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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Official State Portal

Read the true story by George Taber

The French have a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ about their wine, and they are the first to let you know about it. And why shouldn’t they? So when American Steven Spurrier challenged France to a blind taste test, they were quick to accept. But the French didn’t know that Napa Valley is one of the best places in the world to grow wine grapes. So the stage was set, a face off between France and California.
A tasting panel of 8 French men and 1 French woman was assembled to judge the competition. Six California Cabernet Sauvignons were pitted against four of the top red wines from Bordeaux and six California Chardonnay competed against four highly regarded whites from Burgundy in the 1976 blind taste test.
As the tasting began, people who witnessed the competition realized that something unexpected was occuring as the judges couldn’t tell which wines were from California. One judge noted, “That is definitely California. It has no nose.” He was speaking of the 1973 Batard Montrachet, which at the time, was regarded as one of the finest wines in the world.
The end results was a “shot heard round the world.” The 1973 Stags Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon won the red category. The 1973 Chateau Montelena from Calistoga was voted the best white. A must read is “Judgement of Paris” by George Taber. I am in the middle of this book and the story is intriguing and factual for you history buffs.

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California has more than 107 AVA’s (American Viticultural Areas). An AVA, or American Vinticultural Area, is a specific grape – growing area within a state or a region recognized by and registered with the federal government. AVA designation began in the 1980′s and is a system styled after the European system (AOC).

*NOTE: If an AVA is listed on the label, at least 85% of the grapes must come from that region

Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are the most widely planted varietals. More than 2,600 wineries (check out our list) are bonded in the state, up over 200% from 1990. In 2007, over 192 million cases of California wine were sold. Land planted to grapes now tops 527,000 acres.

California Wine Facts at a Glance

Number of wineries in California
2,843
Number of winegrape growers in California
4,600
Varieties of winegrapes grown in California
More than 110
Counties in California where winegrapes are grown
48 out of 58
Number of jobs created by California wine
820,000 U.S. jobs, of which 330,000 are in California
Bottles produced with one ton of California winegrapes
Approx. 797 or 65 cases
Amount of winegrapes in one (750ml) bottle of wine
600-800 grapes or 2.8 lbs.
Bottles produced by one grapevine
Approx. 5
Percent of wine sold in U.S. purchased by women
55.4%
People who visit California wine regions every year
20.7 million

For current tourism and seasonal happenings, contact the below organizations;

 
Northern California

Central California

Southern

Central Valley

View Larger Map

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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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See, everything goes with wine.  We love Fathers Day around here.  The kids fix breakfast in bed for Joel and present him with tokens of their affection and sappy cards.  Then we get to think of all the chores that they (or we) have avoided in the past few months and guilt them into action; “Dad is going to (fill in blank with procrastinated chore) and it’s Fathers Day.” Of course the kids jump into action to keep him from doing anything.  If the sun shines then it will be a weekend filled with yard work.  If the sun doesn’t shine then it’s a weekend of setting up the new office and cleaning out the family room and garage.  Muwahahahaha {insert evil laugh}

For Fathers Day dinner, I think it’s time to break the barbecue and the credit cards out of mothballs and spring for a couple of really good steaks.  This calls for the Moda’ from Talamonti Vineyard Italy.  I spoke about this wine about a week ago from a tasting at WineStyles in Federal way.  I think I mentioned that I thought the smoky taste will go perfect with rare barbecued beef.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

As Always,

Love, Laugh, Learn… LIVE!

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What a wonderful day.  I slept in, the sun was shining, coffee was ready when I woke up and we had 2 tastings scheduled, heaven.

We picked up 4 bottles from Chateau Ste. Michelle and hung out to taste but we didn’t go over to the retail side because there was a concert today, which I would have known if I had checked our events page, and it was crowded.  I would have loved to go to the concert but we didn’t buy tickets in time and the show sold out.  If anyone went to Crosby Stills and Nash tonight let me know how the show was.

When we left the winery we needed a bite to eat so we hit Barbecue Pete’s in Kent on our way home.  The special today was baby back ribs.  I love food you can eat with your hands.  They were cooked to perfection, the meat fell off the bone,  great flavor, great sauce.  Look for them every year at the Puyallup Fair, in Puyallup Washington  or at their Kent Washington location.

Of course, I got barbecue sauce on my shirt so we had to stop by home to change.  Then it was off to WineStyles in Federal Way for the members pick up and tasting.   The event started at 5:00, we arrived about 5:25 and the back area was already full.  As with most wine events the people were wonderful and we were able to squeeze in.  We tasted several selections and were treated to a glass of 2006 Goose Ridge Vineyards Vireo (Thanks Scott, our treat next time).  I loved the earthy nose and flavor, we bought a bottle to enjoy later.

The day lived up to its promise,  it makes me excited about what tomorrow will bring.

As always,

Love, Laugh, Learn… LIVE!

WineStyles in Federal Way has tastings every Friday at 6:00 until 9:00. After dinner at Jimmy Mac’s Roadhouse we were ready to settle down and do some serious tasting. Christine made us feel right at home as soon as we walked through the door.  We were not members YET so we got teeny tiny glasses and headed over to the tasting area. I felt a bit inadequate as everyone else had a big glass. I think I had glass envy.   (Note: If you plan to attend tastings at WineStyles , join the wine club! If you’re a member you get a wine glass large enough to actually get a good swirl going. If you’re NOT a member you get this tiny glass that is half full with a measured tasting pour).

One of the distributors, VI Wines was presenting 5 selections from Italy and Argentina. Giampaolo from VI Wines greeted us and offered the first selection, a 2009 Trebbiano D’Abruzzo Talamonti from Italy.   It was crisp and fresh and seemed it would be a nice wine for hot summer days. Not my favorite but good.

The next selection was a 2008 Talamonti Moda’ also from Italy.  The first thing that hit me was the smoky fragrance  followed quickly by  the smoky flavor.    Hints of tobacco, and leather made me feel like I was sitting in some wood paneled library waiting for words of wisdom from a grizzle bearded genius.  I think this will go wonderfully with barbecued London broil, rare of course.  We bought 2 bottles.

Next was a 2008 Malbec Xumek from Argentina.   Berries and spice and everything nice… but again,  not my favorite.

2007 Syrah Xumek from Argentina.   All I kept thinking and smelling and tasting was black pepper.  I could see this wine with steak.  This was my least favorite of the group.

The last selection was a Stella Rosa Brachetto from Italy.  Okay, first I’m not usually a big sweet wine fan, BUT this wine was outstanding.  The fragrance was like young roses and it tasted like the rose candy from France that came in a metal box with flowers on the cover that I used to buy at the drugstore by my house when I was a kid.  It is sweet but not too sweet, light but full of flavor with just a little bit of effervescence.    I was in love.  We bought 6 bottles and I’m sure I will go back for more.  Christine told me that they usually have it in stock and can easily get it if they don’t.

Giampaolo was friendly and seemed knowledgeable.  He really made the experience a lot more fun with his stories, information about each wine, and great personality.

By the time we left we had not only bought 8 bottles of wine but we joined the club so next time we can have one of the grown up  glasses.

I look forward to a lot of really fun evenings at WineStyles in Federal Way.

If you plan to stop by let me know and I just may see you there.

By the way, the Seafood Pasta New Orleans at Jimmy Mac’s Roadhouse was AMAZING!

As always,

Love, Laugh, Learn… LIVE!

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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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The sun was going down over Puget Sound on Tuesday night  we, my husband and I,  picked up our daughter’s boyfriend and headed to Arnies in Edmonds.

Http://www.arniesrestaurant.com

We sat out on the patio, an exciting and risky adventure in western Washington in May, but we lucked out.  It was chilly but not cold and as we were seated the waitress let us know that it was half off wine night.  With just a few exceptions the wine was half price (bonus!).

A quick note before I give you the menu.  We never follow the “rules” of wine, well I guess I can’t say never but we don’t worry much about the “rules.”  You will notice that about 80% of the time we choose reds irrespective of what we are eating.  So with that in mind I will continue.

Here is how the evening meal played out:

Bottle number 1:  2006 Stephen Vincent California Merlot

The notes for this say “a kiss of French oak”  I would say it was more like a French kiss.  The oak really stood out.  You know there is just something magical that happens when you enjoy wine in a great location with good people and that is that you can really enjoy a wine even if it isn’t exactly what you might buy for the wine itself.

Soup:  Arnies  Clam  Chowder (Classic recipe of clams, potatoes, bacon and cream.)

Very good.  I might have enjoyed it a bit more if it had been served hot instead of warm.  Of course, lukewarm soup is one of my pet peeves.

Dinner:  Prawns  Undecided (Jumbo prawns, crab stuffed, beer-battered and grilled. Beurre blanc and cocktail sauce.)

This was a very nice dish.  Well presented, well prepared, just plain good.

Dinner 2: Pan-Seared Oysters (Petite yearlings pan-seared. Cocktail and roasted onion tartar sauces.)

Not my favorite; however, I did enjoy the flavor of the onion tartar sauce.

Bottle number 2:  2008 Mirassou Pinot Noir, California

This one hit the spot.  I wish we had bought 2 bottles of this.  It was perfect with desert and would have been perfect with dinner… and perfect for before bed and to watch a movie and to take a bath… I did enjoy this bottle for an affordable choice and will pick up a few bottles of this for the wine rack.

Desert:  Burnt Cream (A Northwest favorite. Vanilla custard with a caramelized sugar topping.)

The Burnt Cream ROCKED!  Burnt cream and coffee is about as close to heaven as you can get this side of the river Styx.

That said I do have to go back to Arnies soon because I was torn between the burnt cream and the  almond joy sundae.  The almond joy sundae features Olympic Mountain toasted coconut ice cream from the Olympic Mountain Ice Cream Company.  If you aren’t from Washington and have never enjoyed a serving of this delectable treat it’s worth the plane fare from anywhere just to get this stuff.

The service was perfect.  Her timing was the mark of a true professional.  She was there if we needed her and took care of all of our needs but she didn’t hover.

We got to meet a couple of the locals who said that the service, food and people at Arnies are always this good and that they make Arnies a regular happy hour stop.

To you all,

Love, Laugh, Learn… LIVE!