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Ask a Wine-Know: Is the cup half empty?
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Posted by Anncierley Fri Aug 31, 2007 13:38:58 PDT
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0 responses 0 comments I returned from vacation to find a number of questions for us to discuss in this column.  I’m delighted there are so many of you out there who are interested in learning more about fine wine,  and it is fun to try to be of some help to you.
First, I received two e-mails informing me of wine classes that will be available here in town. Hooray! Since I retired from teaching, I haven’t been made aware of local classes and I’ve had a number of inquiries. Bakersfield Wine Society’s Mike Stepanovich will be teaching a five-week course through the auspices of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute on the Cal State Bakersfield campus starting Monday, Sept. 17. Cost is $85. For more information, call 654-6832.
I was also informed that an organization called The Traveling Vineyard will come to your home, bring wine, and do a wine appreciation session.  To learn more, call Tara Butler at 487-8065.
Next, I need to let you know about the  Bakersfield Wine Society dinner which will be on Sept. 5 at 6:30 at Luigi’s. The wines will be Groom from Australia, and Mike Stepanovich declares them to be exceptional. Cost is $90 and Gino Valpredo has prepared a beautiful menu to showcase these wines. To see if there are seats left, call Mike at 654-2456.
Cafe Med is holding a winemaker dinner (Kenwood, an old popular favorite from Sonoma) on Sept. 10 at 6 p.m. Cost is $110 plus tax and tip. For more information or for reservations, call 834-4433.
A bit of news about another winery with Bakersfield roots: Paula and Rob Campbell-Taylor (he’s from our town) e-mailed that their first two entries in the recent state fair each won medals! Congratulations to Graveyard Vineyards of San Miguel. Send e-mail to: Paula@graveyardvineyards.com for more information and to find out where they can be purchased or tasted.
Now, about answering some questions.
“What wines should we serve at a Luau?” 
This question came from a former West High School student of mine, and she also enclosed a fabulous menu that she and her husband were serving their guests. Too bad I was out of town, I would have tried to wrangle an invitation. I told them to use any white wine that was light, flavorful and fruity (and I made some suggestions), or a luscious Rosé, or even the White Sangria recipe I detailed in a recent column. The idea is not to overpower any of the wonderful, fresh, tropical flavors of the food and not to “fight” with any of the meat dishes.
When I returned from my vacation, I found a comment from them saying they had found the “best Rosé they ever tasted” — a 2006 Perrin Reserve (Cotes du Rhone). I’m sorry I missed it! But I must have been thinking along with them because I too ordered a Rosé for lunch last week at the beach that turned out to be one of the best wines I had all summer. Interestingly it was also a Rhone wine blend, this time a Grenache and Rousanne, and it was made by another Bakersfield former West High student, Joey Tensley. Amazing!  And, yes, I will do a column on his wines in the near future. I’ve had several inquiries about Tensley.
Speaking of future columns, I’ve also had recent queries about the coming Paso Robles Harvest Festival in October: “What suggestions do you have about how we should spend the harvest weekend?” Flyers and e-mails from the wineries are beginning to pour in, and I’ll be glad to address that in the next column.
“When you buy wine by the glass in a restaurant, why do they never give you a full glass?”
Good question, and for several reasons.   Actually, when you order wine by the glass it’s a whole different “operation” than when you order a bottle of wine with dinner in a restaurant. You’re usually correct in making a judgment as to the value placed by that establishment on its wine offerings by the manner in which the wine is poured  or presented by the wait staff.
Very briefly, if a bottle has been ordered, it should be brought to the table unopened, and should be presented to the person who ordered it for the group so that the wine is shown to be that exact vintage selected, the same year, vineyard, etc. Then it should be opened right there, beside the table and the cork should be placed for observation.  A small amount is to be poured in the glass of the person doing the ordering, so that it can be tasted. If deemed acceptable, the waiter should pour some in each glass — it should never be more than half-full and I even prefer that it be less than that. Why? So I can swirl and sniff before I sip and savor. You do not want me sloshing it out onto the table, now do you? A little dignity, please. Besides, the bottle is left there on the table, or in the cooler by the table, so I can have more later.
If you are in a bar, in a wine bar, or just ordering one glass of wine for yourself while seated in a restaurant, you should receive a glass that is still not filled to the brim, but it will be perhaps two-thirds full. Definitely more is being poured than if you had ordered the whole bottle. Assumptions are still supposed to be made that you will want to check the wine by swirling and sniffing. Hence, no full glasses. They are not trying to cheat you!
There is a lot more that can be said about serving wine, and I also received a very good question about wine glasses too. Stay with me, I’ll take both of those subjects up later, I promise!

Questions? E-mail: acierley@etcrier.net

Questions?  Email acierley@etcrier.net

 

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