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What you will need:
Try not to do this...
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• A couple of reasonably priced bottles of great wines: try a few different varietals, this will give you a good idea of which wines you like and which wines you don’t like; a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinotage, Shiraz and a Cabernet sauvignon. Decide on a menu (hint – rule of thumb: meat = red wines and fish = white wines) the above selection will cover you for both. (Hint: try the Arniston Bay Reserve Range)
• It would also be worth getting a great bottle of sparkling Rosé as this will go with most aperitifs and will stand out. (Hint: try the Arniston Bay sparkling Rosé charmat)
• Spend, an afternoon in your local wine shop. For research purposes, of course.
• Know your stemware: there are four main different types: white wine glasses, red wine glasses, champagne flute and dessert wine.
• Get a corkscrew, yes that’s right a corkscrew don’t bother with any fancy contraptions if you stick with the Arniston Bay range you wont even need this because of the screw caps.
• Get a white tablecloth; this will make the colours of the wines really stand out.
• Get a few varietals that will pair nicely with your menu and a bottle of bubbles. (See food and wine paring further on)
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To do:
Understand why wine is such a big deal:
The best reason for getting to know wine has nothing to do with impressing your friends or anyone else. Every wine vintage is unique.
That’s what makes it different from all that other stuff you drink — hard liquor and beer — whose appeal and price are based on tasting the same this year as they did last.
Wine varies so much from year to year because wine grapes are very sensitive to climate — temperature, soil, rainfall, surrounding vegetation. A wine made from grapes that were grown in a dry season will taste differently than one produced during a wet one.
What really gets wine enthusiasts all breathless is that, when you drink a good wine, you are experiencing a unique product of the natural environment at a given moment in time, brought out by the winemaker’s art. Earth in a glass, as the saying goes.
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Now we're talking...!!!
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Learn the technical talk:
Colour isn’t everything, so if your knowledge of wine doesn’t exceed the fact that you know red and white wines are different because of their colour, continue to read.
There are two basic types of wine grape: red and white. Each typically have the same colour pulp; it’s the skins that factor most heavily in determining a wine’s colour.
Obviously, white wines are produced from white grapes and red wines from red grapes. But you can make a pink, blush, or Rosé wine by removing the skins from the juice before they have a chance to stain the wine fully red. Similarly, you can produce a perfectly “white” sparkling wine or champagne from red grapes, such as Pinot Noir, by pulling the skins out immediately.
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Grasp the Grapes:
You need to understand the different types of wines.
In South Africa, wines are traditionally marketed by varietal, which is simply a wine made from a given variety of grape. It’s an easy, though not always accurate, way to classify a wine and predict its taste.
In France and Italy, it’s different. The French believe that where a wine’s grapes are grown is just as important, if not more important, than the kind of grapes used. That’s why French wines are labeled according to region, such as Burgundy or Bordeaux, Don’t assume you’re going to learn about every possible varietal on the market — start with the most popular in South Africa:
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Red wines:
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinotage and Shiraz
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White wines:
Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc
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Get the pairing right:
Having your snobby friends over for dinner doesn’t mean you need to blow R400 on a couple bottles of wine. Here’s a smart tactic that will allow you, yes, you, wine ignoramus to play sommelier come suppertime.
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Excellent choice my dear friend...
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Start with a sparkle --->
Offer each of your guests a flute of chilled sparkling Rosé wine. When you open sparkling wine, don’t fire the cork at the ceiling and let the bubbly gush out like you just struck oil. For one thing, this lets a lot of the fizz escape. For another, it’s something people really only do in movies. Wrap the top of the bottle in a napkin and gently pull the cork out while turning the bottle. All you should hear is a little spoof when the cork comes free.
Move on to white --->
Serve a light dish, such as salad or seafood starter, as your first course with your first still wine, which should probably be a white. (Try: Arniston Bay’s Sparkling Rose)
Shift to red --->
As you move to the meat dishes, it’ll be time to break out the red wines, start with a more delicate red, such as a Cabernet Sauvignon, and move on to a heavier one, such as a Shiraz.
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Show your wine experience:
Test the wines before your big dinner party. Pour out a little into wine into each glass — they shouldn’t be any more than one-third full, otherwise you could spill the wine when you swirl. Note your impressions of each of the following:
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Personally, this looks a little douchebag'esque...
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Look >>>
Hold your glass up to the light. What colour is the wine? Is it light red, deep purple, or somewhere in the middle? Is there some brown mixed in? Now swirl the wine a bit in the glass. Does it leave thick or thin streaks on the inside of the glass? Those streaks are the described “legs”; thicker legs mean the wine has more alcohol.
Smell >>>
Tilt the glass, stick your nose in it as far as you can without getting wet, and take a deep breath. What does the wine smell like? Aromas that typically occur in wines include: Fruit, herbs, veggies, grass, fresh dirt, flowers, smoke and chocolate
Taste >>>
Take a sip of the wine and swirl it around in your mouth a bit (don’t gargle). What does it taste like? You’ll notice that many of the aromas that you found while sniffing the wine are repeated as flavors when you taste it.
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Other tips to help you look like a pro:
I'm just *kidding* Arniston...
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• Don’t be overly clever with lengthy adjectives i.e: the word pungent (when referring to smell actually means acidic)
• Red wines should be served at slightly cooler than room temperature. White wines should be chilled to between 12 and 15 degrees.
• When you open a bottle, use the knife on your corkscrew to cut the entire foil cap away.
• Consider opening bottles in the kitchen, before your guests arrive. This can save you some embarrassment if you’re not yet handy with a corkscrew.
• When you pour, don’t let the top of the bottle touch the rim of the glass. When you are done pouring, lift the neck of the bottle and give it a little twist to keep it from dripping. Practice before your dinner.
• When moving from one bottle to another of the same colour, don’t offer your guests fresh glasses. Instead, once they drain their glasses, pour the new wine right on top of the old one.
• Always hold your wine glass with pinched fingers comfortably holding the stem. Don't hold it by the glass' bowl.
• Allow your red wines to breath for 20 minutes before serving
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Arniston Bay Wines
The range, available in a variety of packaging alternatives, has a multitude of offerings ranging from easy-drinking entry-level wines to more sophisticated wines for discerning palates. It is the recipient of many local and international awards and is consistently one of the top selling wines in the UK.
Visit their website (below) for more details.
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