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

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We have been trying to hit as many new clubs, tasting rooms and wine bars as possible, but after a long hot (95 degrees at our house) Saturday we just wanted to sit down in an air-conditioned comfortable spot for a bite to eat and a glass (or 6) of wine.

Cork! A Wine Bar in Tacoma was our first thought.  I know that we have talked about this place before so I won’t go into all the fall-de-rall.  Cork! never seems to disappoint.    Nick is friendly and knowledgeable and just plain nice to be around.  The staff is always present but doesn’t hover.  The cheese plate hit the spot (you have to try the Oregon Bleu with the Root One Sauvignon Blanc).   We talked, we laughed, we drank, we ate… when we walked outside it was around 10:30 and it was still wonderfully warm… this is the life!

I have a feeling that this is the kind of place where you would feel comfortable whether this was your first tasting/wine bar or your 100th.  I highly suggest this place.  According to their website they have FREE tastings on Thursdays.  We may have to re-think our weekend focus for tastings.   Cork! has quickly become one of our favorites.  Stop by and tell Nick that Big Fat Wine sent you. While you’re there check out their awesome wine flight carriers, of all the places we have been these are the coolest we have seen.  I want one BAD!  Maybe next time we’re in we will sneak a snapshot and have one made… hmmm…

UPDATE: I found the flight carriers. Check this out!

By the way if you see a frizzy headed old hippy chick it’s probably me so come on over and say hi. And if it’s not me don’t worry about it us old hippy chicks are pretty friendly.

As Always,
Love, Laugh, Learn… LIVE!

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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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Saturday evening, we ventured out for someplace new. We arrived in Tacoma at CORK a wine bar! We just barely missed the live music but upon entering, we found the atmosphere pleasant and very inviting. Lots of tables spread out around the floor and since there were not alot of patrons present, we had a good selection of seating.

We ordered the First Class Flight for each of us. Three tastes galore and we enjoyed this so much. Since we are red through and through, we were ready for some swirling, smelling and slurping! Maybe I need new glasses, or subconsciously wanted to be different, but I mistakenly ordered the Root One Sauvignon Blanc with my two reds. This was not a bad mistake though! This turned out to be the best wine we ordered  that evening! The Root One Sauvignon Blanc jumped out with plenty of aroma. Apricots hit our noses right away, together with mandarin oranges and vanilla. This wine went terrific with the meat and cheese plate we ordered and made everything taste scrumptious! Especially the French Brie! We couldn’t get enough. If you have one white set aside for those warm summer days, make it this one!

The service was exceptional and everyone was very helpful. We will definitely be back. We can’t wait to bring friends and family to enjoy the comfortable surroundings. Hopefully we can enjoy the Pear, blue cheese, rosemary, and olive oil Flatbread, which they unfortunately were out of that night.

CORK is located at 3012 6th Avenue in Tacoma and parking on either side of the street isn’t much of a problem. Just plan to stay a few hours!

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