How to Navigate a Wine List

When dining out, there may come a time that you will be handed a wine list and asked to “choose a wine for dinner.” Where to start, how to start, and what to look for, will all be thoughts speeding through your mind, while all along hoping to make the right choice and impress the other guests. Maybe you are not quite an expert—but you understand wine, you enjoy wine—there is a reason the wine list was handed to you.  Or, you are far from an expert but you enjoy wine and everyone knows it, so naturally the list was handed to you in hopes your love of wine will translate into an amazing bottle selection for the evening. Either way you are now on the spot—so here are a few pointers and suggestions, whether you are an aspiring oenophile or not, to make sure your selection is a homerun!

First, identify the style and layout of the wine list itself. It will make it easier to read and much easier to hone in on the right area to make the best selection. Wine lists are typically organized on a base level by wine style: sparkling, white, rosé, or red. Next is where it can become tricky, depending on the size of the list and the individual who writes and maintains the list itself. This is the ultimate key. I have broken wine list styles into four major categories:

Regional: Where the wine is from will be the header, typically by country with sub categories of smaller regions within each country.

Varietal: The grape or grapes used to make the wine will be the title of each section.  For instance, “Chardonnay” will be the header and the selection of Chardonnays would be listed below.

Weight:  This style of organizing a wine list is a bit more difficult. “Weight,” refers to the body of the wine and how it effects the mid-palate. In this situation, “Weight,’ becomes the sub-category almost always. For instance, a list that is first organized by region may then be further organized by weight.

Price: Much like a list that is organized by weight, a price-organized list is typically a sub-category of a larger category. It is a list that simply puts the least expensive wine at the top of the category and then progressively lists selections to the highest priced bottle.

Inside each category the list may be broken down again; for instance, it may be a regional wine list, but inside each region, the specific bottles may be organized by weight or price. If you have gotten this far, but need a small nudge to completely understand the list in front of you, do not be afraid to simply ask— whoever is attending to you should be able to answer. On the other hand, if this all seems foreign, do not be afraid to ask from the initial greeting how the list is organized so that you can then concentrate the effort into making an amazing selection.

Now that the style and organization of the list is determined, it is time to start zeroing in on your chosen wine. At this point you will want to determine a myriad of different factors that will essentially guide you to your ultimate decision.

Price: What is your price ceiling? This will immediately help to narrow down a selection.

Starter bottle or dining bottle: Is your initial selection meant to carry through the dining experience, or is it a bottle to fill time and awaken your palate? A bottle to start may be easier to select on a broader scale, whereas a bottle meant for the entire dining experience may need a more attentive approach.

Cuisine style: Does the establishment where you are dining have a specific style of cuisine? If so, it will help focus your attention when choosing a bottle for the meal.

Guests’ meal preferences: Are there any restrictions or guidelines for the guests in your party? Is there a vegetarian or pescatarian, someone who loves or hates spiciness, or any other form of dietary restriction? This will narrow down the menu, which will in turn narrow the wine list.

Wine list strengths and weaknesses:
Where does the wine list excel? Where might it fall short? If a list is heavy in a style or region, the options in that section can be more esoteric and focused. It may possibly be the wine steward’s way of telling you that this style or region goes best with our cuisine. This is extremely important to pick up on—it could be a game changer.

Once you have determined all of this, it is time to either make a choice, or ask a few questions! This is the perfect time to ask to see the Sommelier or the person in charge of the wine list. I guarantee they will be more than thrilled to speak with you and answer any number of questions. You may have narrowed it down to a few bottles and need a little more detail to decide, or you’re just completely lost at this point and wish you could cry out for help—either way, do not be afraid to ask! When speaking with the wine steward, here are a few pointers to help narrow down the field of selections (these may also come in handy even if you do not choose to speak to the person in charge):

  • Be upfront on your price range, it helps everyone and breaks the ice.
  • Know what you like and don’t like (this includes your dining companions), and describe your likes and dislikes in any way possible.
  • Vintages: an older wine is not always a better wine!
  • Forget about the “white with fish, red with steak” mentality… it is long outdated.
  • Ask about “diamonds in the rough,” or what is exciting and different on the list.
  • In regards to the above, many Sommeliers keep a special selection in the cellar that is not on the public wine list that they love to talk about and sell to the inquisitive guest.

When it is all said and done, you should be secretly smiling, knowing the perfect bottle of wine for the specific situation has been served… and it was all your decision.  Take your time, read the list. Whoever wrote the wine list for the establishment put in a great deal of time, effort, and passion in an order to provide you with the best possible selection. Said person would also love to talk with you pre- or post-selection, so do not hesitate at any time to ask to see them. If you need more time to decide, but need to quench the thirst, I always say that bubbles are a great way to begin any dining experience. Or have a cocktail, sit back, relax, and secretly plot your wine list domination.

— Chris Peterman, Director of Operations, Eighty-Ate Hospitality

Tiki Revival

What is Tiki? In the original Maori mythology, Tiki represents the first man created by the god Tane. Its carved humanoid form became ubiquitous as a vessel for the popular Polynesian drinks of the mid-20th century. The 1934 opening of Don the Beachcomber, a popular Hollywood restaurant, forged the path with Tiki torches, rum punches, flower leis, and Cantonese cuisine. Not long after, “Trader Vic” Bergeron opened a similar themed restaurant in Oakland California. Stars like Charlie Chaplin and Frank Sinatra were regular patrons at these Hollywood hot spots.

Modern Tiki culture was born in the Depression and died with disco.  In the 1930’s, Tiki pioneers like Donn Beach and Victor Bergeron wowed their patrons with exotic ingredients and tropical flavors.  As the Polynesian craze swept across the country, many imitators attempted to copy the closely-guarded recipes of the originals, often falling short. This resulted in the abundance of poorly crafted, boozy, sugary bombs.  For too long, Tiki drinks were equated with syrupy sweet, watered down concoctions–but recently the style has made a massive comeback.

While Tiki bars are now all the rage, it was Chinese restaurants that carried the torch for the last fifty years. One of our favorite things about Tiki drinks is that they’re fun. In a time when mixology is revered like alchemy, Tiki reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously. True Tiki cocktails are well balanced, nuanced, and refreshing, and many of the original recipes are now available.

At Bao Bao we’ve revived Tiki classics such as the Mai Tai and the Zombie (check out the recipe below), and put our own spin on them. These drinks utilize a carefully selected blend of rums, house made syrups, and fresh citrus juices. They are the perfect accompaniment to an order of dumplings.

 — Patrick McDonald, Bar Manager, Eighty Ate Hospitality

Zombie

1 1/2 oz dark rum
1/2 oz navy strength rum
1 oz Chinese 5 spice syrup
1 oz white grapefruit juice
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
Shake with ice and pour whole concoction into a Tiki mug.

Exploring Oregon Wines

As I approach my one year anniversary with Eighty Ate Hospitality, I’ve been reflecting on what I have learned in the last year. Before Tao I knew little about Asian cuisine—except that I very much enjoy eating it! I was (and still am) on the pursuit to study and understand the vast world of wine. Pairing wines with Asian cuisine was not second nature to me, but working here has allowed me to think out of the box (of course while following some of the fundamentals).   In the spirit of “there is always more to know,” I decided to dive into the history of Oregon wine this week in consideration of our upcoming wine pairing dinner. So here we go…

It is only relatively recently that the Oregon became not just a viable but an extraordinary region for growing vitis vinifera.  In the 1960’s a group of dreamers were convinced that Oregon was a prime location for growing European grape varietals.  This group is known as the “Pinot Pioneer’s.” They were engineers, teachers, and liberal arts graduates who had no farming or sales experience and no clue of what it took a run their own business. Nevertheless, they decided to move forward despite a number of naysayers.

It all started with David Lett. Educated in viticulture at UC Davis, Lett fell in love with the Pinot Noir grape while visiting Burgundy. He became determined to find a place in North America where Pinot Noir and similar varietals could thrive and display terrior as in Burgundy. (“Terroir” is a word often used to identify wine by region; it refers to the unique flavors and characteristics of a wine based on the region where it was produced). UC Davis wine professors and wine professionals urged Lett that Oregon’s cool and wet climate would not lead him to success. Lett ignored their advice and found his spot in Willamette Valley. A number of other couples in pursuit of the same goal were soon to follow, and the group was eventually coined as Pinot Pioneers. They ripped up strawberry fields and abandoned prune orchards and began to lay down Pinot Noir vines. The families were not able to obtain loans from banks due to the common lack of confidence in the project. To battle this, they all worked second jobs to keep their families afloat, they shared equipment and knowledge, and they decided that together they would prove their critics wrong. And as we all know now, proving them wrong is exactly what they did. It took some tweaking and practice to make a vintage that was of quality, but in 1979 Lett took his Pinot Noir to an international wine show where his wine placed in the competition. His Oregon Pinot Noir beat out well know Burgundy wines—and finally, Oregon was in the game. Pinot Noir and the Pioneers truly paved the way for the expansion of Oregon’s wine industry and subsequent winemakers. These victories led to the introduction of additional varietals that have become just as successful as their predecessor.

A varietal that thrives in the cool climate of Oregon and demonstrates the region’s natural acidity is Gewurztraminer. We will be pouring Teutonic Gewurztraminer from Crow Valley Vineyard in Willamette. Barnaby Tuttle of Teutonic Wine Company fell in love with German-style Rieslings while working as a wine buyer in an Oregon restaurant. In spite of being a complete novice on grape growing and winemaking he decided in 2002 that he was going to leave the restaurant industry and become a wine maker. A friend of his lent him a parcel of their farm in Alsea, Oregon where Tuttle planted 2000 vines. His determination lay in learning how to grow and produce a product with the same typicity (a wine’s ability to demonstrate the characteristics of the grape from which it’s made) that you find in a German wine. In my opinion he has done a great job, the moment we tasted this wine we were all very excited about the quality and the range of food it would be able to handle. This wine is crisp and ripe with a great viscosity. We decided to think outside with box and pair this with a young lamb tartar alongside the flavors of chamomile and sesame.

Another producer we will be highlighting is Cristom. Like the Pinot Pioneers, they too were in the pursuit of spectacular Pinot Noir. The founder, Paul Gerrie, was an engineer from the East Coast who fell in love with wine when invited to the International Pinot Noir Celebration in Oregon. He decided to uproot his young family and move west to chase his passion.  Once there he teamed up with his vineyard manager, Mark Feltz, and winemaker Steve Doerner. They produced their first vintage in 1992 and have been carefully working to produce exceptional Pinot Noirs since.  We are pouring their 2013 Pinot Noir from Jessie Vineyard , a fuller-bodied representation of Pinot Noir.  At first taste we realized this wine would be a spot on pairing with a New York strip we have coincidentally been aging.

The more I’ve researched Oregon grape growers and wine makers, the more I see the spirit of the Pinot Pioneers having a continual influence on Oregon.  People are continuing to take chances and from what I have found they are doing it out of passion and love for the grapes. As I delve further into my wine education, the most exciting and daunting thing is there will always be more to know. There are endless grape varietals and regions to study and more stories of winemakers and their passion to discover.  I am looking forward to the continuous exploration.

Nicole Elmore, Front of House Manager, Tao Yuan Restaurant

A vineyard from Nicole’s visit to Oregon