Monarch Beverage Introduction to Wine

Why are you here? Enlarge our sales force (670+) Give you basic wine knowledge Discuss wine etiquette Describe different grape varieties Sample our products

Why is this class important? Make you more credible Give you first hand experience Provide you with general information Help you sell to family, friends, neighbors and retailers

Last Year – 908,284 cases of wine +5.93%

Myths and Misconceptions

What is “good” wine? Anything that you enjoy! Makes no difference: How new or old wine is Where it came from Who made it How you serve it

What type of glass should I drink it out of? Whatever glass you want! Anything that gets the job done!

What temperature should wine be served? Again…It doesn’t matter! There are a lot of theories

Review Good Wine Glassware Temperature

Wine Coolers

Coolers Introduced in the mid 1980’s Fruit juices, carbonated water, and sometimes table wines Malt and wine based Great introductory category Seasonal sales patterns

Coolers Serving suggestions: Cold Makes great mixers Great for parties Wide variety of flavors Easy to cross-merchandise

Coolers Bartles and Jaymes E&J Gallo - Modesto, California Great for the Indiana consumer #8 volume brand! Sold 22,297 cases 4 – 5% Alcohol By Vol.

An American Classic Boone’s Farm E&J Gallo - Modesto, California Introduced in 1961 Made with apples #7 Volume brand! Sold 30,659 cases

Fruit Flavored Varietals

Fruit Flavored Varietals “Transition wines” Real wine with fruit flavors Seasonal sales patterns Category introduced late 1990’s

Fruit Flavored Varietals Wild Vines E&J Gallo - Modesto, California Introduced in 1999 6% Alcohol by vol. #33 brand (4,399 cases) Frutezia kicked off in 2005 – blends

Fruit Flavored Varietals Review Coolers Beverage wines Fruit Flavored Varietals

Wine Packaging

Wine Packages Reveal valuable information Some items listed are required Wines must meet standard requirements

Reading Wine Labels Brand Name Appellation of Origin Vintage Date Varietal Designation Alcohol Content

Reading Wine Labels Year grapes (used in the bottle) were harvested Vintage Date Year grapes (used in the bottle) were harvested 95% of grapes used must come from the year on the bottle

Reading Wine Labels Varietal Designation Dominant grape type 75% of the grape type making up the wine in the bottle (or juice) Ex: Merlot, Cabernet, Zinfandel

Reading Wine Labels Brand Name Name of the product line This does not have to include winery or company information

Reading Wine Labels Appellation of Origin Region, state, or county majority of grapes were grown in Different regions produce different flavors and quality of grapes

Reading Wine Labels Alcohol Content By law, must be stated on the bottle Generally by volume White wines between 11-14% Red wines between 14 – 18%

Review Vintage Dates Varietal Designations Brand Names Appellation of Origins Alcohol Content

More Myths and Misconceptions

Do All Wines Get Better With Age? No The greater majority of wines are meant to be consumed soon after production and bottling (around 12 months)

How Long is it Good For? (Under optimum storing conditions) Coolers and F.F.V.: 0 - 1 year White wines: 1 – 2 years Red wines: 2 – 3 years Flavors will start to deteriorate (Under optimum storing conditions)

Optimum Storing Conditions The Absence of 3 Things: Heat Light Air (Oxygen)

Why Do Some People Get Headaches From Wine? 2 Main Reasons “Hang-over” (Over consumption) Sulfites

Sulfites Used as a preservative Natural or added after production Since 1987 products containing sulfites are required to listed on the label – usually near the Surgeon General’s warning

Review Wine Aging Shelf Life Storing Wine Headaches Sulfites

Wine Keys- Bartender’s Friend Opening Wine Bottles Wine Keys- Bartender’s Friend Lever modeled-corkscrews Winged Cork-screw

What Happens if the Cork Breaks? Don’t Panic! If there’s enough cork remaining, remove the broken cork from the corkscrew and try again

Blush Wines/ White Zinfandel ?

Blush/ White Zinfandel Great for beginning wine drinkers Sweet, light, fruity Created by Sutter Home in 1972 Removing grape skins early Sweet and light vs. dry and full flavored Consumers loved it Other experimental blush types

Blush/ White Zinfandel Made with red grapes Serving suggestion: serve chilled, not cold Alcohol Content: 9 – 11% Not very expensive

Blush/ White Zinfandel Let’s Try a few blush wines:

Review Blush Wines

Break

Overview Wine closures Using glassware Evaluating wine Restaurant etiquette Winemaker influence Sampling: Moscato, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay

Wine Closures

Wine Closures 2 Main Purposes: To protect wine against oxygen Preserve natural wine flavor

Corks Traditional wine seal Living organism = tree Marked and engraved by winemakers Can influence wine taste and smell – “corked” Wet cardboard - 10%!!!

What happens you buy a “corked” bottle of wine? Most stores will allow you to exchange the bottle Bring the receipt and the remainder of the bottle – the store will get a credit In a restaurant, inform your server and they will quickly bring you a new bottle

Synthetic Corks Prevent lost sales Same look, feel, and removal process as a regular cork Doesn't harm wine smell or taste Made from plastic, rubber, sponge or a combination

(Aluminum) Screw Caps The best wine closure Best protection against oxygen Easy to remove Less expensive to use Considered “cheap” Non-traditional, loss of elegance

Evaluating Wine

Evaluating Wine Use as many senses as possible Remember the letter “S”

Wine Glasses Use clear, transparent, and clean glassware Bowl shaped towards the top Thin stem for holding Wide base serving as an anchor at the bottom

Pour Twist Lift Pouring Wine When pouring a bottle of wine remember to: Pour Twist Lift Doing this will prevent wine running down the side of the bottle

Now the “S’s”

See the wine Use the stem to hold -avoid heat transfer Look at the wine through the glass Hold up to the light or against a white background (napkin) Transparent = good Cloudy = bad Look for color and clarity

Swirl the wine Use circular motions Move the wine to the sides of the glass Mid air, or flat surface Allows you to evaluate the “body” of wine (thickness) View the “legs” then think of milk…

Swirl the wine Wine vs. Milk Light bodied = Skim milk Medium bodied = 2% milk Full bodied = Whole milk

Swirl the wine Part 2: Volatizing the esters (Releasing the aromas) Swirling intensifies the smells that come from wines

Sniff (or smell) the wine Tilt the glass and get your nose close to smell Concentrate What do you smell? Does the smell match up with the label? Don't smell too long...

Sip the wine Let's look at the tongue... Imagine slurping hot soup Allow air to enter your mouth with the wine Oxygen will intensify the flavors Roll wine around all areas of your tongue Don’t eat spicy foods or mints before tasting Let's look at the tongue...

Sip the wine Acidity Acidity Sugar/ Sweet Back of the mouth Tip of the tongue

Savor the wine Think about what you tasted Overall impression? Did you like it? What flavors did notice? What was the 1st thing you tasted? The 2nd?

Savor the wine Would you try this wine again? How much would you spend on this wine? Description? Food pairing? Aftertaste?

Miscellaneous Tasting info. It’s up to you whether spit into a dump bucket Don’t be afraid to pour out remaining samples from your glass Sometimes you may want to rinse your glass between wines Drink water to prepare your mouth for the next wine Foods slightly disguise wine flavors

Review Pour, Twist, Lift The 5 Ss

Barefoot Moscato Sweet grape (muscat) Peach and apricot flavors Hints of citrus fruits Pair with Asian food, light desserts, fresh fruit and mild cheeses 9.0% Alcohol by volume #1brand (134,774 cases) Popular (mid-priced) category

Schmitt Sohne Riesling (REESE-ling) Crisp, light, sweet, slightly acidic “The great white wine grape of Germany” Grows well in cooler climates Large producers include: Germany, Washington state, and New York, California, Australia #11 brand (17,084 cases) Import category – Germany 9% ABV

Redwood Creek Sauvignon Blanc (So-veen-YAWNG-Blonk) Fruity, medium bodied A.K.A. Fume Blanc Citrusy (lemon, lime, grapefruit) “Grassy” – “Herbaceous” Dry – less sweet Alc. Cont. 13% #18 brand (8, cases) Popular (mid-priced) category

Bella Sera Pinot Grigio (PEA-no-GREE-gee-oh) Made by Gallo Crisp, light, dry Italian version of (French) Pinot Gris (GREE) Good aperitif Bella Sera – “Beautiful Evening” Alcohol cont. 12.5% #17 brand (9,857 cases) Import category – Popular Italian

Review Moscato Rieslings Sauvignon Blanc Pinot Grigio

The Restaurant Experience

Table Settings Suggestive selling- including wine glasses as part of the table setting Table tents, wine lists, acrylics, and menus No wine information available ask to see a wine list

Wine Lists By variety By the glass By the bottle Most restaurants will offer suggestions with meals Wines sold by the bottle are usually the better value

Wine Lists Pricing By the glass prices will usually equal retail pricing Allows the bottle cost to be covered with one pour Glass pours are about 6 oz. Bottle pricing in restaurants can = up to 3x what you could see in a retail outlet

Wine Lists 187ml = 1 glass 750ml = 4 glasses 1.5L = 9 glasses Many restaurants don’t like to carry wines customers can in find in grocery or liquor stores To satisfy these retailers, some wineries produce special labels 187ml = 1 glass 750ml = 4 glasses 1.5L = 9 glasses 5L = 30 glasses

Can customers bring their own wine to a restaurant? Sometimes, but there’s a catch Prepare to pay a “corking fee” Acceptable if justified by savings Special occasions or places where their favorite wine isn’t available

Ordering Wine

Traditional pairings: White wines – White meats Ordering Wine Wine ordered may depend the meal Varieties may change if you are drinking wine before, during, or after a meal Servers incentive is increasing check totals which lead to higher tips Traditional pairings: White wines – White meats Red wines – Red meats

Ordering Wine Color theory = all about the body of the wine Lighter white wines and sparkling wines work as a good aperitif (wine before meals) Ask servers to recommend wines after meals for desserts (chocolate and cabernet, strawberries and sparkling wines)

Bottle Presentation and Sampling Servers will bring the wine to the table and present the bottle to the host (label out) Host = head of the table or person who ordered the wine About 2 oz. will be poured for the host to sample Looking for “corked” wine or anything unacceptable

Bottle Presentation and Sampling After the host’s approval, the rest of the table is served Either women will be served first or servers will move in a clock-wise direction ending with the host

Chardonnays

Chardonnays Complex grape Style varies with climate Deep in color, flavor, and body Winemaker influence plays a large part in the final product Winemaker influence = anything the winemaker subjects the wine to during the production process

GFV Chardonnay Very close to the original grape flavor Easy-to-drink wine, not overly flavorful Citrus notes, hints of vanilla and a dash of oak Try with buttery salmon, poultry, cream sauces and seafood salads Alcohol Content 13% #6 brand (50,178 cases) Fighting Varietal category

Frei Brothers Chardonnay Premium/ fine wine Malolactic fermentation Green apple, orange zest and apple pie Nutty, buttery and toasty Silky, full mouth feel Try with grilled chicken, salmon, or lobster 13.9% Alcohol by volume

Malolactic Fermentation Bacterial fermentation Malic acid to lactic acid and releasing CO2 Wine is made softer Creamy texture and rounder mouthfeel Lowers overall acidity Increases stability (stops fermentation in the bottle)

What did you think? To learn more about wine: Wine for Dummies (DVD) Gallo Brothers (DVD)

Enjoy the Wine! See you next class!