Sicily’s Unsung Grapes: Grillo and Zibibbo
Time to look at Grillo for its most exciting quality—its versatility. And on Pantelleria, Zibibbo grapes turn sour conditions into something lusciously sweet.
Sommeliers
The Best Riesling that You’re Not Drinking (a Ride Along the Danube)
The most exciting wines to come from Austria since Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony? Dry, austere Rieslings.
So You Want To Be a Wine Judge? (An Insider’s View of Wine Competitions)
I can tell you that wine competitions are hard work, though it’s likely not the kind of work that you’d imagine.
The Oldest “New” Fine Wine Grape
The gold medal grape variety that shows zesty orange, lime, and flint notes in its youth; nutty spices and dried fruit after aging? It’s not what you think.
Tim Gaiser MS SommDay Series: It’s the Little Things: 8 Service Basics For Somms
The standards for fine wine service are a vital part of any sommelier organization’s curriculum including the Court of Master Sommeliers. These standards were derived from traditional, formal European wine service used at the very top restaurants around the globe. The standards have existed in some form or another for decades. While a majority of the standards only apply to the very finest restaurants, there are a handful of common denominators that apply to wine service in any restaurant regardless of style or level of service.
Tim Gaiser MS SommDay Series: The Feynman Technique
Recently, I was sharing dinner with a good friend and fellow Master Sommelier at a bistro in the nation’s heartland. We ordered a bottle of Blanc de Blancs Champagne from an excellent grower-producer. What followed, in terms of our server opening the bottle, was somewhere between comedy and tragedy. While telling us about the evening’s specials, our server blissfully destroyed the capsule on the bottle, took the cage off, and waved the bottle around as if it were a half-gallon of milk. In short, everything that could have been done wrong to open the bottle—was done wrong.
There’s really only one way to do Champagne service correctly, and safety is the most important aspect…
Tim Gaiser MS SommDay Series: 9 Strategies for Wine Theory Study
Recently, I was sharing dinner with a good friend and fellow Master Sommelier at a bistro in the nation’s heartland. We ordered a bottle of Blanc de Blancs Champagne from an excellent grower-producer. What followed, in terms of our server opening the bottle, was somewhere between comedy and tragedy. While telling us about the evening’s specials, our server blissfully destroyed the capsule on the bottle, took the cage off, and waved the bottle around as if it were a half-gallon of milk. In short, everything that could have been done wrong to open the bottle—was done wrong.
There’s really only one way to do Champagne service correctly, and safety is the most important aspect…
Tim Gaiser MS SommDay Series: 10 Tips for Champagne Service
Recently, I was sharing dinner with a good friend and fellow Master Sommelier at a bistro in the nation’s heartland. We ordered a bottle of Blanc de Blancs Champagne from an excellent grower-producer. What followed, in terms of our server opening the bottle, was somewhere between comedy and tragedy. While telling us about the evening’s specials, our server blissfully destroyed the capsule on the bottle, took the cage off, and waved the bottle around as if it were a half-gallon of milk. In short, everything that could have been done wrong to open the bottle—was done wrong.
There’s really only one way to do Champagne service correctly, and safety is the most important aspect…
Understanding German Wine
“Understanding German Wine” first appeared on TimGaiser.com on November 5, 2014. It is reprinted here with the author’s permission. Tim Gaiser plays host to “Mastering Germany” for Napa Valley Wine Academy’s “Master Series” LIVE Webinars. Learn more. by Tim Gaiser, MS There are two countries that instill fear in the hearts and minds of MS …
