How to handle a wine list - 10 questions you’ve always wanted answered

Former sommelier Zeren Wilson of Bitten & Written reveals the tricks of the trade when it comes to choosing a good value wine and how to handle the somm.

“Being handed the wine list in a restaurant is such a simple act, a seemingly mundane plonking of pages into someone’s hands, yet carries with it an unspoken social dance with factors including fear, power, and assumption needing to be negotiated.

Firstly, who gets handed the list? In a group, a leader will emerge, brave and strong, and take on this weighty (often onerous) task. “You know about wine, you choose...”, will be uttered by someone, and if that somebody is you, the answer “no I don’t”, won’t quite cut it.

None of us will know every single wine on a list, but there are a few universal truths that can be handy to recall when the pressure is on and that leather bound tome lands in your lap . . .

What are the best value wines on a list?

Some wine regions absolutely offer better value pound for pound, (or dollar for dollar), and it’s useful to have a few of these in the mental locker when you have a particular price ceiling that you don’t want to smash through.

Firstly, German Riesling. Over a hundred years ago the finest wines of Germany were fetching higher prices than top Bordeaux. The stigma of poor wines being made a few decades ago is still being shaken off, making these wines undervalued and underrated, even now. A Riesling Kabinett Trocken will knock many other dry whites outta the park for quality/value, but do ask how dry it is, as styles can still vary: £25-30 should get you something very good indeed.

The South-West and the Languedoc-Roussillon area of Southern France are wonderful hunting grounds to plunder for consistent, crowd pleasing reds, with appellations such as Bergerac, Cahors, Fronton and Gaillac offering great value: £20-30 spent here will reward greatly.

The wines of Ribera del Duero tend to deliver a bit more value than better known Rioja, and Argentinian Malbec is a great option as you’re pretty much guaranteed a good slug of dark, supple fruit which tends to be a little more interesting than Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot at a similar price point.

Southern Italian wines from Puglia and Sicily often occupy the first few listings, and with good reason — consistent wines from reliable climates, produced in good volumes, creating decent value.

Are there any types of wines you should avoid?

Red Burgundy is perhaps the most fruitless of buying gambles on a restaurant wine list. Firstly, you can almost discount anything immediately under £30 (rare exceptions), and secondly, the fragile Pinot Noir grape is notoriously moody, greatly susceptible to vintage variations, and sometimes even the same wine will perform/taste differently on a different day.

The ‘heartbreak’ grape is well named. If you know a Burgundy grower you like, you’re on the path to getting something you’ll enjoy, but blindly buying a Nuits-St-Georges because you “once enjoyed one”, is a recipe for getting burned: hundreds of different growers, each with their own vineyard plots and differing styles.

My beloved California offers very little value on the whole under £50, and is best left for bigger budgets and more lavish days (I can’t be trusted in front of good Californian wine list, the budget being tossed to the four winds...)

Is it a good idea to buy wine by the glass?

Quite simply, if you’re having one glass of a particular wine, yes. It’s the opportunity to try a few different wines, and if the by the glass list is extensive, this can be a joy.

If there are more than two of you, then as a general rule, no. Restaurants tend to make a slightly higher margin on by the glass sales (to create a buffer for wastage of wine not sold), so be bold, be brave, make a decision on wine everyone should like, and order a whole bottle (or two) for maximum value.

Is it safe to order the house wine?

Good restaurants have good house wine, and in many ways the quality of the entry point on a list says a lot about the ambitions of the venue. It’s a lot more satisfying to source and list a cracking house wine, and it’s a source of pride for those curating good wine lists.

The oft quoted “choose the second wine up” rule should be kicked into row Z though.

Can you trust a sommelier? Won’t they always get you to spend more than you want?

Perhaps. But in the main, no. The real joy of the role (and one I enjoyed greatly at Zucca in Bermondsey, which has a fantastic list), is gauging the needs of the diner (style/budget/occasion) and plucking something out that ticks all the boxes, makes them smile, and enhances the experience.

When the job is performed really well, the trust created between diner and sommelier can be a magical thing, the sommelier leading the way and pouring exactly what the diner had in mind.

Selling more expensive wine won’t benefit the sommelier, they’re not City traders working on a commission. Trust them, ask questions, engage: it’s what they are there for.

Why do restaurants charge such big mark-ups?

Do they really? One of the fallacies about wine pricing in a restaurant is that somehow you’re being “fleeced”. The restaurant game may be glamorous from the outside, a riot of fun times and carousing, but ultimately it’s still bloody hard to make money from this industry, and history is littered with ‘crash and burn’ restaurants.

There’s only so far you can push your margins on food, and if you’re using great ingredients, even less so. The wine list is one of the few areas where some margin can be clawed back.

But hang on a minute, we’re not just paying for the wine. Staff have to be employed, a restaurant has to be kitted out, premiums and rent have to be paid (landlords, as elsewhere, can be vicious), glasses have to be bought (breakages, breakages), and so it goes on.

We’re paying for the whole package, the experience, the fun times, and shouldn’t be too churlish when we see a restaurant wanting to make a bit of money. Want your restaurant to stay open? Help a brother out, man...

How do you chose a wine if everyone’s ordering different dishes?

I wouldn’t be too precious about this. Although, it will of course depend on the crowd you’re with. Despite the wonderful intricacies and ‘lightbulb’ moment food and wine matches, it’s more important to choose a style of wine that most people are happy with and go with it. No meal was ever ruined by the wine not matching perfectly.

Do I need to worry about vintages?

For most of us, no. The only time when this kind of detail should start impacting on your wine list decisions is when you’re shelling out serious wonga on wines like fine Burgundy, Bordeaux, or Champagne, where vintage fluctuations can be dramatic and palate defining.

As a very broad generalisation, New World wines now tend to be so consistent across vintages, that only the most supercilious wine nerd (I count myself amongst this tedious crowd) will genuinely have their experience impacted by a ‘lesser’ vintage. Get thee behind me, vintages...

What should I be looking for when I taste the wine (i.e. if it’s faulty)?

The most common wine fault remains the compound 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (catchy name), or TCA as it is handily abbreviated, having been transferred by or through the cork itself, its giveaway odour being varying degrees of ‘damp cellar’, ‘mouldy newspaper’, ‘damp cloth’, ‘wet dog’. This is the ‘corked’ wine of ill repute.

Sometimes a wine is horrifically corked and undrinkable, most often less severe with each person’s sensitivity to its tell-tale signs differing, making for hours of fun involving “is it corked, I don’t think it’s corked?” exchanges.

TCA dulls the fruit character of a wine, and at times the only way you’re certain is if you’ve had that exact wine before, and it behaves like a shy, muted version of its former self.

The other most common fault detectable in a wine will be oxidation, a wine that is too far down the path to its ultimate destiny of becoming vinegar. However, in these days of the ‘natural wine’ movement, with reduced levels of sulphur being used (which help protect wine against premature oxidation), the lines have become blurred about what is acceptable. Wine geeks step forth and argue amongst yourselves...

What do I do if I don’t like the wine? Do I have a right to get them to change it?

You have the right to express dissatisfaction with any part of your meal, and that includes the wine — you’re the paying customer, after all. I would suggest you do this before you’ve necked the whole bottle. Even more so if that bottle happened to be Château Latour 1982. Good luck with having that taken off your bill...

Zeren Wilson is a food and wine writer with his own blog Bitten & Written and a new contributor to matchingfoodandwine.com.

Top image © by Negative Space

What cheese to serve for Burns' Night?

I was wondering which cheeses to suggest putting together for a Burns' Night cheeseboard and luckily thought to ask Patricia Michelson of London's famous La Fromagerie who came up with this brilliant selection.

Normally I wouldn't run what amounts to a cheesemonger's catalogue but Patricia's cheese is so good and her descriptions so poetic I've made an exception.

SCOTTISH CHEESE CHEESEBOARD

Patricia writes: I have not been successful in finding a suitable goat cheese from Scotland yet, but I usually place a Chabichou or something similar as the first cheese.

The Clava is a lovely Brie-style and probably richer and more dense. The Corra Lin is tasting like wild strawberries at the moment - there is that wonderful sweet earthiness from the ewe's milk. I have to say all of the Errington cheeses this year are the best I've ever tasted!

Because we serve whisky with the cheeseboard we select the two different styles of blue from the Erringtons. Lanark is that wild and totally unabandoned taste that we have come to love from this cheese. Single malts from the Highlands work wonders as a partner. The Dunsyre has more of a French style being richer so a sweeter style whisky is lovely as well as Rhone style reds.

We serve our oatcake biscuits as well as rye, charcoal and caraway crackers as they all work. If you want to add something, then perhaps quince or damson 'cheese'. And we also serve the Scottish plate after the dessert!

CLAVA ARDERSEIER, INVERNESS

PASTEURISED COW'S MILK

The Clark family farm, Connage Highland Dairy, stretches along the shores of the Moray Firth, and the dairy herd comprises of 130 cows, mostly Holstein Friesian with Jersey crosses and Norwegian Reds. The Clava is rich, creamy & nutty in the Brie style, with a bloomy white rind. The curds are hand ladled and the ripening process is carefully monitored to ensure the cheese retains its rich melting texture. (Approx weight 1kg. 45% fat)

MAISIE'S KEBBUCK CARNWATH, LANARKSHIRE UNPASTEURISED COW'S MILK

Named after the cheesemaker's mother-in-law who does not eat blue cheese (for which the farm is famous), this is an un-pressed cheese in the style of traditional cheeses of Scotland before cheddaring was introduced. The sharp lactic edge is reminiscent of Wensleydale, but again that earthy 'turnip' taste and aroma comes forward in typical style and whisky comes to mind as the drinking partner.

CORRA LINN CARNWATH, LANARKSHIRE UNPASTEURISED EWE'S MILK

Humphrey Errington's daughter Selina is following in the family footsteps and created this unpasteurized ewe's milk cheese along the lines of Manchego but with the natural moulds to the crust. Named after the highest waterfall in the picturesque Clyde Falls, the unique vegetal flavours come through with a hint of earthy sweetness. A natural affinity to single malt whisky. (1kg 45%)

ISLE OF MULL CHEDDAR TOBERMORY ISLE OF MULL UNPASTEURISED COW'S MILK

The weather plays a big part in the taste of this Cheddar. Exposed to the elements of the Atlantic the salty briny flavours are very evident as well as the mashed barley used in the whisky making from the local distillery. So strong, herbal flavours with that slightly alcoholic hit all come into play.

DUNSYRE BLUE LANARKSHIRE UNPASTEURISED COW'S MILK

Ayrshire cow's milk is used to make this rich and creamy textured blue cheese, which is not too aggressive or over salty in taste. Rather more mellow and sharp with a lovely complexity which lingers on the palate. Good with either whisky or a Rhône wine.

LANARK BLUE CARNWATH, LANARKSHIRE UNPASTEURISED EWE'S MILK

Like all Scottish cheeses, the flavours will be strong and vibrant, partly due to the abundance of turnips as part of the cattle diet - almost a national vegetable in Scotland! Humphrey Errington's powerful blue cheese is not for the faint hearted, but then not many cheeses would be a worthy partner to whisky. The sharp acidity and meaty vegetal flavours are truly Scottish in every way, and this cheese is best eaten right at the end of the meal as its flavours are quite overpowering. (48% fat)

And two other Scottish cheeses you might like to try:

CABOC

We make this ourselves using the Crowdie cheese from Clark's Dairy and adding a little something extra which is actually Brillat Savarin, and then raw salt before covering with toasted pinhead oatmeal. This is perfect with smoked salmon or another smoked fish, and the wine I'd choose would be a chardonnay based Champagne or a white Burgundy or Langhe Arneis from Piedmont.

CROWDIE ARDERSEIER, INVERNESS PASTEURISED COW'S MILK

The Clark family farm, Connage Highland Dairy, stretches along the shores of the Moray Firth, and the dairy herd comprises of 130 cows, mostly Holstein Friesian with Jersey crosses and Norwegian Reds. Crowdie is a soft cheese also known as 'gruth' in Gaelic and the recipe dates back to Scotland's Viking occupation. It's creamy texture lends itself to be served dusted with sugar alongside raspberries or with a sprinkling of sea salt with smoked salmon. (45% fat)

Normally Patricia hosts a Burns Night celebration at their Moxon street shop in Marylebone but due to building works they're not doing this year. Instead they'll have a selection of Scottish- inspired dishes and the cheeseboard on the Café menu - with whisky!

La Fromagerie has two shops in Moxon Street, Marylebone and Highbury Park in London.

Image © Dale Middleton. Starting from left to right the cheeses are Clava, Maisie's Kebbuck, Corra Linn, Dunsyre Blue and Lanark Blue

 

What makes the BBC Food & Farming Awards special

Today (January 5th) nominations open for the 2014 BBC Food & Farming awards which celebrate the best producers, shops and food and drink businesses in the UK.

The calibre of the people who win is always terrific so I’m really excited to be part of the judging panel this year which also includes Sheila Dillon, presenter of the Food Programme, TV chefs Raymond Blanc, Richard Corrigan and Valentine Warner, fellow drinks writers Victoria Moore and Pete Brown and writer and broadcaster Tim Hayward,

My own category, which I’ll be judging with the lovely Charles Campion of Masterchef fame, is Best Food Retailer, which was won last time by Eurospar, an independent supermarket in Dolgellau, North Wales.

Other categories include Best Food Market, Best Street Food or Takeaway, Best Food Producer, Best Drinks Producer, Best Initiative in British Food, Outstanding Farmer of the Year and BBC Cook of the Year which is awarded to someone who is preparing tasty, healthy meals on a budget in a hospital, school, care-home or other workplace. There’s also an award for Food Personality of the Year and the Derek Cooper Lifetime Award for the individual or organisation whose life’s work has brought about real change in our relationship with food.

The great thing about the awards is that the initial nominations come from you, the public - you can submit them through a form on the Food & Farming Awards website. The judges for each category draw up a shortlist of three which has to be approved by the entire judging panel then (this is the fun bit) we visit the finalists who could be anywhere from Land's End to John O’Groats. After these visits the final winners have to be approved by the whole panel.

The awards will be announced in Bristol on May 1st, the first day of the city's brilliant new 10 day food festival, Bristol Food Connections whose own site launches tomorrow. All pretty exciting for us Bristolians.

So over to you. Tell us about the most inspiring and passionate UK food and drink producers and retailers you know, checking out the nomination forms to see the information we need and the terms and conditions of entry. Charles and I particularly look forward to hearing about your favourite food shops. Nominations close on January 27th.

You can see 2012’s award-winners here and listen to The Food Programme's broadcast on this year's awards at 3.30 tomorrow on Radio 4 or on iPlayer.

 

So you want to be a microbrewer . . .

A friend of mine’s brother in law apparently wants to take up brewing so I thought I’d ask Twitter for advice. As usual, people were fantastically helpful and gave so many good recommendations I thought I’d post the advice here together with a few links I unearthed myself:

Do some home brewing

Recommended by most including @broadfordbrewer. (I think he already does)

@sky_larking recommended Andy Hamilton in Bristol who runs homebrew classes

There’s a new craft brewing school called Learn2Brew in Essex run by beer educator Nigel Sadler, who also works as operations & commercial Manager of a microbrewery

And there’s a useful article on home brewing here

Do a stint in a microbrewery

Could be that they’ll appreciate an extra pair of hands

@andywilliamsoak recommended the Tiny Rebel Brewing Company in Newport and @chefmpennington the wonderful new Wild Beer Co near Shepton Mallet in Somerset. (If you could brew like them you'd be laughing.)

Go on a course

@3friendsbrewery, @brewdogJHLondon, @grainbrewery and @redemptionbrew recommended Brewlab in Sunderland which has a 3 day ‘Start-up brewing’ course specifically for people who are thinking of starting up their own microbrewery.

@francesbrace suggested Campden BRI in Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire which has a similar course for £540 plus specific courses on subjects such as brewery microbiology and beer taint.

The World Brewing Academy runs a seven week master brewing course in Chicago (thanks @questiolina and @billsimpson19) The Siebel institure one of the partners in that collaboration also runs its own shorter courses, including some online courses.

The School of Artisan Food, recommended by @jessicasneddon, doesn’t seem to have one currently on brewing although it has done in the past and may again. It does however have an introduction to artisan cider-making

and an update: Hartingtons School of Food in Bakewell now runs 2 & 3 day courses on setting up a microbrewery as of October last year. (See comment below)

There’s an international list of courses on the Brewers’ Association website here

Go to college

Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh has an International Centre for Brewing and Distilling which offers honours and masters degrees in brewing and distilling. They also offer short courses and workshops

Nottingham University offers an MSc in Brewing Science and short courses

and the University of Sheffield runs an MSc in Microbrewing in the department of in the Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology

And read . . .

@redemptionbrew recommends Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head’s Brewing up a Business. @ArborBrewerJon suggests The Microbrewer's Handbook by Ted Bruning.

There’s also a useful article on tastingbeers.com how to set up your own microbrewery here

If you have any other suggestions or tips, particularly for readers outside the UK, do post them below