Someone You Should Know - Gloria Petersen of Global Protocol, Inc.

You might want to sit up straight before reading this post. And if you're enjoying a glass of wine right now, make sure you are holding it correctly!

Gloria Petersen, etiquette consultant and founder of Global Protocol, Inc. wants all of you to know that one of the major mistakes she sees diners frequently make is holding a glass by the bulb and not the stem. Holding a glass by the stem not only demonstrates your refinement, but it's also better for the wine, preventing it from becoming too warm from the heat of your palm.

Ms. Petersen has advised executives (and would-be executives) for companies both large and small. She has presented seminars for Caterpillar interns, Motorola diversity groups, and Microsoft account executives, to name a few. Her articles have appeared in Chicago Restaurant magazine, among other publications.

She began our interview by sharing some of the faux pas she has witnessed by some of her clients. Putting ice cubes in wine is one error she's seen frequently. Another mistake can take place during a multi-course dinner where the wines are pre-selected for each course. According to Ms. Petersen, "Don't sip a wine with a course that it's not paired with!" If you are not finished with a wine by the time the next course arrives, Ms. Petersen insists you should allow the wine to be removed with the finished course. One mistake I learned I make frequently is not really tasting the wine. There's clearly a difference between drinking and tasting! "If you just drink it, the wine is swallowed right away and you miss the benefits of the wine. The wine should briefly resonate on the tongue before swallowing, to capture its benefits."

Ms. Petersen advised me to focus on four parts of my tongue:

Sweetness: (found on the tip of the tongue)
Fruitiness: (middle of the tongue)
Acidity: (sides of the tongue and cheek area)
Tannin: (middle to back of the tongue and throat)

According to Ms. Petersen, each wine will respond most strongly to one part of your tongue and you will appreciate wine much more if you can identify that place with each wine you taste.

When you are ordering wine for a large group at dinner, Ms. Petersen advises you look for what she calls a "crossover wine"; i.e. wines that will fit most dishes and most palates, (e.g. blush wines and Pinot Noir). Her preferred combo is a Pinot Noir and a Pinot Grigio. However, other popular choices are a Syrah or Merlot and a Chardonnay. Ideally, order one bottle of red and one of white; "people like choices."

If you are undecided what to select, in a restaurant, at least inquire about the restaurant house wine; this is usually a choice that will appeal to a large cross section of palates. Another idea is to ask if the restaurant has a signature entree, and what wine might pair effectively with that.

According to Ms. Petersen, "Restaurants want you to think of them as beyond simply serving you." She offered some excellent advice on how to work effectively with your wine director/sommelier. If possible, contact the restaurant ahead of time, share your budget with their host, and take a look at their wine list (many wine lists are posted online now). Ask questions about some of the wines your are considering. If you are pre-selecting a wine for your group, familiarize yourself with the vintage so that you can give your guests some information about the wine you selected. "Guests love to be educated about wine."

After you have ordered a bottle, there's an important ritual that is common in most upscale restaurants. It's important to understand what is happening when the wine is first presented to your table, and why. Ms. Petersen explains, "The wine will be presented and you need to confirm that this is the exact wine and vintage you ordered. You should feel the cork, but not smell it; a cork from a quality bottle should feel a little moist on the bottom after it has been pulled. Ask for a taste of the wine, just to ensure it does not have a vinegar flavor." Be very discreet when doing this; don't try to show off." She's seen too many examples of diners who don't know nearly about wine and protocol as they think and send a perfectly good wine back because he or she did not particularly like it.

"Ideally, wine at the table is about building rapport and camaraderie", says Ms. Petersen, and I will remember her pointers whenever I am entertaining guests in the future.

Please check out Ms. Petersen's two web sites www.globalprotocol.com, and www.gloriapetersen.com. (Special thanks to another etiquette expert, Jacqueline Whitmore, who placed me in touch with Ms. Petersen. Please click on her website at www.etiquetteexpert.com for more great tips.)

Heard it Through the Grapevine - July, 2008

Come meet author Deborah Brenner (right) at her book signing July 22.

Chicago Pinot is happy to showcase upcoming wine events you might enjoy (you may even meet your favorite new blogger at one of them!)

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar has locations in twenty four states, and opened it's first restaurant in Chicago last April. They feature a rotating collection of one hundred wines available by the glass.

On July 21 and 22, they will be hosting two special wine events; and at least one of them will match your budget!

On Monday, July 21 at 6:00 p.m., Fleming's will host an evening of wine tasting and dining with some of Napa Valley's most prestigious winemakers. This three hour event will consist of a reception, a panel discussion with the winemakers and a dinner.

The featured winemakers will be:

Cathy Corison of Corison Winery
Kristin Belair of Honig Vineyard and Winery
Tony Coltrin of Folio Fine Wine
Scott McLeod of Rubicon Estate
Dave Guffy of The Hess Collection Winery

Hosting this event will be Marian Jansen op de Haar, National Director of Wine for Fleming's.

The cost for this event is $95.00.

Even if you're a wine newbie like myself, you probably know that women have centuries of experience working with the noble grape. But can you name any famous current female wine superstars?

Deborah Brenner certainly could; she is the author of Women of the Wine, and Ms. Brenner will sign copies of her book at Fleming's on Tuesday, July 22 at 6:00 p.m. She will bring along several excellent women winemakers who will share their favorite selections from their portfolios.

This event is free and here's a message for you men; this event is not for women only!

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar is located at 25 East Ohio and you can R.S.V.P for these events by calling 312-329-9463.

The 10.25% Solution

Are these wines (see right) worth 1% more than yesterday?

A group of us at The Day Thing have a booth at Taste of Chicago (come on Wednesday, July 2, to the Family Tent if you want to meet CP and his friends!) Since our shift ends about 3:30, I checked out a couple of my favorite Loop wine shops on my way home.

Special shoutouts to Amy; don't want to get her into trouble, but she blissfully forgot to charge me the new and improved 10.25% city sales tax on the lovely bottle of Alamos 2007 Torrontes bought at her shop even after I reminded her about the higher rate in effect today.

Unfortuantely, the Sam's Wine & Spirits computers kicked in right away with the new rate, but they were honoring a 10% off coupon that expired the day before. I guess that makes the math easy, right? $14.99 list price for this lovely Sauvignon Blanc from Marborough, $15.oo on the nose with tax (and after applying the coupon).

Note to wine store owners, if you want to just print up a bunch of 10% off coupons and leave them at the front desk of your store, I might be a little more understanding about our fair city's alleged fiscal needs!

Have you ever crossed city (or state) lines to save a few dollars on sales tax? Please comment below!

And finally, here's a picture of Todd Stroger. If you want to understand how Chicago became the highest taxed municipality, read this article.

Here's a picture of Mr. 10.25%.



I would post a picture and link to Amy, but I'm hoping it takes a few more months before she adjusts her computer!

Wine Review - Colonia Las Liebres 2006 Bonarda

This is an old favorite I discovered last summer at a wine tasting in Oak Park at a restaurant that alas, has passed from the foodie scene in Chicagoland. I remembered describing it to friends as a "perfect 7:00 a.m. wine."

Now, I certainly don't recommend enjoying this wine (or any wine) that early in the morning if you're a nine-to-five type, like me. But when you get home, this is great to enjoy on a weeknight, with simple but satisfying cherry and cranberrry flavors. Higher than average acid, much lower than usual tannins.

The history of the Bonarda grape, and how it arrived in Argentina, is more than a little confusing. This article does an excellent job at sorting most of it out.

http://basicjuice.blogs.com/basicjuice/2005/06/will_the_real_b.html

There is definitely a place for wines you can just gulp and not think too much about, and this red from the Mendoza region of Argentina, can serve you well when you aren't preparing any food that's too challenging (frankly, the Parmigiano I am pairing this with is really overpowering the wine's simple but charming pleasures).

Purchased at Treasure Island (www.tifoods.com) for $8.71 (with tax).

Rating: 86 out of 100

Someone You Should Know - Molly Wismeier of Cenitare

One of my purposes with this blog is to profile individuals in the Chicagoland area who help make our wine encounters more enjoyable. While on a business trip in the Chicago suburbs recently, Molly Wismeier of the Cenitare Restaurant Group met me for an interview at the Westin Chicago North Shore. Ms. Wismeier was appointed Corporate Director of Wine and Spirits for Cenitare Restaurants in December, 2007. At the Westin, her restaurant responsibilities include Osteria di Tramonto and Tramonto’s Steak & Seafood.

I wanted to learn a little about her responsibilities as a wine director and how her team of servers and sommeliers combine to enhance your dining experience. But our interview began on a bittersweet note; her publicist emailed both of us earlier in the day that legendary winemaker Robert Mondavi had passed away that morning. She had never met Mr. Mondavi, but she began our interview with a reflection on how he influenced her career, and many others:

"Going back thirty years, he helped me understand the position the U.S. has in the world of wine. He recognized the importance of place of origin; what wine will grow best in what places. He would take trips to France to see how how grapes were planted, what regions worked best for which grapes, how the soil was treated."

There have been many online tributes to Mr. Mondavi; here are a couple of my favorites.

http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Features/0,1197,3817,00.html

http://1winedude.blogspot.com/2008/05/hail-to-king-baby-mondavi-1914.html

Ms. Wismeier was originally an opera major, eventually receiving a degree in Russian studies. She believes all the experiences she has had, not just the food and wine related ones, help make her better informed about wine.

"Food and wine together were always a central part of my growing up. My grandmother brewed her own beer and I was always exposed to fresh local products, beer, bread, watercrests. As you expose yourself to these different experiences, your palate becomes stronger."

After working as Julian Schnabel's personal assistant (he directed last 2007's The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), she worked her way up through several restaurants in Denver and at the University of Iowa). It was at this point, she discovered her affinity for wines.

She stressed to me that a sommelier or wine director can't just understand wine, "You need to know about culture, history, language and the art of wine. And you have to keep studying!"

Her responsibilities now include overseeing the wine cellar of three restaurants, training all wait staff and sommeliers, purchasing of all wine and liquor and planning food/wine events.

"I want to give guests (she resisted the use of the word "customer") the best tasting at the best price. I also consider the cuisine of the restaurant, the season and of course, the taste profile and quality."

Her staff is always interested in learning from guests "what's the buzz", so please don't be shy about sharing your likes/dislikes with them. "Every bottle you open teaches you something about the next bottle", according to Ms. Wismeier. "Don't be shy, just relax and express what you really like. The sommelier is translator, who will guide you to what is on our list."

ChicagoPinot looks forward to future wine adventures at Ms. Wismeier's restaurants (they are currently working on several projects in Schaumburg and Rosemont).

What do you break out for your friends?

This weekend, my company is attending a conference at the Westin in Wheeling, Illinois. It's always fun to get away from the office for a few days! A few years ago, I brought along some of my wines to share with my coworkers at our "team building" event and I would like to think that my selections helped bond our teams as much as the seminar content did.

So what will I bring this time? Admittedly, I don't have the budget for really high end vino. And, to put it nicely, I am not sure I want to share my most prized possessions with this crowd! What I will probably do is share some wines that are just a little out of the average person's comfort zone, but are still available and somewhat affordable.

Hopefully, the suburbs of Chicago have their share of BYOBs with minimal corkage. And if we find a couple of them, you may see CP and his friends sharing a few bottles of:

F. Bachelier 2005 Chablis
Shaw and Smith 2004 Sauvignon Blanc (Adelaide Hills)
Terrazas de los Andes 2006 Malbec (Mendoza)
Marquis Phillips 2004 "Roogle Red" 80% Shiraz, 20% Cabernet Sauvignion
(South Eastern Austrailia)

Have you tasted any of these in the past? Please share your notes with all your friends here on the blog!