Lovelies!
I am so, so, so, so excited for this post for so many reasons! The first reason being that it is all about wine. Duh! And secondly, it is dedicated to making wine a little bit (ok, a lotta bit) easier to wrap our brains around. Wine can be incredibly daunting. One can devote their entire lifetime to understanding wine and all of it's incredible complexity and still not know it all. However, it doesn't have to be so scary... And this is where my awesome friend Justen Lenig, comes in!
Justen and I met a little over 4 years ago while working in a restaurant in New York City. He was (and still is) my wine guy extraordinaire - aka - the one person I would run to when I was posed a question about wine that I in no way had an answer to; he was the one co-worker I trusted to listen intently to my questions, answer them in a way that I could understand, and left me feeling more confident and knowledgeable. I must admit, when I first met Justen, I had very limited knowledge about wine. I was the kind of person who had slight ordering anxiety at a restaurant and reached for the biggest bottle of Barefoot wine (ain't nothin' wrong with some Barefoot!) because I didn't have the foggiest idea as to what I was looking at on the shelves at the liquor store.
I am so happy that I was able to pick Justen's brain about wine. Below he selflessly shares some of his incredible wine knowledge with us. Believe me, if you are currently afraid of wine, you will not be after reading this Q&A! Now go forth into the world, my smart, confident, wine loving little birdies.
XOXO,
~ Cristina ~
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Bespoke and Beautiful: If I don't know what the wines are on a wine menu, how do I ask for help without feeling silly?
Justen: You should never feel silly asking for help with a wine list. Sommeliers* and waiters are employed and on the floor to help guests get exactly what wine they want. To help the sommelier with the process, simply know what your personal preferences are: whether that be big rich whites that have been aged in new oak barrels and have notes of toast, vanilla and spice or lean high acid reds, (meaning wines that aren’t mouth filling and rich on the palate) like a typical Napa Valley Cabernet.
*A sommelier, or wine steward, is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional, normally working in fine restaurants, who specializes in all aspects of wine service as well as wine and food pairing. The role is much more specialized and informed than that of a wine waiter: In fine dining today the role is strategically on a par with that of the executive chef or chef de cuisine.*
Bespoke and Beautiful: When I order a bottle of wine at a restaurant why does the waiter show me the bottle before they open it? Why it is necessary to open it in front of me?
Justen: The wine is presented so there is no confusion as to what wine was ordered and will be opened. Wine lists may have multiple different wines from one producer, and price may vary greatly, so this presentation puts everyone on the same page. I don’t believe in "the bottle needs to be opened in front of me mantra". I simply present the cork for their inspection and remove it once they are done.
B&B: Why does the waiter give me the cork? What am I supposed to do with it?
Justen: Some believe they can get a trace of TCA, (which is the chemical compound 2,4,6-trichloroanisoleon) on the cork, but I believe the wine is a better indicator and that corks smell like cork. A tainted wine has aromas that can be described as moldy, musty, earthy or medicinal. The cork can also be an identifier that the wine has been stored as it should be, which is on its side. If you are presented a cork from a wine and it is completely dry, this could be a hint that the wine wasn’t stored properly.
B&B: I've seen people swirl the wine in their glass. What does that do and should I be doing it?
Justen: The swirl is simply to “open” up the wine and its volatile aromas. A wine left un-swirled will not show the complex bouquet of fruits, herbs, spices and earthy components that make wine so beautiful. So basically, swirl the wine in the glass and allow the wine to show its best.
B&B: Am I supposed to smell the wine when it's poured in my glass? What am I smelling for?
Justen: You should be smelling the wine, and the most important thing to be smelling for are off smells. TCA, which smells like wet cardboard is the most prevalent of off notes. If not stored properly, a wine can oxidize and smell overly nutty and honeyed, and if gone too far, can become vinegar. Another controversial off note is Brettanomyces, a form of yeast that smells of barnyard, smoky bacon, band-aids and sometimes cheese. Some people believe this is an off note, while others believe it lends complexity to a wine, if kept in check. After confirming the wine is clean (without TCA and Brettanomyces), then smell for the beautiful bouquet of the wine.
B&B: How do I know if a wine is bad? Wine smells like wine to me...
See question five, but never feel bad about asking somebody in the restaurant (hopefully a sommelier) to check the wine for soundness. If he/she is a good sommelier, they will want you to have the maximum enjoyment from the bottle you purchase, no matter the price of the wine.
B&B: I bought a bottle of wine and it has a screw top. Does that mean that it's low quality?
Justen: That is a connotation that makes me sad. Stelvin closures, also known as the screw cap, is a science that is getting better and better. There are even screw caps being made that allow a miniscule amount of oxygen in, and therefore can be aged like cork closed wines. For the time being, though, unless a wine is being made for long term aging, a screw cap is a great choice for closure. It eliminates issues associated with corks, like the ever-frightening TCA.
B&B: What does the year mean on a bottle of wine and why is that important?
Justen: It is the year otherwise referred to as the “vintage”; the year the grapes were harvested and made into wine. It can be important as an indicator as what to expect in a wine. A hot year will yield bigger wines with more alcohol, and cooler years yield leaner higher acid wine. This is a grandiose generalization, and so much more goes into wine styles, but there are those that feel vintages are the best indicator.
B&B: Why doesn't my bottle have a year on it?
Justen: That would mean it’s a non-vintage or multi-vintage wine, which is just a blend of the new wine from the current vintage, with reserve wines from past vintages. This blending is usually only to make a house style, year in and out. Blending is unusual outside of sparkling wines, especially Champagne.
B&B: How do I know what type of wine to order at a restaurant or buy for a dinner party? Do I have to pair a red wine with red meat and white wine with white meat?
Justen: Rules of pairing are really just guidelines and are only there to help. There are plenty of red wines that go beautifully with fish, and whites that can stand up to steak. The one rule I always try to stick to is nothing tannic* with fatty fish like salmon. The metallic taste that comes from it is remarkably unpleasant. Besides that, drink what you like with what you like to eat.
*Tannins are what add a bitter astringency to wines. If you need assistance, ask your local wine shop owner for recommendations based on your menu.*
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Justen recently moved to Stratford, CT after spending seven years in New York City working for some really great chefs in the restaurant industry. He initially started working in restaurants after he graduated college and found himself smack dab in the middle of the great recession. While working in restaurants he discovered and fell in love with the mix of artistry and science behind great wine. Now that he finds himself with more than 600 square feet of living space, he makes his own charcuterie, which hangs in his basement, next to jars of homemade pickles and jams. On any given day in the fall, he can be found watching football, apple picking, in a haunted house, or sipping a few Manhattans. He LOVES all horror movies... the good, the bad, and the ugly. And while he doesn't have a favorite food, he's always a happy man with a plate of fresh, raw oysters and a bottle of Chablis in front of him. His inspirations have been and will always be his family and friends. What’s the point of good booze if you’re not sharing it with someone you care about?
Justen is currently the beverage manager for the Inn at Pound Ridge by Jean Georges in upstate New York.
