Naturally “Lighter” Wines

Previously, I discussed the fact that alcohol in wine has calories, but really never offered any suggested wines that are naturally lower in alcohol without looking for manipulated “light” wines. Generally, those grown in cooler climates and at higher altitudes and certain wine styles and wine regions are known for producing lower alcohol wines. Vinho Verde from Portugal (around 10-11%), Trocken (dry) style German whites (usually well under 12%), Hunter valley Semillon from Australia (usually under 11%), Prosecco from northern Italy (10-12%), Muscadet from France’s Loire Valley (usually under 12%) and Beaujolais, also from France (around 12%) are all great examples.

Calories in Wine

With the warm weather here, most of us are looking at ways to ensure we fit into our swimsuits. That means exercising more and watching calories. When it comes to calories in wine, this can be problematic. Alcohol, in general, contains about 7 calories per gram, so higher alcohol wines will contain more. And if the wine is sweet, the additional sugar will beef up the calories more so. Before you start looking for “light” wines, try this. First of all, look for wines with lower alcohol, around 11%. Secondly, vie for bone-dry wines. These will contain the least amount of sugar keeping the calories in check. Finally, and I can’t stress this enough, consume only a small glass (perhaps 4-5 oz.) with your meal. 

Dinner Wine

How often does this happen to you? You’re invited for dinner and you usually bring along a bottle of wine. However, more often than not, the wine you bring doesn’t get opened as the host already has another few in mind to match the meal. This proves frustrating, as you may have pulled something special or rare from your cellar or purchased a specific bottle for the event that you really want to taste. What to do? To ensure your wine is opened at the dinner, the “Good Doctor” suggests this. Call ahead and ask the host what the menu is because you want to bring a unique bottle to match the dish. This subtle gesture is viewed as considerate almost always ensuring that the wine you bring will be consumed.

Increasing Wine Sales

If you own or manage a restaurant and you want to increase wine sales, there are some pretty simple solutions. Have bi-weekly or monthly tastings with your wait staff utilizing some of the wines from your list with your menu items. This empowers them to sell wine. Every week, offer a featured wine at a reduced cost. Try table talkers highlighting specific wines. You could have a display set up in the restaurant somewhere showcasing particular wines, regions or countries. Perhaps most effective is to put wine suggestions right next to the food items on your menu making it extremely easy and less daunting for the consumer to choose a wine for their meal. These simple ideas have proven to increase wine sales.  

Wine Pours in Restaurants

Ever notice that when you order any more than a glass of wine in many restaurants that aren’t overly wine savvy, the waiters keep topping your glass up way beyond the comfort level? A wine glass should never be filled more than about one third. This allows you to swirl and aerate the wine comfortably without spillage and to be able to nose it without getting your beezer wet. The reason waiters do this is simple. They probably want to encourage you to drink up and order more wine or hurry you along with your meal so they can get the next sitting in and thus, another tip. I get it, but frankly I find this most irritating. If I’m in a restaurant that does this, I simply tell the waiter I’ll pour my own wine from then on.

Wine as a Marinate

Wine makes a great marinate. There is no finer way of installing a wine’s flavour into a dish. Perhaps more importantly, the acid in wine helps tenderize meat. This is especially beneficial for less expensive cuts. It also helps improve texture. The longer the meat marinates, the more tender it will become and more wine flavour it will possess. Utilize only glass or glazed ceramic to marinate in. Never ever use metal as it contains lead and may leach. After use, don’t save the marinate for another time either. Dispose of it immediately. If you want to baste with the same marinate while cooking, mix up a fresh batch. Alternately, you could simply reserve some for this purpose when you make the first batch.

Wine and Memory

Good memory is a real plus in wine appreciation. Remembering and recognizing certain sensory characteristics is crucial to judging wine. Of course making tasting notes helps, but what good is building up a “wine library” of characteristic smells and tastes in the brain if you can’t recall them when desired? A good memory saves time, promotes better results and allows the taster to sample and compare more products. To increase your memory in general, and especially for wine, try shaking your brain cells up a bit. For example, if you’re right-handed, try brushing your teeth with your left hand. Instead of smelling coffee first thing in the morning, take a whiff of vanilla extract. Simple exercises like this should help.