Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Buying the most expensive bottle doesn't make you cool
Money can't buy you class...money can't buy happiness....money can't buy you a respect as a wine lover
I have seen it a ton of times through all my years working as a sommelier in NYC. Hedge-funds, lawyers, doctors, trust-fund babies, etc....all think buying the most expensive bottle on the list means that they know what they're getting themselves into. The best part is that its so obvious coming from our side that it gives us the freedom to just let you speak, since that's pretty much all you want to do anyway.
Me: Really? You saw it on the cover of Wine Spectator? Wow! Did you know that its bio-dynamic and the family still presses their own wine labels on each bottle?
You: Oh...{{cough::cough}} is that right? All I know is everyone at this table better like it for THAT price!
...guests at the table laugh (since he/she is paying the bill) and off I go to open the bottle that you know nothing about.
Nothing can make me more crazy than someone who orders for its price. Its obnoxious.
Wine has such subtle and unique characteristics that just learning whats your particular taste can open you up to so many wines that you never knew existed. Pay attention to your own senses and smells. Stick with what you like and develop your own personal wine style. Certain wines can bring out so many flavors in your food with a good pairing. An expensive label on the bottle doesn't mean that it will match perfectly with your meal and will most likely not blow your mind as its supposed to do. At the end of the experience, no one is impressed, everyone is full from dinner and no one can say much about the wine except that it was on a cover of a magazine.
I suggest going to "foodie" restaurants and order a wine pairing with a tasting menu. A great place will know what they're doing and know how to impress....AND know how to explain what you're tasting. The best meals I have every had were at Degustation in NYC. After my first experience there, I went back to my sommelier job the next day and started to pay attention to the little things in each dish (like sauces, seasonings, marinades, etc) because a wine can bring those flavors out so much that it will make the entire dish unforgettable. If you really want to start learning wine, this might be the best way to go.
Or grab a fancy a magazine on your way to work....maybe pick the highest priced on wine list...do what you have to do to make yourself feel better. I need a good laugh.
If you think I have just being bitchy, read this: BBC News
I have seen it a ton of times through all my years working as a sommelier in NYC. Hedge-funds, lawyers, doctors, trust-fund babies, etc....all think buying the most expensive bottle on the list means that they know what they're getting themselves into. The best part is that its so obvious coming from our side that it gives us the freedom to just let you speak, since that's pretty much all you want to do anyway.
Me: Really? You saw it on the cover of Wine Spectator? Wow! Did you know that its bio-dynamic and the family still presses their own wine labels on each bottle?
You: Oh...{{cough::cough}} is that right? All I know is everyone at this table better like it for THAT price!
...guests at the table laugh (since he/she is paying the bill) and off I go to open the bottle that you know nothing about.
Nothing can make me more crazy than someone who orders for its price. Its obnoxious.
Wine has such subtle and unique characteristics that just learning whats your particular taste can open you up to so many wines that you never knew existed. Pay attention to your own senses and smells. Stick with what you like and develop your own personal wine style. Certain wines can bring out so many flavors in your food with a good pairing. An expensive label on the bottle doesn't mean that it will match perfectly with your meal and will most likely not blow your mind as its supposed to do. At the end of the experience, no one is impressed, everyone is full from dinner and no one can say much about the wine except that it was on a cover of a magazine.
I suggest going to "foodie" restaurants and order a wine pairing with a tasting menu. A great place will know what they're doing and know how to impress....AND know how to explain what you're tasting. The best meals I have every had were at Degustation in NYC. After my first experience there, I went back to my sommelier job the next day and started to pay attention to the little things in each dish (like sauces, seasonings, marinades, etc) because a wine can bring those flavors out so much that it will make the entire dish unforgettable. If you really want to start learning wine, this might be the best way to go.
Or grab a fancy a magazine on your way to work....maybe pick the highest priced on wine list...do what you have to do to make yourself feel better. I need a good laugh.
If you think I have just being bitchy, read this: BBC News
Monday, October 24, 2011
Ok?! Now what?! Where is my spotlight?
I have silenced VinoGal long enough.
Here it is! Lets write some blogs!
Here it is! Lets write some blogs!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Throwback to when I was on the cover of Beverage Media Magazine
Everything about this was fun! It was a highlight of my career in this business!
