- Regions
- Wines
- Winemaking
- Winegrowing
Selecting Wine
Choosing a wine from the extensive offerings available today can be a truly pleasurable experience. In addition to the excellent varietal wines familiar to wine drinkers, such as Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, pioneering California winemakers and winegrowers are producing wines once found only in their native countries. Wines such as Syrah (French), Tempranillo (Spain) and Sangiovese (Italian), to name a few, are now readily available from many respected California wineries. Trying different wines to discover new tastes and pairing them with your favorite foods can be a real culinary adventure.
There are three simple ways to select and purchase wines:
Ordering wine in restaurants: Ordering wine in a restaurant may seem like a mysterious and intimidating ritual, but in reality, the process is very simple. Most restaurant wine lists are organized either by country (U.S., France or Germany, for example), region of origin within that country (California in the U.S., and then Napa Valley or Sonoma within California) followed by wine types (Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir). Smaller wine lists are often simply sorted into red and white selections.
If you’re not certain which wine you’d like to try, tell the waiter or sommelier (French for wine waiter, pronounced so-mall-YAY) what you plan to eat, and ask for a recommendation. Ordering wine-by-the-glass is an excellent way to taste new wines.
If you’ve chosen a bottle, the waiter will present it with the label in plain view. This is so you can check to make sure it’s the wine you ordered. The waiter may or may not offer you the cork - if he does, simply nod and allow him to pour you the first taste from the bottle. It’s more important to taste the wine than to dwell on the cork’s appearance. Swirl the glass gently, then taste and let the waiter know if the wine is satisfactory or not. Spoiled wine has a musty or vinegary taste or aroma, but spoiled wine is extremely rare. It’s inappropriate to return sound wine that simply falls short of your expectations.
There are three simple ways to select and purchase wines:
- * Choose a wine you already know you like - it’s a safe, fool-proof option, and it’s always fun to share a well-loved wine with friends.
- * Try something new and different, perhaps a wine from a different California wine region, or a wine variety that’s new to you. If you enjoy Chardonnay from Napa Valley, for example, you might try Chardonnay from the Central Coast of California. Or you might try another white wine variety, like Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a great way to explore different wine varieties, wine regions and winemaking styles. No doubt you’ll discover a new favorite.
- * Ask for help - it’s simple and direct, and takes advantage of the experience of others.
Ordering wine in restaurants: Ordering wine in a restaurant may seem like a mysterious and intimidating ritual, but in reality, the process is very simple. Most restaurant wine lists are organized either by country (U.S., France or Germany, for example), region of origin within that country (California in the U.S., and then Napa Valley or Sonoma within California) followed by wine types (Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir). Smaller wine lists are often simply sorted into red and white selections.
If you’re not certain which wine you’d like to try, tell the waiter or sommelier (French for wine waiter, pronounced so-mall-YAY) what you plan to eat, and ask for a recommendation. Ordering wine-by-the-glass is an excellent way to taste new wines.
If you’ve chosen a bottle, the waiter will present it with the label in plain view. This is so you can check to make sure it’s the wine you ordered. The waiter may or may not offer you the cork - if he does, simply nod and allow him to pour you the first taste from the bottle. It’s more important to taste the wine than to dwell on the cork’s appearance. Swirl the glass gently, then taste and let the waiter know if the wine is satisfactory or not. Spoiled wine has a musty or vinegary taste or aroma, but spoiled wine is extremely rare. It’s inappropriate to return sound wine that simply falls short of your expectations.