Chilled Magazine - Volume 14 Issue 4

Page 62

Wine Cheat Sheet for Bartenders Tips and Tricks for Suggesting Wine on the Fly By Heather Dolen

M

ost people make wine more complicated than it needs to be. Yes, there’s a ton to know, and it can get tricky learning about vineyards, terroir, elevations, minerals, etc. While important, this information is unnecessary for a beginner. To talk about wine like a pro, first learn some key terms and the main grape varieties. Once you know the basics, learning the rest becomes much easier, interesting, and fun. Recommending or choosing a wine is a personal experience. However, with a bit of knowledge and the right questions, you can feel confident in recommending wine that is right for any occasion. Learn these simple wine buzz words to sound like a pro.

W INE BUZZ WOR DS TANNINS: Naturally occurring micronutrients found in the skins, seeds, and stems of grapes. Refers to the dryness, heaviness, and sometimes bitterness of wine. Tannins leave a dry sensation on the tongue and teeth. Most often used to describe red wine. However, some white wines, such as Chardonnay can be higher in tannins. FRUIT-FORWARD: Fruit flavors dominate the taste of the wine. Primarily, they will be sweet fruits (the wine may not be sweet) like strawberry, blackberry, cherry, raspberry, or gooseberry. BODY: Light, Medium, and Full refer to how much you “feel” the wine on your tongue. High alcohol (above 13.5% ABV) feels fuller-bodied. Wines with lower ABV (under 12.5%) are light-bodied. Mediumbodied is in the middle. DRY: Dryness of a wine refers to the residual sugar, or lack of, in a wine. Higher residual sugar will result in sweet wine, lower will be dry. ACIDITY: Tartness. Crisp, bright, fresh wines that cause cheeks to pucker, like drinking lemonade, have great acidity. All wines have different levels. EARTHY: The primary flavors are more complex and not fruit-forward. The exact opposite. Spice, wood, leaves, chalk, leather, dark fruit, etc. Will have a “meatier, savory” feel. FINISH: Residual taste. Sometimes your mouth puckers (dry, heavy tannins), or it can be sweet, smoky, or tart. Can be a combination of subtle and quick, or bossy and lingering.

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Articles inside

Wine Know How - Bartender’s Guide to Prosecco Rosé DOC

3min
pages 94-97

Tricks of the Trade - with Mariena Mercer Boarini

2min
pages 92-93

Food Know How - Shishito Pepper

1min
pages 90-91

Drink In History - The Martini

2min
pages 88-89

Secrets to Properly Serving Wine

2min
pages 84-86

Cool Products - Wine Tools for Bartenders

1min
page 87

Serving Sake With Gekkeian

2min
pages 82-83

Selling Spanish Wine Confidently with Ramón Bilbao

2min
pages 78-79

Tips for Selling Wine Like an Expert

1min
pages 76-77

Creating Experiences with J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines

2min
pages 74-75

Create A Wine List in 6 Easy Steps

2min
pages 72-73

A True Expression of Riojo with Campo Viejo

3min
pages 66-69

Tips for Suggesting Wine

4min
pages 64-65

Wine Cheat Sheet For Bartenders

1min
pages 62-63

Wine Questions Every Bartender Should Be Able To Answer

1min
pages 60-61

What a Wine and Spirits Distributor Can Do for Bartenders

1min
pages 56-57

Suggesting, Selling, and Serving

2min
pages 54-55

Celebrity Sips - Pop Stars

2min
pages 50-53

Competition - Sagamore Spirit Cocktail Showdown

3min
pages 46-49

5 Things with Bar Manager Ariana Vitale

1min
pages 44-45

Ask a Bartender - How to Open Your Dream Bar

5min
pages 40-43

Brand Profile - Supporting the Industry, Constellation Brands

3min
pages 34-35

Portfolio Profile - Maraska

2min
pages 36-37

Brand Profile - Frankly Organic Vodka

3min
pages 38-39

Brand Ambassador - Gabriel Cardarella, Dewar’s

1min
pages 32-33

Bartender Submission - Ohio Crawford, Backyard on Broadway, Texas

2min
pages 30-31

Bartender Submission - Julia Melucci, Sea-Guini, Florida

1min
pages 28-29

Anatomy of the Bottle - Gracias a Dios

1min
pages 20-21

A Message from Jesse Cyr

2min
pages 12-13

In The Know - Chilled 100 Spirits Awards

1min
pages 26-27

Cool Cans - CAN You Dig It?

1min
pages 18-19

Wine Labels - From Grape to Glass

1min
pages 22-23

How to Make Zero Waste Cocktail Syrups

3min
pages 16-17

Behind the Yuzu Bar

1min
pages 24-25

Cool Bottles - Your Best Shot

0
pages 14-15
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