Wine Service Complaint

Ever notice that in many restaurants when you order a bottle of wine, the waiter comes along frequently and tops up your glass to almost full? A wine glass should never be filled to the brim as it inhibits swirling for aeration and encourages spillage. In some cases, it’s just that the waiter doesn’t know any better or feels they are providing good service, but much of the time, I feel there is another reason for it. As they make most of their wages from tips, they know they will only get one tip from your seating. Therefore, I wonder if they hurry you along so you’ll finish your meal quicker and leave, making room for another seating and another potential tip. The more seatings, the more tips! That concept really bugs me.

What Determines Wine Prices

Ever wonder why some wines cost more than others? It comes down to vineyard practices, winemaking techniques and marketing. In the vineyard, certain grapes are harder to grow than others requiring more work. Older vines produce less fruit and hand harvesting is more labour intensive. In winemaking, soft pressing is more expensive than hard, some fermentation vessels are more expensive and longer aging at the winery costs more (even more so if in barrel, especially new). Packaging and type of closure can add dollars to the final price. Beyond this, small production and limited availability will translate to a higher cost. Even gold medals obtained in competition and rave reviews from the media can drive the selling price up.

Ziraldo After Inniskillin

Donald Ziraldo was the co-founder of Inniskillin Wines in Niagara and a pioneer in the Ontario wine industry and the creation of Canadian Icewine. Ever wonder what happened to him after he sold the winery to Constellation Brands? He started his own brand of Icewine and Riesling table wines under his own name and in 2011 took on management of a Port winery (Senhora Do Convento) in Portugal’s Douro Valley along with his wife Victoria. The Ports are fabulous as are the table wines produced by this house. His own brand of Icewine from the old Inniskillin property is pretty fantastic too. He now divides his time between Portugal and Niagara and spends much time on the road promoting all his ventures.