A Little Help From The Sommelier
You have a friend in the wine business. The Sommelier at your neighborhood fine dining establishment is there to help. They make the evening enjoyable by offering a service that adds to the experience of eating out. The Wine section from the Chronicle this week printed a piece from Stephen Yafa who quizzed 4 of San Francisco’s top Sommelier’s, and assembled a tip sheet for customers. Here are a few of the highlights:
Ask Questions: A Sommelier’s job is to assist you. If you engage them a little bit, you may end up trying something you wouldn’t have normally, which is always the best way to experience wine. Ask questions like: Which wine will go best with my food? What are some of your favorite wines on the list?
Abide by the unwritten codes of conduct: Don’t refuse to buy a bottle of wine until it’s opened, don’t act like a snob, and don’t shy away from letting them in on your budget.
Bringing your own bottle: Reserve special bottles for this, and phone ahead to let the restaurant know, even consider dropping it off beforehand for proper decanting.
Other thoughts:
Don’t worry about ratings, these people know their stuff and want you to enjoy your food and drink, they aren’t going to purposefully steer you in the wrong direction.
Wait to order the wine until after you’ve decided on what you would like to eat. Perhaps you can enjoy a nice aperitif until you’ve had a moment to peruse the menu and wine list.
Make sure you engage the sommelier, especially if presented with a large list, this is what they live for, and will leave you with a memorable dining experience.
Read [SFGate.com]
