| Advertising
and Marketing
As
with any club event, advertise six to eight weeks ahead
of time. Some marketing may be accomplished in-hand selling
by the service staff. Allow them to pour a sample of a featured
wine and present it to members in the dining areas and bars.
Inform those pouring the wine of the particulars of the
event and the wines to be served. Some wineries will encourage
the club to pour their wines in a by-the-glass program prior
to and following the event. A single taste before could
be worth a table of eight at the event.
Storage
of Wine
Wine
has its own particular set of circumstances prior to being
served. Wine must be handled with as much consideration
prior to service as when being poured. The storage of wine
is keyed upon four criteria: proper and constant temperature
at or below 60° F, proper and constant humidity at
approximately 70%, absence of light and absence of movement
or vibration. The longer the wine is stored, the more important
adherence is to the above criteria.
Constant
temperature and humidity is favored over fluctuation and
is more of a concern than ideal cellar temperature below
60° F. Small and gradual changes of no more than 5°
F of fluctuation over the course of a year will not significantly
affect the wine's evolution. Should the bottles be properly
stored, the wine should be able to develop further complexities.
Decanting
On
occasion, you may be requested to decant older wines and
younger wines. Decanting is a method of altering the taste
of a wine by the introduction of oxygen or the texture of
an old wine by the removal of lees. As with any compound,
wines are altered by the introduction of oxygen. With younger
wines, oxygen speeds up the wine's softening. Tannic red
wines are often decanted to soften the coarse taste of tannins
and to let their aromas develop. Tannic wines may be decanted
and left to sit in a vessel which permits greater surface
exposure to oxygen.
Red
wines may develop lees from ages eight to twelve years.
Lees are a naturally occurring material from grape solids
and tartrates suspended in the wine. Traditionally, lees
have been associated with the longest lived and heaviest
styled red wines. The bottle styles of Bordeaux, for example,
have an extreme sloped shoulder as opposed to the gently
sloping shoulder of a Burgundian bottle. Their shoulder
is meant to act as a basin to catch this sediment prior
to exiting into a glass. The punt or the indentation of
the bottle also aids the prevention of sediment movement
to the neck of the bottle.
Wine
may be traditionally decanted or industrially decanted.
Bottles to be traditionally decanted are stored upright
a day in advance and carried as gently as possible in that
position to the service area. The bottle is left upright
and the capsule is entirely removed. The choice of the corkscrew
must involve a worm that is sufficient in length to completely
pierce and remove the whole cork. The danger of leaving
a crumbling cork in the neck is great in older bottles and
will slow your efforts considerably. Pull the cork out and
clean the top of the bottle with a damp cloth. Light a candle
and position the bottle so that the bottle's neck is between
your eyes and the flame of the candle. For obvious reasons,
do not place the bottle directly over the candle flame.
Slowly and steadily pour the wine into the decanting vessel.
As the bottle empties you will clearly be able to detect
sediment progressing up through the bottle towards the neck.
The fine sediment typically moves first and will look like
tendrils or fingers. Fine sediment is virtually undetectable
and may be poured into the decanting vessel. As larger particles
move into view, cease pouring. When done correctly, less
than one and one half ounces of wine will be left in the
bottle. The bottle may be rinsed and displayed with the
decanting vessel on the table or you may elect to pour the
wine back into the rinsed bottle for service at the table.
To
quickly decant wines, one must remove the capsule and cork
as above. Then, pour the complete bottle of wine through
a cheese cloth lined funnel into an empty vessel. Rinse
the bottle and present to the table. Purists would say this
process detracts from the quality of the wine, but I think
those who argue for the formal process may not consider
the time involved in decanting multiple bottles or the issue
of circumstantial expediency.
Temperatures
and Timing
The
service temperatures of wine will vary between the varietal
being poured and the tastes of the person enjoying the wine.
General guidelines are red wines served at 60º F- 65ºF
or near "cellar temperature." White wines should be served
from 45ºF — 55ºF or slightly chilled. The
colder the temperature of the wine, the less flavor and
aroma one will receive from the wine. Thus, in pouring wine
at a tasting, one should try not to serve the wines too
chilled so as to mask flavors and subtleties.
Service
of wine should occur as proximate to its food match as possible.
Issues such as staffing, temperature and speed of service
will determine whether you will pour the wine just before,
with or immediately subsequent to the course. Wineglasses
should be removed when empty otherwise they should remain
on the table top throughout. It is common to allow wines
to evolve in the glass or to compare them to other wines
served later.
Conclusion
The
world of wine is vast and provides limitless possibilities
for creative and popular events. Wine is an integral part
of your members' lifestyle and should be an essential ingredient
to augment fine food and beverage programs already in your
club. The ability of a club to host proper wine and food
events is a true measure of the gastronomical prowess in
the food and beverage operation. To be successful in these
endeavors is to become a harbinger of the club's membership
that your food and beverage programs operate at a truly
high level of achievement. Your club's reputation can only
be enhanced.
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