what you can expect at Chopstix in Tacoma!

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The weekends have been so perfect here lately, that’s rare. When the sun shines, we look for the biggest wave, leap in and paddle to our hearts content metaphorically speaking. Scheduling as many activities as we can into two days isn’t difficult, actually following through is!

Saturday, we ventured into Burien. Jona grew up was raised in that area but we never seem to visit often. Some good friends mentioned a wine bar there few years ago and we’ve been meaning to go, so off we went. Vino Bello!, It had such a cool name it had to be great, and it was. 152nd in Burien is actually quite quaint nowadays. The little shops and eateries bring a certain charm to the block and it was an awesome summer evening to walk hand in hand down the sidewalk.

Vino Bello Wine Bar was a gem! Bottles and local art  lined the walls and the music was pleasantly unique. We have often discussed the ambiance in wine bars and that we would really  appreciate some music that didn’t make us feel like our parents.  Led Zeppelin played at a socialable level in the background, rock and wine make a perfect combination.  Plus, we enjoyed the tasting, “Wines of Argentina”. These were great big tastes!

The one that stood out for us both was the Tomero Petite Verdot Reserva 2006. The Tomero Wines are made in Argentina and named for the TOMERO. The TOMERO became a part of the vineyard livelihood in 1883 and his presence continues today. His job is the distribution of irrigation water in those vineyards which, by law, are entitled to use the river water.  The TOMERO is hired by the landowners, and his job is to open and close the “Toma De Agua” (water intake channel) of each estate according to the number of water hours assigned.

This wine is reportedly aged in French Oak for 15 months and its  color is a deep dark purplish  black.  Nicely balanced would be an understatement, and quite honestly, that is what made this wine stand out. Full-bodied red with black plum and blackberry aromas.  Very  concentrated but not heavy. Perfect for beefs of all varieties.

We highly recommend Vino Bello in Burien.  We plan on returning soon and taking friends and family with us. The service was perfect! They were there when we needed them and they kept us in their vision in case we had that thirsty look in our eyes. Like I said before, the music was great and it made the wine and evening that much more pleasurable and complete. We ended up keeping our tasting to one hour because we wanted to go get dinner. We could have stayed later but trying to find a good meal after 10pm in Washington is a challenge to say the least. Does everyone really go to bed that early? Can’t we just stay up a little while longer?

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I had seen a commercial for The Grape Adventure wine bar and bottle shop a couple of months ago and have been meaning to stop by and check it out for awhile.  When Joel and I pulled into the parking lot of the cluster mall, we thought we might be in the wrong place.  It didn’t look like the pictures on the website or the commercial (does it ever?).  Creative photography I think they call it.

After our experience with the parking lot we were pleasantly surprised when we walked through the door.  They’ve done a wonderful job with the decorating and use of space.  The lights are dim in the bar/restaurant/tasting area giving it an inviting aura.   We seated ourselves in one of the few opened tables and within just a minute our server was at our table with the menu.  They have a pretty good selection appetizers, food and wine.  We ordered a cheese plate and both chose a flight of reds to start, then Joel had the mushroom swiss burger and I ordered the creme brulee .   The triple cream brie, on the cheese plate, was really good and the creme brulee was fantastic.

The atmosphere is what makes this place.  It’s cozy but also alive.  Lots of conversation.   I got the impression that the other people there all knew each other.  It seemed to be a great neighborhood hangout.   One of the “tests” that we have for  places we go to taste is, “would you bring friends here?”  The answer here is, yes.  I wouldn’t bring a friend if we were looking for a chic tasting experience but I would bring a friend if we wanted to relax, talk, taste some wine and maybe meet some really “real” people.

While this place might not be big and fat, it is definitely pleasantly plump.  We will be back for a grape adventure at The Grape Adventure.

As Always
Love, Laugh, Learn… LIVE!

Overcast, wet and rainy Father’s Day in Seattle. Deja – Vu. It doesn’t matter whether the kids are 5 or 23, they still remain the best breakfast cooker-uppers on Father’s Day! The only thing missing is Fiona and Liesel because they are “grow’d up and living on their own”, but they are definitely in my heart as always. The bare bones office is now setup and I thought I would crack open a “wine once enjoyed”.

2008 Columbia Valley The Last Straw We had this earlier this year at a wine bar in Bend, Oregon with Josh and Liesel and we enjoyed it immensely. Of course, we enjoyed everything we had the pleasure of partaking in that evening. As I sit looking through wine blogs, wine business pages and reading about wine history, I am picking up on the aromas of wet stones, and cherries. Flavors of plumbs and wheat. At the King County Library, you would probably find this under “Pacific Northwest Bordeaux”. The blends are what I love! Now I am getting a bit sentimental thinking about that evening in Bend, but wine often times is a great media for reminiscing and remembrances. Family is numero uno. What more can I say? Wine is thicker than water and if you immerse yourself in all that it brings to life, you will enjoy each day to its fullest. To a “wine once enjoyed” and a wonderful Father’s Day …again!

9:00 Saturday night and we realize that we forgot to stop working long enough to eat. As usual I hadn’t cooked anything so we decided to just head out  on an adventure. We ended up in a Sports bar and grill in Milton Washington. It was clean, smelled good, had a pretty good menu for the scope of the establishment and it was empty. I kind of figured for a rainy Memorial day weekend people would drown their dissapointment in just such establishments, but not this one.

We walked in and seated ourselves. The bartender was busy texting so it took him a few minutes to get to us. I asked him for menus and what red wines they had. He rattled off a few lower shelf grocery store choices and then hit on a Copper Creek Cabernet. I wasn’t expecting much, and I got it. It wasn’t bad, just not good either. Of course the fact that the place was empty the bottle was huge and almost empty should have clued me in to the fact that it may have been opened days earlier. The glasses were upper end dollar store variety, small with thick glass and monster rim.  He filled it to just below the rim so it took  swirl right out of the equation.

I loved the open kitchen, something about watching the cook prepare my meal makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  The food was good, fresh and hot.  Wasn’t the best I ever had but good.  Exactly what I would expect to be put in front of me if I was there to watch the big game… btw there are lots of high end screens for just that.

After my meal I, as usual, was looking for something sweet to finish out the evening.  Joel went and found the bartender to ask for a desert menu.  The bartender looked like a deer caught in the headlights but he did go ask the cook if they had anything.  The cook came up with a strawberry sauce drizzled cheesecake that with a cup of lukewarm left over coffee worked to satisfy my sweet tooth.

I probably won’t go back to A’s  for dinner but I will definitely consider it if I’m looking for a place to watch the big game.

As always

Love, Laugh, Learn… Live!

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