wine

Hospitality @ Home: Home Party Set Up with Bar

~ MaryK ~ Leave a comment

At the very least, separate the bar/ beverage area from the food area. Browsing a buffet is a different speed than dashing off a martini or pouring a glass of Chianti. Plus beverage areas involve sloshing, splashing, ice, lemon wedges, and all manner of things that you wish to keep cold while you want to keep food room-temperature-to-hot. Separate the bar from the food.

If you have the room, separate the canapes and desserts from the main food area especially if your party is more of a cocktail reception affair. Spreading the different courses through the space encourages mingling with minimal effort.

But, back to the bar.

A good self-serve bar needs:

Glasses that match the offerings (wine glasses, rocks glasses, highballs, cocktail glasses, etc.)

Ice

Cocktail shakers

Garnishes

Towels

Wine

Spirits

Mixers

Bottle opener

Wine key

If you are serving cocktails, set your bar area near a sink so that cocktail shaker ice can be easily poured away. Alternately you can pre-mix a batch of a signature cocktail (Moscow Mules, Bloody Marys, Gold Rushes, Margaritas, Mojitos, Brambles, and Smashes all work beautifully), pour into a pitcher and set beside a serving a note (“Pour over ice and add a squeeze of lime”, etc.)

If you are setting a full service bar for cocktail service, place like things with like– wine with wine, spirits with spirits, mixers with mixers, garnishes with garnishes, tools with other tools. Corral your tools (bar spoons, wine key, bottle opener) to a small dish or tray so it is clear where to look for them.

In addition to an ice bucket, it is a good idea to provide a small, elegant receptacle for bottle caps, corks, wine wrapping.

Return to the bar area periodically to tidy up, refresh ice, empty the debris bin and stock with fresh glasses.

Restaurant 101: Sommelier

~ MaryK ~ Leave a comment

So Moll Yay.

So what is a so-moll-yay?

A wine expert. Some have accreditations from the Court of Master Sommeliers or the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, though some merely have battle-tested palates and an encyclopedic knowledge of oenology from the school of hard knocks.

Many sommeliers work for restaurants, actively designing a wine list that compliments the chef’s cuisine, creating accounts with wine vendors and keeping the the wine in stock. Restaurant sommeliers are active presences in the dining room during service, guiding guests through the wine list, ensuring not only that the selected wine will compliment the food that is ordered, but that it is free from flaws and served correctly (at the right temperature and in the correct stemware).

Increasingly though, sommeliers are seeking work as freelancers, creating wine lists and staff training procedures for several venues that do not employ a full time “somm.” Somms may also work for private collectors, maintaining their cellars and even sourcing wine to fill out a collection. They may also be employed at wineries or tasting rooms.

In addition to knowing an impossible amount about the daunting world of wine, somms also tend to have an expansive vocabulary that makes any bottle in their hands sound absolutely irresistible.

Hospitality @ Home: Basic Wine Knowledge

~ MaryK ~ Leave a comment

Forget all the frippery associated with the pairing of wine; I am going to let you in on a little secret.

The best wine to have with any meal is the one you most enjoy.

Most of us do not have such refined palates that we notice the unique interplay of the flavor compounds in wine with those in the food alongside. Most of us operate on the mode of food is good, wine is good, food and wine are good together.

Some folks enjoy steeping themselves in the vast ocean of wine possibilities. If you are one of those people, great! But for everyone else, here are a few wine guidelines that will rarely lead you astray:

1. Pair like with like. White meat-white wine, red meat- red wine, sweets – sweet wine.

2. Look at the body. Rich dishes, sauces- full bodied wine, light fare- light bodied wine. A handy list:

Red wine varietals from lightest to fullest bodied:

European Pinot Noir- Chianti- US & Australian Pinot Noir- Malbec- Merlot – Syrah- Zinfandel- Cabernet Sauvignon

White wine varietals from lightest to fullest bodied:

Pinot Grigio- Chenin Blanc- European Sauvignon Blanc- US & Australian Sauvignon Blanc- European Chardonnay- California Chardonnay

2. When in doubt, order champagne. Sparkling wine compliments nearly everything. (One of my favorite combinations in the world is french fries and champagne).