Wine Skills Course Advanced

Comprehensive Wine Training for Front Line Staff

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What we will cover

PART ONE1 Hour The Drinks Market (why sell wine?) Brief introduction to what wine is Popular grape varieties Old World Wine Countries: France, Italy, Spain, Germany New World Wine Countries: Australia, New Zealand, California, South America Closures Faults in Wine PART TWO1 Hour Introduction to Tasting Wine Tasting Food & Wine Pairing Discussion Up-selling Skills PART THREE30 Mins The Exam
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PART ONE WHAT IS WINE?

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The Drinks Market

Consistent growth in wine as a category for the last 20 years The only category to have shown this growth Consumers are more aware of wine as take home consumption continues to grow Historically, trends in the on-trade follow trends in the offtrade More and more pub/restaurants are taking wine seriously Most reports are suggesting that Consumers like brands Customers are uptrading
There has been a 5% increase in the price of the average bottle bought in the On-Trade
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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

White Zinfandel/Blush Sales

Australian sales falling for 1st time We love Chilean Merlot!

MAT Jan 04 MAT Jan 07

Annual Decline!

MAT Jan 06

20 15 10

15.5 16.3

16.3 15.3 15.7

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

7.6 .6 8 4.6 5.6

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

1.3 1.5 1.6

S pain

A rgentina N . Z ealand

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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
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The Grape
Tannin Juice Sugar; Malic Acid; Tartaric Acid

TANNIN Red Grapes Pulp Yeast Protein Tannin and colouring matter

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Where Wine Is Produced?

Old World
France Italy Germany Spain Portugal
Usually named after the area of production Often have complex laws to ensure quality Are the traditional areas that produce wine

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

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The World Wine Producing Zones

Russia Great Lakes Europe Turkey California North Africa Israel China

Australia Chile Brazil Uruguay Paraguay Argentina

South Africa Tasmania New Zealand

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Why do Wines Taste Different?

Climate Soil Grape Variety Viticulture Vinification

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Popular Grape Varieties - White

Chardonnay
Apples, buttery, spicy if oaked, very varied Medium to high acidity Medium weight

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

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Popular Grape Varieties - Red

Cabernet Sauvignon
Blackcurrants, dark fruits, spicy if oaked Light to medium acidity Medium to heavy 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

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OLD WORLD SECTION

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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

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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

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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

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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

Indicazione Geografica Tipica

Established in 1992 as a new designation identifying wine by its geographical area Varietal driven

Denominazione di Origine Controllata

Currently 323 DOC wines Origin and production methods controlled by law No quality test required

DOCG Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita

Currently 34 DOCG wines Highest quality status - strictly controlled Must pass quality test by blind tasting panel

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North
Piemonte Veneto Friuli (Collio)

Key Italian Wine Areas

Central
Toscana Umbria Abruzzi

South
Puglia Sicilia

Lazio

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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

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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)

Riesling is the most important grape variety Mosel Rheinhessen

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NEW WORLD SECTION

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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

More production of less well-known grape varieties

Whites - Riesling, Verdelo, Viognier and Reds - Petit Verdot, Grenache, Sangiovese

Emergence of Regionality previously wines blended across regions, now realising that wines from different regions taste different

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Australia a different view

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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

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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:

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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)

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Argentina
5th biggest producer of wine Some high altitude vineyard areas Unusual grape varieties Whites:
Chardonnay, Torrontes, Chenin Blanc

Reds:
Malbec, Cab Sauv, Merlot

Key Area: Mendoza (Malbec)

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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

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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

Key Areas: Robertson Stellenbosch Constantia

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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!

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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

Less Common Faults

Tartrate Crystals.occur naturally (not cold stablized at winery) Cloudy/fizzy wineyeast or bacteria present (poor winemaking!) Vinegarization.Smells of vinegar (bacteria infection at winery) MaderizedSmells like a Sherry or Maderia (Poor storage)

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WINE TASTING FOOD & WINE PAIRING UPUP-SELLING

PART TWO

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Introduction to Wine Tasting

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Why do I need to learn to taste?

To assess the quality when selecting wine for your wine list & to spot quality issues To ensure a balance wine range is offered To match the wine list to the food menu To be able to describe the wine to your customers To enhance your enjoyment of wine

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Key Aspects of Wine Tasting

APPEARANCE
Clarity Limpidity Depth (or Intensity) Colour range Colour density

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Key Aspects of Wine Tasting

NOSE
Condition Intensity Development Flavour compounds Fruit Characteristics

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Key Aspects of Wine Tasting

PALATE
Sweetness Acidity/Balance Tannin/Bitterness Saltiness Body/Weight Fruit Intensity Fruit Character Alcohol Length/Finish

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Key Aspects of Wine Tasting

CONCLUSIONS
Quality (relative to?) Maturity/Vintage? Old or New World? Country of Origin? Regional style? Grape? Blend? Food Pairing? Cost/VFM
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Food & Wine Matching

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Food and Wine Matching

Basic Rule: White Meat White Wine... Red Meat Red Wine Aim for balance:
Weight Acidity Intensity

Consider the sauce (often the dominant flavour)

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Upselling

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Upselling Wine
Match the wine offering to the season:
Dry, Aromatic Whites, Roses, Sparkling in Spring/Summer Fuller bodied Whites & Reds in Autumn/Winter

Match the wine offering to the occasion/customer:

Christmas/Celebration/Business expenses/Holiday/Weekend etc

Match the wine offering to the Food Order:

Classic - Red Meats: Red Wine, White Meats/Salads: White & Rose Wine

Recommend your favourites, Try & Up-Sell

Try and suggest a wine you know & like: Thats my personal favourite!

Describe wines in your own words

Try and use 3 key words to describe the wine to customers Key words Crisp/Juicy/zesty, rich/soft/jammy, spicy/peppery/smooth

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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 wine served at right temperature:

Fizz: Chilled with ice & water and served in an ice bucket Whites & Ros: Chilled, served in an ice bucket/cooler Reds: Room Temperature (not too warm!)

Always ensure the Glasses are spotless Good, Efficient service Know the Wine List: Know the Menu
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Upselling Wine

Talk with enthusiasm! You know more about wine than you think!

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PART THREE: The Exam THREE:

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Cheers!

Any Questions?
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