Wine Spirits & Cigars - Chapter 5 - HOM 231 PDF

CHAPTER FIVE HOM 231 WINE SPIRITS & CIGARS Opening a bottle of light wine Remove the top of the capsule by cutting round below the lip of the bottle. This can be done either with a capsule remover or knife. Clean the neck of the bottle with a clean cloth. Draw the cork as gentl...

CHAPTER FIVE HOM 231 WINE SPIRITS & CIGARS Opening a bottle of light wine Remove the top of the capsule by cutting round below the lip of the bottle. This can be done either with a capsule remover or knife. Clean the neck of the bottle with a clean cloth. Draw the cork as gently and cleanly as possible using your selected corkscrew. Give the neck of the bottle a final clean inside and out. How to open a bottle of wine Opening a bottle of sparkling wine Danger – it is important to remember that there is considerable pressure in a bottle of sparkling wine. Chilling to the correct temperature helps to reduce this pressure. Even when a wine is chilled, it is possible for the cork to spring violently from the bottle and injure someone. You may wish to use a linen cloth to cover the cork and bottle while opening, to reduce the risk of this happening. Opening a bottle of sparkling wine The following is an example of how to open a sparkling wine. Remove the foil and the loosen the wire cage. Do not remove the wire cage. The cork must be kept securely in place from the moment the wire cage is loosened. Tilt the bottle at an angle of about 30 degrees, gripping the cork, and use the other hand to grip the base of the bottle. Turn the bottle, not the cork. Hold the cork steady, resisting its tendency to fly out, and ease it slowly out of the bottle. The gas pressure should be released with a quiet “phut” not an explosion and flying corks. How to open a champagne bottle Serving wine by the glass What to look for: Wine should be bright. Any dullness in the colour could mean the wine is spoiled. There should not be any debris floating in the wine. It should smell fresh. When a wine comes into contact with air (which happens as soon as you pull the cork) it starts to lose its freshness and flavours. A wine that has been in contact with air for too long can be dull and lack flavour. Check the nose of the wine. It should not smell unpleasant. Serving wine by the glass Once you have opened or checked the wine the next stage is to pour it. When serving wine by the glass it is important that you use the correct measure. Glasses may be marked with a line to show you how much to pour in the glass.  Serving wine by the glass It is useful to know how many measures you can get from a standard 75 CL bottle. below shows how many glasses of wine you can get from a standard 75 CL bottle 6 X 125 mL glasses 4 X 175 mL glasses 3 X 250 mL glasses Methods used to preserve wine Once you have served a glass of wine it is important that you store the wine correctly as this prolongs the wine’s life and prevent wastage 1) In many cases wines used for serving by the glass are kept in the fridge with nothing more for protection than the original cork 2) Vacuum Systems These are systems where the oxygen is removed from the bottle and the bottle is sealed. 3) Blanket Systems These systems work on the principal of blanketing the wine with a gas heavier than oxygen to form a protective layer between the wine and air.  Social Responsibility Alcohol is enjoyed in moderation by the majority of adults. Most countries have legislation to control its misuse due to the harmful effects of excessive alcohol consumption. 1) Legal Age to purchase and Legal Drinking Age ( LDA ) 2) Blood Alcohol Concentration ( BAC ) Sensible drinking guidelines: one or two alcohol free days a week. Socially responsible to stop serving a drunken customer. Social Responsibility Standard drinks Women should not drink more than two units a day on average For men, not more than three units a day on average Try not to exceed four units on any one occasion Don’t drink alcohol in some situations, such as when driving, if pregnant or in certain work situations and abstain from drinking at least once a week. Social Responsibility Drinking to drunkenness If you drink faster than one standard drink an hour, alcohol will start to flood the brain. depending on how fast you’re drinking, it can affect the brain stem ( even cause it to shut down ) and this can interfere with vital body functions. Getting drunk impairs your judgement and can increase risk behavior, which could result in: An increased risk of sustaining injuries and accidents A greater risk of engaging in unsafe sex An increased risk of flights, arguments and relationship problems In extreme cases, alcoholic poisoning, coma, brain damage and death. Social Responsibility Health Risks of Excess Drinking Getting drunk or drinking heavily on a regular basis increases the risks of: Alcohol dependence or alcoholism Cirrhosis of the liver and alcoholic fatty liver Cardiac arrest and stroke Stomach disorders, such as ulcers Certain types of cancer Family and job related difficulties.  Introduction to Food and Wine Pairing Food that is consumed with wine has an effect on the way tastes, and wine can also have an effect on the taste of food. The purpose of food and wine pairing is to take advantage of these effects, so that ideally both the food and wine provide more pleasure than either would when consumed separately. Knowledge of these effects will also help avoid negative or unpleasant interactions It is important to remember that people have different sensitivities to various flavour and aroma components, meaning that the same level of bitterness, for example, can affect one person much more strongly than another Primary Food And Wine Taste Interactions When you place food in your mouth, your taste buds adapt so that the perception of levels of sugar, salt, acid etc. of the next item to be tasted can be altered. An example is when orange juice becomes unpleasantly acidic when consumed immediately after using toothpaste. In addition to this, some foods such as chocolate or thick creamy dishes can have a mouthcoating effect that impairs the sense of taste  Primary Food And Wine Taste Interactions there are two components in food ( sweetness and umami) that tend to make wines taste ‘harder’ (more drying and bitter, more acidic, less sweet and less fruity), There are also two components ( salt and acid ) whose presence in food tends to make wines taste ‘softer’ ( less drying and bitter, less acidic; sweeter, and more fruity) Generally, food has more impact on the way a wine taste than the other way round, and in particular is more likely to have a negative impact. Primary Food And Wine Taste Interactions Sweetness in Food Increases the perception of bitterness, acidity and the burning effect of the alcohol in the wine Decreases the perception of body, sweetness, and fruitiness in the wine. With any dishes containing sugar, a good general rule is to select a wine that has a higher level of sweetness.  Primary Food And Wine Taste Interactions Umami in Food Increases the perception of bitterness, acidity and alcohol burn in the wine Decreases the perception of body, sweetness, and fruitiness in the wine Umami is a savoury taste, umami tends to be present with other tastes ( with saltiness in monosodium glutamate ( MSG)) or with other flavours ( e.g. in cooked or dried mushrooms). one of the simplest ways to experience it is to compare the taste of a raw button mushroom with one that has been microwaved fo 30 seconds. The umami taste of the mushroom is greatly increased by the cooking. Umami can also be experienced by tasting MSG – either by eating a few grains, or in a weak solution. Note, however, that in this form, the umami taste is combined with a salt taste.  Primary Food And Wine Taste Interactions Umami in Food Many foods that are considered difficult to pair contain high levels of umami without salt to counteract the hardening effects on wine. These include asparagus, eggs, mushrooms and ripe soft cheeses. Other foods that are high in umami also tend to be high in salt which can counteract the impact of umami on the wine ( see below ). These include cured or smoked seafood and meats, and hard cheeses (especially parmesan).  Primary Food And Wine Taste Interactions Acidity in Food Increases the perception of body, sweetness and fruitiness in the wine Decreases the perception of acidity in the wine. Some acidity in food is generally a good thing for food and wine pairing as it can bring a very high acid wine into balance into balance and enhance the fruitiness. However, if the level of acidity in the wine is low, high levels of acidity in foods can make wines seem flat, flabby and lacking focus. Primary Food And Wine Taste Interactions Salt in Food Increases the perception of body in the wine Decreases the perception of bitterness and acidity in the wine. Salt is another wine-friendly component of food which can help soften some of the harder elements. Primary Food And Wine Taste Interactions Bitterness in Food Increases bitterness in wine. Sensitivity to bitter tastes varies greatly from person to person. Generally, bitter flavours add to each other, so bitterness in the food alone may be at a pleasant level, and the bitterness in the wine may be balanced, but together the bitter elements can combine to reach an unpleasant level  Primary Food And Wine Taste Interactions Chili Heat in Food This is a tactile ( touch ) sensation rather than one of taste and levels of sensitivity can vary greatly from person. Not only are some people more sensitive than others, but there is also huge variation in how pleasant or unpleasant this effect feels to the individual. Chili Heat in Food : Increases the perception of bitterness, acidity, and alcohol burn Decreases the perception of body, richness, sweetness and fruitiness in the wine. The intensity of the reaction increases with the level of alcohol in the wine. Alcohol also increases the burring sensation of the chili; some people enjoy this effect.. PAIRING WINE AND FOOD