AN INTRODUCTION
TO WINE
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INDEPENDENT WINE MERCHANT BASED IN SOUTH WEST LONDON.
WE HAVE A CURATED LIST OF
100 GREAT WINES
FOR DRINKING NOW.
OUR VISION: THE END OF WINE CONFUSION
This booklet is to help you sell wine with confidence... Wine basics • • • • • •
How wine is made Wine characteristics How to taste wine Styles of wine Factors affecting wine Wine growing regions
Serving • Recommending • How to open and serve • Identifying faults • Food pairing
Putting it to practice...
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WHAT IS WINE?
Wine is an alcoholic beverage made with fermented grapes. Technically, wine can be made with any fruit, but most wines are made with wine grapes.
NOTES:
Wine grapes are different to table grapes. They are much smaller, they have seeds and they are also sweeter than table grapes.
x 365
Grapevines take a year to grow grapes. The harvest in the Northern Hemisphere is Aug-Oct, and the harvest in the Southern Hemisphere is Feb-Apr.
A single-varietal wine is made with one grape variety e.g. Pinot Noir.
2010
A blended wine is made by mixing several wines together e.g. Bordeaux blend.
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2007
2012
1990
1985
2001
Vintage refers to the year when the grapes were harvested. Non-vintage (NV) wines are a blend of several harvests.
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HOW IS WINE MADE?
NOTES: Sugars in grape juice
Yeast
Alcohol
Carbon Dioxide T: 020 7352 4083
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WINE CHARACTERISTICS
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Body
Sweetness
Very light Light-bodied Medium Medium-full full-bodied
Acidity
Bone-dry Dry Off-dry Sweet Very-sweet
Low Medium High
Alcohol
Tannin
Low Medium-low Average Medium-high High
Low Medium-low Average Astringent Very astringent
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HOW TO TASTE WINE
NOTES:
Look
Colour and hue Clarity and opacity Viscosity
Smell
Wine flaws Primary aromas Secondary aromas Tertiary aromas
Taste
Sweetness Acidity Tannin Alcohol Body Flavours
Conclude
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Balance Memorable features Opinion
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STYLES OF WINE
Sparkling wines Trapped cardon dioxide, traditional vs. Charmat • • • • •
Champagne Crémant Cava Sparkling wine Prosecco
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NOTES:
White wines
Red wines
White grapes, occasionally black, juice only, no skin contact
Black grapes, colour from the skins, tannin from the skins
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Rosé wines Black grapes, less contact with the skins, so lighter in colour than red wines
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NOTES: Champagne: France 3 Grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier Fermented in bottle Minimum ageing time: 18 months Fruit and bready/biscuity aromas 49 million bubbles in a bottle! Approx. 1 billion bottles in storage
Prosecco: Italy 1 Grape: Glera Fermented in tank Not aged Fruity flavours such as lemon, pear and peach 150 million bottles of Italian Prosecco Wine are produced annually Spumante: more bubbles, sometimes richer (higher tax) Frizzante: Gentle bubbles, gentle style (less tax)
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STYLES OF WINE Pi
NOTES: aromatic
cp
ou
ld
Sauvignon Blanc
Tre bbi a
eP
ine
g
lin
es Ri
t
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Ch
ay hardonn Oaked C
Pinot G
rigio
crisp & delicate
Pi
no
tN oir
Whites
z
ira
Sh
t Caberne
Corv ( Valpoli ina cella)
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ec
alb M
G auj amay ola is)
light & fresh
full & fruity
Merlot
(Be
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c
lan
nB eni
Reds 14
on
Sauvign
big & rich
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MAIN GRAPE VARIETIES
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Chardonnay • • • • • •
Oaked or unoaked Citrus, stone fruits, tropical, mineral, butter, honey, nuts White Burgundy – most expensive Grows well in all climates Important grape in Champagne Poultry and Pork dishes
Sauvignon Blanc • Mainly unoaked • Citrus, gooseberry, tropical, green pepper, tomatoes, elderflower • High acidity • Best examples are grown in cooler climates • Sancerre, Pouilly Fumé, Sauvignon de Touraine, Marlborough • Fish, goat’s cheese
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MAIN GRAPE VARIETIES
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Pinot Noir • • • • • •
Oaked and unoaked Red fruits, mushrooms, game Thin skins – light/medium bodied Best in cool climates – high acidity Most famous examples from Burgundy Matches well with duck, chicken and game
Cabernet Sauvignon • Usually oaked • Dark fruits, coffee, eucalyptus, vanilla, cedar, tobacco - often blended with Merlot • Bordeaux, California, Australia, Italy • Matches well with grilled red meat
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SPARKLING WINE COMPARISON
NOTES:
Champagne
Prosecco
Cava
Region
Champagne, France
Veneto, Italy
Catalonia, Spain
Glera
Grapes
Chardonnay Pinot Noir Pinot Meunier
Macabeu Paellada Xarel-lo
Champenoise (Méthode Traditionnelle)
Charmat
Traditionnelle
Pear, toast, almond
Green apple, honey, cream/mousse
Pear, melon, toast, spice
Ultra fine
Coarse
Fine
£££
££
££
£30+
£15
£15
Production Method
Primary Flavours
Bubbles Consistency £££
£££
Average Price
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NEW WORLD WINE GROWING REGIONS Grapes are grown in both the New World and Old World.
Top Tip
Below is a world map where we have highlighted important wine growing regions. This shows continents, countries and regions that are conducive to wine growing, along with the wines they are most famous for.
Grapes are grown in areas where the sun won’t burn them and the cold won’t kill them. The perfect area is between 30° & 50°.
USA
50° N
Oregon & Washington: Pinot Noir California: Chardonnay, Zinfandel & Cabernet Sauvignon
30° N
New Zealand
Equator
Marlborough & Central Otago: Sauvignon Blanc & Pinot Noir
Chile 30° S
Maipo Valley, Colchagua Valley & Casablanca Valley: Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot & Carmenère
50° S
Argentina
Mendoza: Torrontés, Malbec & Cabernet Sauvignon Salta: Torrontés & Malbec
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South Africa
Stellenbosch & Western Cape: Chenin Blanc & Pinotage
Australia
Western Australia: Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz & Chardonnay South Australia: Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz & Grenache Victoria: Pinot Noir
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MAJOR OLD WORLD WINE GROWING REGIONS England
Sussex: Chardonnay, Phoenix, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier Gloucestershire: Seyval Blanc Devon and Cornwall: Bacchus, Madeleine Angevine
Germany
Mosel: Riesling
France
Bordeaux: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot Rhône: Syrah, Grenache Champagne: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier Burgundy: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay Loire: Sauvignon Blanc
Austria
Wagram: Grüner Veltliner Weinviertel: Grüner Veltliner
Bulgaria
Thracian Valley: Pinot Noir
Portugal
Vinho Verde: Alvarinho, Avesso Porto: Touriga Nacional (Port)
Italy Spain
Rioja: Tempranillo, Garnacha Rías Baixas: Albariño Rueda: Verdejo
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Piedmont: Barbera, Nebbiolo, Cortese Tuscany: Sangiovese Veneto: Soave, Prosecco, Pinot Grigio
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OPENING WINE
NOTES:
Opening still wine
Opening sparkling wine Cork Cage Tab
Apply resistance
Insert slightly off-centre
Rotate at base
95% Hold bottle at an angle & it won’t bubble over 5oz 150 ml
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SERVING TEMPERATURES Grape Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Syrah
18°
Malbec
16°
Pinot Noir
14°
Gamay Chardonnay Sauvignon Blanc Pinot Grigio
Style
18°
12°
10-12°
10° 8-10
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16-18°
Big & Rich Smooth & Soft
10-14°
Light & Fresh Full & Fruity
8-10°
Aromatic Crisp & Delicate
16°
°
8° 6°
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6-8°
Rosé Sparkling Dessert
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INDENTIFYING WINE FAULTS
NOTES:
“Corked”
Reduction
Oxidized
Most corked wines smell strongly of wet cardboard, wet dog, or a musty cellar. Sometimes, however, a corked wine will just lack aromas and have very subtle musty aromas. Don’t worry, you can return faulty wine.
Reduction in wines smells like boiled garlic and cabbage. It happens when a wine doesn’t receive enough oxygen in bottle. Decanting should improve the smell, or you can stir your wine with a pure silver spoon.
Oxidized wines smell flat and are brown in colour, much like an apple. Red wines will taste dry and bitter due to phenols (e.g. tannin) interacting with oxygen. Oxidised white wines typically have an apple/cider-like odour.
UV damage
Heat Damage
Spritz and bubbles
Lightstrike happens when wines sit under supermarket lighting for too long or are exposed to sun. UV damage causes reduction. Avoid light damage by storing your wines in the dark and avoid “shelf-aged” bottles.
Wine starts to deteriorate quickly at 27°C and cooks at around 32°C. Cooked wines can smell pleasant, like caramel and cooked fruits, but they will taste flat with no beginning, middle or end. Heat damage also causes browning.
Occasionally, wines will ferment again in the bottle. This is easy to identify by the presence of spritz in a wine that’s supposed to be still. These wines will also typically be a little hazy, due to yeast and protein particles. T: 020 7352 4083
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FLAVOUR PAIRING
Salt
Rich red, high acid or sweet wine
Prosecco or Cabernet Sauvignon
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Bitter
Aromatic/Spicy
White wines with less acid and/or offdry and low tannin reds
Riesling, Pinot Noir
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Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc
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Creamy
Sweet
Fatty
A wine with a creamy and rich texture
Sweet foods increase bitterness in wine. Wines should therefore match the sweetness of the dessert
High acid whites rich reds
Oaked Chardonnay
Sauternes
Champagne, Prosecco, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon
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FOOD PAIRING
Dessert Wine
Sparkling Wine
Sauternes Monbazillac Tokaji
English Sparkling Champagne Prosecco Cava
Fish Charcuterie Soft Cheeses Hard Cheeses Salad Sushi
Soft Cheeses Cured Meats Desserts
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Dry White Wine
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Rich White Wine
Light Red Wine
Sauvignon Blanc Pinot Grigio Grüner Veltliner Albariño
Chardonnay Oaked Whites Viognier
Fish Salad Roast Veg Poultry Light Pasta
Rich Fish White Meat Creamy Pasta
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Medium Red Wine
Full Bodied Red Wine
Fortified Wine
Pinot Noir Grenache Pinotage Gamay
Cabernet Franc Tempranillo Sangiovese Merlot
Cab. Sauvignon Shiraz/Syrah Mourvèdre
Port Sherry
Rich Fish White Meat Roast Veg Charcuterie
Red Meat White Meat Cured Meat Hard Cheese Pizza
Hard Cheese Red Meat Cured Meat BBQ
Dessert Soft Cheese Hard Cheese Cured Meat
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NOTES:
UPSELLING Why upsell? ✔
Enhance the customer’s overall experience
✔
Increase the spend per head
✔
Encourage more repeat visits
> In pairs, upsell a bottle of wine to one another.
86%
of customers respond positively to a staff recommendation
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NOTES:
HOW TO UPSELL
1. Three Words
2. Stories/Interesting Facts
E.g. “this wine is crisp, fresh and delicious” or “it is fruity, full-bodied and smooth”
Stories sell wine. Some wine producers have fantastic stories: all you need to know is a few fun facts and they will help you to sell the wine.
3. Personal Recommendations
4. Food & Wine Pairing
Where possible, use your personal recommendations - “we tried this the other day and I loved it”, “this is the chef’s favourite wine.” People like to know that the wine has been tried and tested and can be trusted.
Where possible, you can try and recommend a wine to go with their dish, i.e. “I see you are having the fish and chips, can I suggest a glass of Champagne? It’s an absolute classic pairing!”
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IN PRACTICE Be prepared for those tricky questions about wine...
> In groups discuss which questions you regularly get asked
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THE VINTNER WINE QUIZ > Break into teams of 3-4 > Write down your answers to the following questions > Winning team will win a prize!
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19 HEATHMANS ROAD PARSONS GREEN LONDON SW6 4TJ T: 020 7352 4083 E: info@thevintner.com W: thevintner.com
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