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Advanced Wine Skills Training Course Matthew Clark
Advanced Wine Skills Training Course Matthew Clark
Wine Country Share of Volume changes over the past 3 years On Trade
Source: AC Nielsen
40 35 30 25
20.9 38.3
The Pinot Grigio Effect
31.3 27.3
MAT Jan 06
20 15 10
15.5 16.3
8.8 7.37.7 6 5.3 5.8 7 5.6 3.8 4.1 4.2 1.6 0.7 2.1
5 0
F rance Italy A ustralia US A C hile S . A frica Germany
S pain
A rgentina N . Z ealand
What is Wine?
Wine is fermented grape juice This is a completely natural process C6H12O6
Sugar + Yeast =
2C2H5OH + 2CO2
Alcohol Carbon Dioxide
Yeast (present on the skins of the grapes) turns sugar (present in the grape must) into alcohol and Carbon Dioxide
Leading with Wine
The Grape
Tannin Juice Sugar; Malic Acid; Tartaric Acid
TANNIN Red Grapes Pulp Yeast Protein Tannin and colouring matter
New World
Australia USA South America South Africa New Zealand
Usually named after the grape or grapes used Tend to use modern wine making techniques Wines are often easy drinking with good fruit Easier to understand Highly popular and growth in popularity
Russia Great Lakes Europe Turkey California North Africa Israel China
Sauvignon Blanc
Gooseberry, grass, herbal High acidity Light to medium weight
Chenin Blanc
Minerally, apple, honey Medium to high acidity Light to medium weight
Pinot Grigio
Melon, pear, tropical fruit Low to medium acidity Light to medium weight
Riesling
Floral, lime, aromatic, petrol when aged High acidity Light to medium weight
Merlot
Plums, brambly fruit Light acidity Medium weight
Shiraz/Syrah
Blackberries, raspberries, peppery spice Medium to light acidity Medium to heavy weight
Pinot Noir
Strawberries, violets, floral, cherry Medium to high acidity Light weight
Zinfandel
Cherry, pepper, spice Medium to light acidity Medium to heavy weight
France - Overview
Wines named after their place of origin, not named after the grape/grapes used to make it Appellation Contrle (AC) System place restrictions on:
grape varieties used vineyard areas winemaking techniques irrigation (EC rules) etc
Home to most well-known grape varieties Huge variety of wines Still No 1 in On-Trade wine sales, in decline though
Champagne
High quality sparkling wines
Alsace
Predominately aromatic whites The only AC which allows varietal labelling Home of: Gewrztraminer
Loire Valley
Predominately whites (dry sweet) Home of: Sancerre, Pouilly Fum, Muscadet, Vouvray
Burgundy Bordeaux
Mainly Reds (Cabernet and Merlot), Some whites (Sauvignon and Semillon) Home of: Mdoc, Haut Mdoc, St Julien, Pauillac, St Emilion, Pomerol, Ctes de Blaye etc Both whites (Chardonnay) and reds (Pinot Noir) Home of: Chablis, Meursault, Nuits Saint Georges, Gevrey Chambertin, Mcon Villages To the south is Beaujolais where reds are softer, fruiter and made from Gamay
Southern France
Home of many Vin de Pays wines Many fewer regulations on vineyards demarcation, yields, varieties etc Major Grape Varieties: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc
Rhne Valley
Predominately reds Syrah in the north, Grenache dominated in the south Home of: Ctes du Rhne, Chteauneuf du Pape, Hermitage
Italy - Overview
Largest global wine production Diverse vine growing conditions/climate Huge numbers of indigenous grape varieties Big increases in improved winemaking practices and New World Wine Makers over past 20 years Updated grading system Pinot Grigio phenomenon
Quality Levels
VDT Vino da Tavola
Large category of table wines Does not conform to traditional varietals or methods Some Top Quality Wines Super Tuscans Mostly limited to inexpensive, non-vintage wines with no geographic origin
IGT DOC
Currently 323 DOC wines Origin and production methods controlled by law No quality test required
North
Piemonte Veneto Friuli (Collio)
South
Puglia Sicilia
Lazio
Spain
Warm, arid area Denominacin de Origen (DO) like the French AC system Key grapes:
White: Viura, Malvasia, Parellada, Xarello, Macabo Red: Tempranillo, Cariena, Garnacha
Key Areas
Penedes
near Barcelona home of Torres next to Rioja better value for money more new-world character to wine most famous area in Spain produces red, white and rose wines Classified as: Sin Crianza, Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva offer good value for money very warm area
Navarra
Rioja
La Mancha
Germany
Historically a very important producer for the UK market Quality structure (relates to grape ripeness):
Qualittswein mit Prdikat (QmP)
Kabinett Sptlese Auslese Beerenauslese Eiswein Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA)
Australia - Overview
Australias land mass is roughly the same as Europe or USA Most regions too hot for grape growing Easy-style wines in taste and in being able to understand Well know grape varieties (and written on label)
Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, Merlot, Cab Sauv, Pinot Noir etc
Emergence of Regionality previously wines blended across regions, now realising that wines from different regions taste different
Australia
Main areas of wine production in the south and east
South Australia Coonawarra & Padthaway Barossa Valley & Clare Valley NSW Hunter Valley Victoria Yarra Valley Rutherglen Western Australia Margaret River
New Zealand
Similar size to the UK Diverse climates ranging from cool like Bordeaux to warm like southern Spain Maritime climate max 80 miles from the sea Customers expect to pay more for NZ wines Massive growth in production of Sauvignon Blanc
(1996: 1140ha, 2005: 7043ha) Hawkes Bay (Chardonnay) Marlborough (Sauvignon Blanc), biggest producing region Central Otago (Pinot Noir)
Key areas:
California
Have 5 specific climatic zones ranging from very hot to cool, so can produce a good variety of wine styles Recent development of County Appellations (AVAs) White grapes: Chardonnay (often oaked), Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio Red grapes: Zinfandel (aka Primitivo), Pinot Noir, Cab Sauv, Merlot Key Areas: Sonoma Valley (Burgundy Style) Napa Valley (Bordeaux Style) Sierra Foothills, Amador (Zinfandel)
Argentina
5th biggest producer of wine Some high altitude vineyard areas Unusual grape varieties Whites:
Chardonnay, Torrontes, Chenin Blanc
Reds:
Malbec, Cab Sauv, Merlot
Chile
Good diverse climate from warm and dry in the north to very wet in the south No Phylloxera White grapes: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc Red grapes: Carmenere, Merlot, Cab Sauv, Pinot Noir Key Areas: Casablanca Valley Maipo Valley Maule Valle
South Africa
Wine production dates back to 1700s Mediterranean climate with coastal areas cooled by sea breezes White grapes:
Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay
Red Grapes:
Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot
Closures
Natural Cork
Natural substance (both elastic and compressible) Aids the maturing of fine wines aged in cellars (breathable) Can add cork taint, wine takes on a musty odour/taste caused by A chemical called TCA (2,4,6-trichloroanisole) Surveys suggest upto 1 in 10 bottles suffer from cork taint! People like the ritual/sound of pulling the cork out
Plastic/synthetic corks
Man-made product Removes the risk of taint but not very practical Destined for wines with immediate consumption Can be difficult to extract from the neck of the bottle
Screw caps/Stelvin
Provides an even better and more uniform seal than cork Virtually removes quality issues/ideal for aromatic whites/pinot noirs Acceptability in the on-trade is growing fast You dont need a corkscrew!
Wine Faults
Most Common Faults
Corked Wine
Has been spoiled by a cork contaminated with TCA (2,4,6-trichloroanisole) Gives the wine a musty, dank, mouldy smell & an off taste Almost 1 in 10 bottles are affected Contact with air spoils wine Caused when wine has been open too long, an ill fitted cork or is too old On the nose it will have a sherry-like smell, taste dull & lifeless Colour change: reds become dull brown, white wines turn tawny/brown
Oxidisation
PART TWO
Upselling
Upselling Wine
Match the wine offering to the season:
Dry, Aromatic Whites, Roses, Sparkling in Spring/Summer Fuller bodied Whites & Reds in Autumn/Winter
Upselling Wine
Suggest a wine by the glass option if the customer is unsure (BTG List)
Suggest having glasses of wine if two people are eating different Dishes.better margins!
Always ensure the Glasses are spotless Good, Efficient service Know the Wine List: Know the Menu
Leading with Wine
Upselling Wine
Talk with enthusiasm! You know more about wine than you think!
Cheers!
Any Questions?
Leading with Wine