How to Taste Wine

1. Notice the color of the wine as you tilt your glass, against a white background, to see the wine from its very thinnest and lightest to its deepest in color.

2

. Bring the wine to your nose to inhale the aroma and take note of what scent first makes itself known to you.

3. Gently swirl the wine inside the bowl of the glass to coat the sides. Notice how quickly or slowly the wine filters down after you stop swirling (this is called LEGS). Then lift the wine to your nose to inhale the aromas. Take note of the scent you get and compare to the first time you nose it.

4. Take a sip and slosh the wine throughout your mouth. This method helps to bring the wine to all parts of the mouth and tongue, allowing each taste sensation to be detected. You may allow a little air through your mouth; this further intensifies the flavors.

5. Take note of how long the flavor of the wine stays in your mouth. This is referred to as the “FINISH” and will leave the last impression of the wine with you

6. Enjoy and have fun

How to Serve Wine in a Restaurant

How to Serve Wine

1.When taking the wine order always repeat the name of the wine back to the customer then get the wine.

2. Bring the wine to the table and show the label to the customer that ordered the wine (the wine host), wait for his/her approval before proceeding to uncork the wine. The customer is making sure that this is exactly the wine he/she ordered.

3. Up on customer approval; begin to open the bottle of wine at the table side.

a. Cut the foil

b. Pull the cork

c. Place the cork on the table in front of the customer (host).

d. Serve the customer (host) a small sample of the wine and wait for approval. While the customer is tasting the wine you stand next to he/she with the label facing the wine host.

e. After the wine host OKs the wine proceed to pour the wine. Start with the ladies then man and finally the Wine Host (NOTE: even if the wine host is a lady.)

f. Don’t pour the whole bottle. Always make sure there is some wine left and place it on the table

4. If the customer orders another Bottle of the some wine. Bring one clean glass for the customer that ordered the wine (NOTE: if a different person orders the wine this customer becomes the wine host) so that he/she can approve the wine, and then proceed with steps 3a - 3f.

Does Jancis not like Portuguese wines?

Jancis Robinson's list of countries for an up-and-coming grand taste in Hong Kong, includes wines from Brazil, but not Portugal. Does Jancis not like Portuguese wines???

Wine list for Jancis Robinson Grand Tasting at Winefuture Hong Kong.

Augusto Gabriel • In 1999 Jancis Robinson was asked by “Livros Cotovia” to write a book about Portuguese table wines, taste the best Portuguese table wines, it was her first major publication about table wines of Portugal.
She was not very impressed with the white wines then, saying “…a lack of cleanliness on the nose, a lack of fruit on the palate, an excess of alcohol, phenolics or astringency…” That perhaps was true many years ago, as the cellar conditions in Portugal were very poor, not today. I have been fortunate to visit many wineries in Portugal displaying state of the art wine-making equipment and techniques. From pressers to temperature controlled stainless steel vats as well as extremely high quality labs to monitor every step of the wine’s journey from the vine to the bottle. Resulting in very clean, fresh white wines with great fruit and acidity. Problem will always be the name of the grape varieties when in comes for commercialization of these white wines in other markets.
As for the red wines it was the Douro region that stood out over all other regions for the MW, even then, she wasn't too excited about the consistency from winery to winery, “…There was thrilling evidence of Terroir in some examples, and chilling lack of it in others…” That, I do believe to be true… Douro Valley is indeed an amazing wine region, with a breath taking landscape and an unique terroir that can’t be found anywhere else, yet the style of wines that come from there are very different from each other, you really have to know your wine producers to be able to drink the style of wine you desire. The prices and styles of wines from the Douro Valley range greatly from one extreme to the other.
So, I am not surprised that Jancis Robinson MW, would not include Portuguese wines in her list, she has shown evidence that she is not very fond of Portuguese wines. It is just one opinion from one person it does not mean that wines of Portugal are not of worldwide top quality and a great value. augusto

Heavens Cave Cellars

Some say that wine and charity have no business being in business together... The so called concept wines

Heaven's Cave Cellars,
is a Washington State winery that makes great boutique wine and donates all of it's profits to a foundation called "Make the Dash Count Foundation"

Washington State has become a world class wine region. Just as other predominate wine regions of the word. Washington State, possesses a finger print that can't be duplicated, and that is the TERROIR... Sharing the longitude of California and the latitude of France affords Heaven's Cave to craft wines with perfect balance, intriguing complexity and an elegance that allows the wines to age gracefully.

The juice comes from Heaven's Cave's "Destiny Ridge Estate Vineyard" all hand harvested their goal is to produce exceptional wines that reveal the essence of the Horse Heaven Hills appellation and showcase the terroir of the vineyard. These fruit-forward wines are handcrafted with a delicate balance of tannins and acids, making them approachable when first opened, enjoyable both alone or with food, and able to age well in your cellar.

Heaven's Cave produces approximately 1,000 cases per year. Very small. The production is so small that in some instances there are only 20 or 30 cases available for all NE, NY, and NJ States... They primarily sell their wines through the wine club subscribers on line and delivered to your home via DHL... Accept in MA, in MA you can not have wine delivered to your door from the winery. So, Heavens Cave has agreed to sell to a hand full of specialty wine shops around the state. Tutto Bene a wine & cheese cellar is the first boutique wine shop to carry this wines...

The wines:

2007 TWO DEGREES BARBERA |$38
100% Barbera! On the nose, pronounced strawberry notes gracefully intertwine with hints of chocolate and mint. Elegant and smooth, the palate reveals rich cherry and plum jam fruit flavors. Medium bodied, well balanced with a warm earthy tobacco note to round out the finish. These Barbera grapes were hand-picked from Alder Ridge Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. | Barrel-aged for 18 months in new French oak (75% new - 25% one-year-old) | 115 cases produced

2007 THE DWELLER Syrah | $37
Just try it! 98% syrah, 2% Viognier in Hungarian oak makes for a very smooth finish. On the nose, pronounced berry and musky game notes gracefully intertwine with aromas of sweet, smoky toast and char. The palate reveals rich blackberry fruit flavors marked by subtle and pleasing notes of anise and spicy black pepper. | 100 cases produced

2007 THE INNKEEPER Cabernet | $50
Deep red color in this 100% Cabernet. Hints of vanilla, spice, tobacco and licorice on the nose. Rich mouth feel with dark fruit, ripe berry flavors and hints of toasted oak on the palate. Barrel-aged for 22 months in 75% new and 25% one-year-old French oak. Hand-harvested | Destiny Ridge Estate Vineyard |100 cases

2007 destination merlot $45
Aromas of black cherry, rich berry fruit and a hint of leather on the nose. The palate reveals a fully integrated, well structured wine with a delicate balance of smooth tannins, toasted oak and hints of plum. Rich and velvety this Merlot is like a layer cake of red berry fruit flavors that spring up from the tongue.

2007 NOBILITY late harvest Riesling | $30
Double Gold Winner, Seattle Wine Awards 2009 ~Named to honor the noblest of grape varieties. This bright, crisp wine opens to fresh honeydew and ripe melon aromas. Botrytis cinerea (Noble rot) was present in over 20% of the grapes giving the wine its characteristic honeyed flavor. 5.3% residual sugar after fermentation. Pairs beautifully with Thai food, dessert or just a glass | Destiny Ridge Estate Vineyard | 295 cases produced

2006 ICICLES Riesling Ice Wine | $50 (1/2 bottle)
Bronze Medal, Seattle Wine Awards, 2009 | These Riesling grapes were left on the vine weeks past normal harvest time causing severe shrivel and dehydration thus concentrating flavor and aroma. The still frozen grapes were hand-picked in the pre-dawn hours of November 3, 2006, when temperatures fell to 12º. Residual Sugar is 15.4 grams | A dessert all by itself |175 cases

While you enjoy these fantastic wines you are also contributing to this wonderful foundation Called "Make the Dash Count" The DASH reference is the dash that you will find in a tombstone between the date of your birth and the date that you left this world. So the dash represents your life... The idea is to make it count... Make your life count, do something that is worthwhile, make a difference... This foundation is ran by High School students and it benefits underprivileged children... If you can check out the video at the bottom of the page...

Enjoy these wines

Cheers,

Augusto