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Out and About: Valley Wineries
Early Summer 2010
by James Putbrese
It is well to remember that there are five reasons for drinking: the arrival of a friend; one’s present or future thirst; the excellence of the wine; or any other reason—so goes an old Latin proverb. Given this obvious historical precedent, you really ought to enjoy a good bottle of wine! Lots of folks, though, get all tripped up and, indeed, rather anxious, because they’re afraid they don’t know proper wine etiquette. While I’d never suggest that you might be one of these people, I do know that wine etiquette is not stiff and formal, but rather part of the whole enjoyment of tasting (and drinking) wine with friends, family, and colleagues.
A great place to start is a wine tasting at a winery. Fortunately for you, in the Shenandoah Valley and surrounding areas, excellent wineries abound. Don’t worry that you have to be really knowledgeable to visit a winery; it’s a great place to learn about wines in general and to learn about your own preferences in wine. In a winery’s tasting room, white wines are generally tasted first, followed by reds, and then dessert wines. Water and crackers may be offered to cleanse the glass and the palate between each taste. Despite what our mothers used to tell us, correct wine etiquette does not require that you finish every glass—tasting rooms provide jars to dispose of excess wine. Likewise, you need not feel obligated to taste every wine offered. You may ask for a second tasting of a particular wine. If you enjoy a wine, it is appropriate to purchase a glass or a bottle of the wine. (Many wineries charge tasting fees, which are generally applied to any purchase.)
But what about wine to accompany your meal? Choosing dinner wines at a restaurant can be fun! When ordering a wine from a restaurant’s wine list, your main goal is to achieve a suitable pairing with the entrées your party is selecting. If the entrées are too varied for just one wine, consider purchasing splits (half-bottles), or individual glasses—or perhaps a bottle of both red and white wines! When in doubt, ask the waiter or sommelier’s advice.
When your server presents the wine, examine the label to make sure it is what you ordered. Check both the wine and the vintage. If it is not what you ordered, send it back. Next, check the temperature to make sure it is satisfactory. Reds should be slightly chilled, and whites should not be over-chilled. After opening the bottle, the sommelier will present the cork to the person who ordered the wine. Should you sniff, touch, or taste the cork? Unless you have the nose of a beagle, you will not be able to tell much about the wine by sniffing the cork. Instead, touch the cork to make sure that it is wet, an indication that the wine has been properly stored.
The sommelier will then pour a small amount of wine for the person who ordered it. Smell and taste are the best indications that the wine is good, so gently swirl the wine in the glass to allow it to breathe; give it a sniff; and then taste it. The aroma and flavor of the wine will develop as it aerates. Never return a wine because you do not like it. (However, if you think the wine has gone bad, ask for a second opinion from someone else in your party or the sommelier.) After approval, the wine will be poured counterclockwise, with women served first. The host’s glass will be filled last.
Several area restaurants have excellent wine lists. New on the scene here are wine bars and restaurants with their own wine shop. You’ll find Siips, a first-class wine bar, with an extensive list of wines by the glass, on the downtown mall in Charlottesville. Further north, La Luna and Ambrae House are good wine bars in Berkeley Springs, WV.
For years, one of my favorite Valley restaurants has been South River in Waynesboro. Owner Linda Roland specializes in seafood and hand-cut Angus steaks, along with wines from over thirty wineries in Virginia. Browse the Paddock Wine Shop and, perhaps, take home that bottle of wine you enjoyed during the meal.
As Humphrey Bogart said, “Here’s looking at you kid!”
Article text ©2010, Shenandoah Specialty Publishing, LLC.
May be printed for personal use only.
Wine Trails of the Shenandoah Valley and Beyond
Learn more about each of these trails and viticultural areas, find maps and contact information, and plan your wine-tasting vacation with the official VA Wines website, www.VirginiaWine.org.
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