The editor and I went to an interesting party a few weeks ago. I say “interesting” because everyone had to put on name tags. We were all strangers.
The party was held in the middle of the afternoon on a gray, cold, wet and windy Sunday.
Tables were set up on a breezy breezeway with only one heater for about 25 partygoers. And guess what? We had a wonderful time. Within 15 minutes, everyone was sniffing, swirling, sipping, spitting, munching and talking like long-lost friends. The topic was wine, and the guests were amateur winemakers.
The gathering was a meet-and-greet party for Merced area winemakers — and the product they shared was amazing. Fruit wine, dessert wine, syrah, cabernet sauvignon, barbera, viognier, merlot, petite sirah, rose, zinfandel and chardonnay produced by nine amateurs were all varietally correct and extremely well made.
Future wannabe winemakers were also encouraged to attend. If the party is any indicator of the direction of this group, the future looks bright. The wines really do shine.
Restaurant wine sales
According to the article I cited in my last column, restaurant wine sales were off 6 to 10 percent in 2009. People dine out less during a recession, plain and simple. And if they do, wine is not high on their list. Here are a few suggestions to encourage wine purchases in restaurants. Feature a night where all wines are half-price (except for allocated wines).
The editor and I went to an interesting party a few weeks ago. I say "interesting" because everyone had to put on name tags. We were all strangers. The party was held in the middle of the afternoon on a gray, cold, wet and windy Sunday.
Tables were set up on a breezy breezeway with only one heater for about 25 partygoers. And guess what? We had a wonderful time. Within 15 minutes, everyone was sniffing, swirling, sipping, spitting, munching and talking like long-lost friends. The topic was wine, and the guests were amateur winemakers.
The gathering was a meet-and-greet party for Merced area winemakers -- and the product they shared was amazing. Fruit wine, dessert wine, syrah, cabernet sauvignon, barbera, viognier, merlot, petite sirah, rose, zinfandel and chardonnay produced by nine amateurs were all varietally correct and extremely well made.
Future wannabe winemakers were also encouraged to attend. If the party is any indicator of the direction of this group, the future looks bright. The wines really do shine.
On one mid-week night, waive the corkage fee on wines. Also waive the fee if a second bottle is bought from the wine list. Serve a high quality house wine in half and full carafes and consider discounting it one night a week. And finally, wine savvy diners don't like to see triple retail price markups. I know restaurants have major up-front costs, limited storage, glass breakage, etc., but consumers will buy more wine if it is reasonably priced.
One of my favorite restaurants sells wine for just $1 above retail, and the place is always packed with wine on every table. If you have some thoughts or comments on restaurant wine pricing, drop me an e-mail.
Jambalaya invitation
Jambalaya is a spicy Cajun rice dish usually cooked with shrimp, chicken, ham, sausage, oysters and herbs. Every year we get invited to a jambalaya dinner, and this year's batch had duck and dove added (but no oysters). It was delicious. Not too spicy, but just enough of a kick to reach for a glass of wine. But which wine? What wine would you pair with jambalaya? I know what you're saying -- you always preach that we should drink what we like and forget the rules. True, but if you were to select the ideal wine to pair with jambalaya, what would it be? This is not a test, and no prizes will be awarded, just e-mail what wine you think would work with jambalaya. Thanks.
What's on our table?
2007 Louis Martini Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon.
Wine critic Robert Parker advises to drink it over the next five to seven years. If you are a cabernet fan, this wine's for you. Cheers!
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? You can reach me a rgwinton@yahoo.com.
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