Interesting Tidbit on Wine....

Below is an interview from CNN's Eatocracy site. Joe Campanale is a Sommelier and he has some good advice regarding purchasing wine when you're at dinner. As a wine lover, I had to overcome my fear of looking like a jackass in front of people smarter than myself to find wines that I really loved drinking! It always seems so daunting when you are in a nice restaurant and you don't want to drink the "house wine", but you also don't want to order not only an extremely expensive bottle of wine, but a crappy one at that. Not so long ago, most Sommeliers were akin to serious wine snobs - not so much anymore. There are so many boutique wineries, upstart wines and really affordable varieties that appeal to so many people that the people selling the wine to the public have to be relatable and non judgemental. Gary and I have been so lucky to always have a really friendly, personable Sommelier, or wine steward, at the various places we frequent. Even Siegels, and Central Market especially, have some of the BEST wine stewards around and they will help you and talk wine with you all day long. If you want to try new wines, or find something that you can call your own, don't be afraid to speak up. Chances are, you're going to find something that you love and the person that helps you is going to remember what you like and keep you in good wine everytime they see you. Cheers!






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5@5 - Joe Campanale
5@5 is a daily, food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe.

If you're ever out to eat with the Eatocracy editors (and seriously, we wish all of you were), you'll probably notice we're not afraid to ask questions. We fancy ourselves pretty knowledgeable when it comes to food, but we certainly don't know everything. If you meet somebody who claims such - give them a gold star for us.

In terms of wine, two of our favorite questions are: "What grape needs some loving?" and "which one tastes most like a barnyard?" ... OK, so we like our wine a little funky, but the point is this: Sommeliers like Joe Campanale are not only there to help you, they want to help you.


Campanale is the co-owner and beverage director of dell'anima, L'Artusi and Anfora restaurants in New York City - he is also Certified Sommelier by the Court of Master Sommeliers.

Five Questions You Should Not Be Afraid to Ask Your Sommelier: Joe Campanale

1. “I generally like this kind of wine. What do you have that’s similar?”
"This is the question you should always lead with. If you have an idea of what you like, the sommelier’s job gets that much easier and the likelihood of him or her selecting a wine you will like increases exponentially. When you find a wine that you really like, it pays off to write down the name of it and try to remember how to describe it - this will give the sommelier a very clear idea of your preferences."

2. “I’ve never heard of this kind of wine. Can you tell me something about it?”
"Don’t be embarrassed to ask about a certain kind of wine or varietal. If you’ve never heard of it, the odds are most people at your table haven’t either. Even if you like a particular type of wine, it’s always a good idea to ask about one of the neighboring wines on the list because it may be similar to what you want, but even better."

3. “What do you think is drinking well right now?”
"Most restaurants have dozens, if not hundreds, of wines on their list, and they’re not always ready to drink. You can’t always pop the cork and have them be perfect - some need decanting, others need another year or so - and it helps to know if the $100 bottle of Barolo you ordered will be better the next time you visit the restaurant or later on in the meal."

4. “What’s something off-the-beaten-path?”
"Sommeliers are notorious for adding esoteric wines that they discovered and fell in love with to their lists. Those wines are usually among the most interesting and most reasonably priced wines at the restaurants because they don’t have the name or brand recognition of, say, a Napa Cabernet."

5. “What do you think is the best wine to go with our food?”
"This may seem like a really basic question, but it’s one I wish more people would ask. Most people tend to want the style of wine that they want, but sometimes it’s a good idea to leave it in the hands of the sommelier to make the best choice. Also, feel free to give a price range. It can be a big range or a small one, but it’s always welcome information because we don’t want you to end your meal in bottle shock."

Have a great weekend! If you are cooking this weekend, good luck!

Kelly