Calwineries

Pairing Etiquette

The Importance of Pairing Etiquette at Restaurants

A well stocked restaurant will offer many wine selections by the glass. Just tell the sommelier to pair by the glass and the job is done. If you have stylistic preferences, then communicate those as well. You may want a light bodied dry wine or full bodied oaked wine. Specify if you want something from California or France. The sommelier will then try to select something that pairs well with the dishes with your preferences in mind.

When ordering by the bottle, ask your companion or the group what they prefer. In the likely case that they tell you to decide, consider what dishes everyone will be ordering. When all else fails, order Pinot Noir.

California Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, while often wonderful, will be expensive. Consider California Syrah and Zinfandel, both of which are food friendly at a younger age. If drinking French wine, avoid inexpensive Burgundy as it is notorious for being spotty. I personally find that food friendly Rhone wines offer great value.

• Wine Tasting Essential
• Deciphering Wine Lists
• Interacting with Sommeliers
• Corkage Etiquette

Calwineries is a website devoted to California Wine Country and California Wine Tours. Additionally, we want to teach the basics of wine information.