Welcome to Mark O’Neill’s Wine Blog

Always check the vintage before the cork is pulled. At this time of year, summer, I tend to drink young wines because they should be fresher. So it is very frustrating when ordering young wines in restaurants to be served wines from the previous vintage. Bearing in mind that for many restaurants ordering wine from their distributor is a one day to another, if not same day, for delivery. That means that they should not be sitting on high stocks and should specify to the distributor that the want to current vintage not what is hanging around in the warehouse.

Nowadays restauranteurs are better informed about storing wine and stock rotation, as they would do with any other key food ingredient. So if they are sitting on wines from the previous vintage, why not do more ‘Today’s Special’ type offers, as they do to get rid of nearly out of date ingredients. You are aware of the theory being Today Special, right? (read Anthony Bourdain’s ‘Kitchen Confidential’, he gives a good description on what constitutes a ‘special’).

In restaurants I am often faced with a small dilemma; too often on wine lists the vintage is not stated and when the waiter plonks the bottle down, having not been able to check the vintage before the cork is pulled, it is bit late to say “I don’t want that wine” because technically there is nothing wrong with the wine it is just not as fresh as the new vintage. If I am offered to wine prior to removing the cork and the wine is from a previous vintage I will ask, “do you have the 2014” vintage, at which point my girlfriend will sometimes chip in and say “just give him something from 2014”.

Why is it when it comes to wine, many customers will accept whatever is put on the table without enquiring if it is the latest vintage? Of course, there is confusion about vintages. Many people still believe that older is better. It is just not so, see blog Misconceptions about Wine.

For most restaurants I would suggest having:

  • smaller wine lists, for better stock control, regular changes.
  • inform the staff as to what the wines are and let them taste.
  • vary selection to reflect the time of year
  • Choose wines that one can be proud of as a House Wine’
  • Offer specials, when it is necessary to move stock.
  • Don’t be greedy with pricing and people will drink more.

When going to a restaurant:

  • If ordering a white wine or rose or a young red, ask for the latest vintage.
  • Wine will usually be 25% of the bill so you might as well get something fresh.
  • If it does not taste good. Change it, you don’t need to know why nor be an expert. ‘Unpleasant, tart, green, sour, smelly’ – get the waiter to change the bottle.

I often ask for the house wine when I am in a restaurant, regardless if it is a prestigious venue or a local bar. Just by checking the quality of the wine (good appearance, clean aromas, pleasant on the palate and drinkability) tells me a lot about the establishment. It should their calling card, stamp of guarantee of quality, this is our best value for money. Too often it is the cheapest, blandest, often quite nasty, wine and all it does is spoil your palate for the food to come.

I have written in other blogs about wine as a key ingredient in any meal. Choose your wines as you choose your ingredients.

Until next time.

Written by

I am a Northern Irishman based in Valencia. My career in wine began more than three decades ago, in London. I am the founder of TheWinePlace.es, an online store, where wine enthusiasts can enjoy a selection of international wines and Verde Marte, a company dedicated to exporting Spanish wines. Also, Thewineplace.courses, an "approved program provider" of the courses of the prestigious WSET. I share my passion for wines through my media work writing weekly columns for the Spanish newspaper El Mundo and 5 Barricas, an online wine magazine.

No comments

LEAVE A COMMENT

  I have read and accept the privacy policy of markoneill.es

Information about data protection

  • Responsable: Verde Marte S.L.U
  • Treatment: Control spam, comment management
  • Legitimation: Your consent
  • Data communication: The data will not be communicated to third parties except by legal obligation.
  • Rights: Access, rectification, elimination and forgetting.
  • Contact: info@verdemarte.com.
  • Additional information: our privacy policy.