What Every Bartender Needs to Know About Italian Wines

By July 16, 2020Mixology News

Get to Know Italian Wines, featured image, corks in shape of italy, painted wooden deck

Chances are, if you’ve worked in a bar or a restaurant in the last few years you’ve poured a glass of Italian wine.

Italian wines are the number one imported wine into the United States, coming in at a whopping $1,332.42 million in 2019, just slightly ahead of France. With over 466 documented wine varietals, (although some argue there are over 600) it is not surprising that Italy was once known as Enotria, from the Greek for “wine-producing land.”

With 466 varietals it can be hard to know where to start when faced with a table of wide-eyed diners looking to you for a wine suggestion. Wine, and the people who obsesses about wine, can be intimidating to the best of us and sometimes it’s easier to just say “I don’t know wines” than to risk that side eye. But this, my friend, is all in your head. There is no secret handshake nor special nod amongst wine connoisseurs, they are just people who love wine and what better guest to have than someone who loves to drink?

Steve Raye

Steve Raye

We reached out to Steve Raye, CEO and President of Bevology Inc., a consulting firm specializing in the wine and spirits industry to get some very basics on Italian wines. A consultant, importer, educator and author of How to Get US Market Ready; Wines & Spirits, Steve knows a thing or two about selling wines.

Wine and food pairing, charcuterie board, red wine

Wine and food pairing

“The two main things that guests want to know when ordering wine,” Steve says are, “What does it taste like in words that I understand? And would it go with what I am having right now?” He gave us a few tips on how to make that a shared journey and take the intimidation out of wine

Piedmonte, "The foot of the mountains."

“If they grow together, they go together”

The great thing about Italian wines is that they are very food friendly. Generally speaking, the food and wine from the same region go together so if you know where the wine is from (check the back of the bottle) you can make some pairings. Here are a few to get you started:

Southern Italy is home to red sauces, pizzas and fish dishes that call for lighter reds like a Sicilian Nero D’Avola or a white Vermentino, both produced in this region.

Tuscan cooking is characterized by having simple food, not covered in heavy sauces. Think olive oil on meats and vegetables with breads that pair well with a Chianti or a Brunello de Montepuliciano, both made from the regional Sangiovese.

The Veneto region is known for truffles and radicchio with polenta or risotto so cue the Corvina which is used to make the more familiarly-named Valpolicella, Amarone and Bardolino. This region is also home to Pinot Grigio and Prosecco. The latter has undeniably changed the way Americans consumed bubbles.

Finally, Northern Italian cooking has an abundance of meats and cheeses. It is also home of Nutella – so think big bold reds like a Barolo or Barbaresco from Piedmonte, which literally translates to “the foot of the mountains”.

Enunciate don’t intimidate. 

Start by giving some options and offering key words associated with the specific wines that are available at your bar or restaurant. “For reds, we’ve got Chianti, Valpolicella, and Super Tuscans, and we have a bunch of still whites such as Pinot Grigio and sparklers like Prosecco. What are you in the mood for?” You’ll eliminate the pronunciation obstacle because honestly, how would you know that Chianti is a hard “k” unless you hear someone say it first?

Finally, ask the chef for some pairing recommendations on those signature dishes so you can upsell a bottle and food rather than just a glass. Just remember, as with anything you drink, there are no steadfast rules. If your guest likes it, you serve it.

Confidence is key and know where to find some information to get the customer to engage with you.  An easy place to start Steve suggests is with the back label. Here you can often find where the wine is from, what grape it is and often a simple food pairing suggestion that will put you way ahead of the game. If you want to dive in a bit more listen to Jumbo Shrimp Guide to Italian wine on Italian Wine Podcast. If you prefer to read, the user friendly Wine Folly: The Essential Guide to wine by Madeline Puckette & Justin Hammack is a non-wine geek reference guide that does a brilliant job of explaining wine in simple English words  and lots of visuals. Most importantly, of course, pour, swirl and taste wines, as many as you can. Because like any cocktail, they’re all unique and different depending on where they are from and who’s blended them.

The post What Every Bartender Needs to Know About Italian Wines appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

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