This questions often receives very mixed opinions and answers. Let’s see what the world thinks. 

A corkage fee is a charge a restaurant places for opening and serving a wine the patron brings in to enjoy with their meal. This fee is also supposed to cover the cost of glassware breakage/rental and any loss revenue from not selling a wine that is on the wine list of that restaurant. The problem is that wine is a major mark-up for restaurants. Food is often marked up about 40% but wine can be marked up as much as 10 times that amount. Because of this, many people like to bring in their own wine, especially in today’s economy. 

On average, corkage fees usually run approximately $10.00- 75.00. Often restaurants will charge a fee equivalent to their cheapest wine on the wine list. However, if the cheapest wine is $45.00 dollars and you bring in a $30 dollar bottle of wine the cost of your meal has just increased almost a hundred dollars. I have heard, although I’ve not experienced it, that because of the recession there are restaurants that offer corkage-free days, scaled corkage fees (depending on the type of wine you bring in) or even a waiver on corkage fees in general with a meal. 

It has been said that restaurants can’t survive on food profits alone, therefore they charge corkage fees to help offset the loss of income of not selling wine. I don’t know if I totally agree with that because there are many successful restaurants out there that don’t serve alcohol at all and still manage to stay in business. To me, if a couple is in a nice restaurant and spend upwards of $200.00 on a meal and they choose to bring in a bottle of wine that they would like to enjoy with that meal then there really shouldn’t be a corkage fee added to their final bill.

My husband and I decided to go to one of our favorite restaurants in Beverly Hills and our meal came to well over $200.00, just for the two us, and the restaurant had the audacity to charge us a $30.00 corkage fee for a bottle of wine that we brought in. I thought this was absolutely ridiculous. I have since learned that there are some rules that you should adhere to when you want to bring in your own bottle of wine to a restaurant. 

The rules are as follows:

1. First you should call the restaurant and let them know you are bring in your own wine…(red flag to alert them to automatically add additional money to your bill)
2. Next, you should inquire abut the corkage fee. Some restaurants charge you based on the type of wine you bring in.
3. The next rule states that you should not bring in cheap wine. By what scale is this measured??? What might be cheap to one might be a very expensive bottle to another. 
4. The fourth rule states you should always offer the waiter or sommelier a taste of what you bring in. What the heck for??? Do you offer them a taste of the bottle they pull out of the restaurant cellar? This is ludicrous. 
5. Another rule is that  you should buy at least one bottle of the restaurants wine for every bottle you bring in. Again I say, what the heck for?  At the restaurant I mentioned, we have only found one wine on the list that we actually enjoy. However, on the restaurants list this wine goes for $45.00. In our local Beverages & More (BevMo) the wine goes for $19.00. Why would we want to pay the restaurant’s prices???
6. Finally, you shouldn’t bring a wine that is on the restaurants wine list. Again, see my response on answer 5.

I really feel that when I go to a nice restaurant it is to enjoy exquisite food. I can buy a bottle of wine from a local wine shop, winery, heck even the Internet and get the same taste that I get in the restaurant. The food, however, I might not be able to re-create so I take a trip to that restaurant for that experience. Because of that, I really feel that corkage fees are entirely insane. 

For there to be rules on what kind of wine you should be allowed to bring into a restaurant is ridiculous. If you search most sites on the Internet today regarding this topic you will find that they say you should only bring “special wines” to a restaurant. The definition of a “special wine” is one that is an older wine that isn’t easily available. “Special wines” are also categorized as those that are received as a gift or wines that are unusual. Again, I must say this is absurd. A special wine is just that…something that is special to an individual or couple. So if you served Two Buck Chuck at your wedding and now it’s your 1 year anniversary and you want to drink that with your meal, whose to say it’s not special to you. 

When it’s all said and done, I feel corkage fees are an absolute rip off by restaurants and even though it’s only illegal in some states I would like to see it illegal in all. I would really love any opinion you have on this subject. Please send in comments to this post and let me know what your take is on this.

As always, please drink responsibly.  

Technorati Profile

Dinner at The Stinking Rose, in Beverly Hills, is always a treat for me and my husband. The theme of this restaurant is everything garlic. Whenever we are there we enjoy eating the delicious Dungeness Killer Crab roasted in a garlice sauce serve with garlic butters. The last couple of times we were there we order the Alexander Valley Vineyards Syrah to enjoy with our meal. Each time we’ve had this wine we found it to be consistent in the flavor department. On the palate the AVV Syrah boasts flavors of dark berries and licorice. There is also a hint of a floral component to this wine because a small amount of Viognier is blended with the syrah. Finally, a hint of sweet oak stands out on the finish. 

This great wine is produced at a family owned vineyard in northern Sonoma County, just 75 miles north of San Francisco, California. Although they concentrate primarily on Zinfandel, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, the Syrah is quite outstanding and deserves a lot of respect. It pairs well with red meat and as I mentioned before, shellfish. The Syrah retails from about $18-20.00.

Check out the video below and then check out this fabulous wine.

The Little Black Dress

About a month ago I wrote a blog post on the Little Black Dress Pinot Grigio. However, today I am hear to tell you of another relative in that sexy family. The Little Black Dress Merlot is out of this world. I was quite astounded when I tasted this wine. This merlot not only fits in nicely at the family bar-b-que but it also can be a star at the most elegant affair

The nose of this wine is of rich, supple dark fruit. The taste of deep dark cherries, cranberries and a hint of vanilla engulf your palate like a tidal wave. This medium bodied merlot also provides a nice toasty oak flavor which soothes the tastebuds and warms the soul. I found this to be a very sexy wine and would dare any wine aficionado to find fault in it. The finish is smooth and lingering. 

This wine really portrays the same things the actual little black dress portrays. It is as elegant as Coco Chanel, classy as Audrey Hepburn and sexy as Marilyn Monroe.  I’ve heard that the Little Black Dress wines are geared and marketed toward the female audience. That may be the case but men, I say to you, don’t get left behind. This wine will definitely provide pleasure to your tastebuds as well. 

For a wine this good you probably think you would need to go to an exclusive wine shop to purchase it. That may be true in some states but in California, you a can actually find this little jewel in your local supermarket retailing from 10.99 to about 12.99. This is a mere pittance for a wine that is so versatile. Merlots really got a bad wrap from the movie Sideways. However, I am hear to tell you that this jackpot is better than most Pinot Noirs (the preferred wine in the movie) I’ve tasted. 

Go out and pick up a bottle of this beauty today and let me know what you think. I will definitely be adding this one to the jackpots page.

Until next time drink responsibly. Cheers!

Francis Ford Coppola, a world renowned director has won many awards including a few Oscars for a little movie you might remember called “The Godfather”. He is not only an exceptional director but also a very fine winemaker. My first experience with a Coppola wine was at a little French restaurant in Hollywood.  My husband order the Diamond Collection Zinfandel which was so delicious we decided to go search for another bottle after dinner.

Recently I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of Coppola’s Diamond Collection Celestial Blue Label Malbec. I really didn’t know what to expect initially. I must admit upon first taste I wasn’t really impressed. A little surprised (because the Zin was so tasty), I decided to give it another try. I then started to appreciate the fruity aroma which also possess a hint of minerals. The taste of very dark fruit became more pronounced as the wine aerated. I served this wine with a nicely seasoned salmon dinner and the flavors complimented each other quite nicely.

The malbec grape is a native of Cahors which is in southwest France. However, it has been produced quite abundantly in Argentina and on a smaller scale in Chile. You will find this grape spicy, as well as fruity. The flavors of blackberries and mulberries are very prevalent. This grape is often blended to make delicious wines like the California meritage. In New Zealand malbec is now being blended successfully with merlot given it a nice full flavor.

There are moderate tannins in Coppola’s Malbec so you would think the “pucker effect” would be quite great. However, to my surprise this wine finished very, very smoothly. To learn more about Coppola’s wine please check out the site here.

As always, drink responsibility. Cheers!!!

Green Tea - Tannin Gives Bite & Color

Do you often wonder why you get that furry feeling or dry mouth after drinking red wines? Well, it’s because of a powerful little thing called tannins. Tannins are an astringent component (plant polyphenol) found in stems and seeds of grapes, amongst other things. Tannins occur naturally in roots, wood, bark, leaves and fruit. It is even found in tea. It’s astringent properties has been used over the years to treat tonsillitis, pharyngitis, hemorrhoids and skin eruptions. 

Tannins are what allow long aging of red wines as well as clarification of beer. As wine ages, tannins also prevent oxidation. However, because most novice wine drinkers can’t handle high tannins, most winemakers try to minimize the undesirable tannins by gently extracting juices from the grape. Their main focus is to decrease the amount of grapes seeds crushed in their wine making process. Even when this done wines can still have a higher amount of tannins because wine aged in wood casts or oak tend to have a higher amount of tannins.

In some areas of France tannic grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon are often mixed with lower tannic grapes (i.e. Cabernet Franc or Merlot) to produce a softer wine. Young red wines often have a high tannic content. As the wine ages the tannins began to decompose and the wine mellows and improves in taste. 

Tannins - Higher in Reds than Whites

Tannins have some good health benefits though. They have also been proven to have a positive vascular effect. Studies have shown that tannins suppress the peptides responsible for hardening of arteries. Tannins can, however, wreak havoc on ones ability to absorb minerals such as iron, causing anemia. So you must be careful to ensure that this is not happening. Signs of anemia include but aren’t limited to, fatigue, weakness, difficulty sleeping and concentrating, and headaches. If you are experiencing these symptoms please contact your health care provider. 

Tannins aren’t just found in wines. Below are some other categories of foods in which they can be found:

Beer

Fruit Juices (apple, berry, grape, etc.)

Condiments (vanilla, tarragon, cloves and cinnamon, etc. )

Nuts (walnuts, pecans, etc. )

Fruits (persimmons, cranberries, pomegranates, blackberries, etc.)

Legumes (red beans)

Chocolate

Finally, one of the things that I have found that truly helped me deal with wines that would be otherwise very tannic is my Vinturi aerator. Please see previous post. This little device has mellowed out many a wine for me. 

Until the next time…drink responsibly. Cheers!

As stated in the video sulfites have been added to wine for many, many years. Sulfur dioxide or as it is commonly known, sulfites, is a preservative that prevents bacterial growth as fermentation occurs as well as prevents oxidation or the browning of wine. However, sulfites are not just found in wines. They are found in a variety of other foods including dried fruit, dehydrated potatoes, pizza dough, onions and even seafood (shrimp and lobster). Sulfites are even added to some medications to maintain stability and potency. 

The Food and Drug Administration requires that packaged food labels disclose information when sulfites are presence.  The law also, requires that a sulfite warning label be added to any wine containing more that 10mg/L of sulfite made or sold in the U.S. All wines have some degree of sulfite in them and winemakers often add more during the wine making process. Sweet dessert wines have the highest level of sulfites in them. Dry red wines typically have the least amount. If a wine has less than 1mg/L of sulfites it can actually state “No Sulfites” on it’s label. This is usually an organic wine that you can find in a natural food store. One thing to keep in mind is that if the wine has a very low amount of sulfites, as in organic wine, then it’s shelf life will be much less than wines with higher level of sulfites. On average U.S. wines have about 80mg/L of sulfites , which is about 10 mg per typical glass.

Adding Sulfite to Wine

So What is the Big Deal About Sulfites?

It is estimated that one out of a hundred people are sulfite sensitive or have a sulfite allergy. The FDA requires doctors and pharmaceutical companies to report adverse reactions that occur as a result of taking a particular drug, however, the reporting of events from sulfite or food ingredients is voluntary, so it is really hard to say how many people may be at risk. For people with sensitivity or allergies, exposure to sulfites in their food or drink can cause a severe reaction which left untreated could prove to be fatal. According to Ron Simon, head of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology at Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation in La Jolla, California, “most rapid reactions occur when sulfites are sprayed onto foods or are present in beverages, but the most severe reactions occur when sulfites are constituents of the the food itself.” 

What Are the Signs & Symptoms?

Diagnosing sulfite allergies is very tricky. It can be triggered at any point in one’s lifetime and the mechanism by which the reactions occur is unknown. People with asthma and weakened immune systems seem to be especially at risk. Some of the symptoms include:

Nasal congestions

Skin flush

Nausea

Abdominal Pain

Broncho-constriction

Dizziness

There is much debate of over whether headaches associated wine drinking is really due to sulfites. Most say that it is not. To test this out it is often recommended that a person who thinks they are getting headaches due to the sulfites in wine eat dried apricots. Dried apricots have about five to 10 times more sulfite than a glass of wine. There are a few reasons why people may get headaches after drinking wine including, high alcohol content, cheap wine or dehydration. You should drink a glass of water for each glass of wine you have. 

Without sulfites we could be left with brown, spoiled, disgusting wines, so give ‘em a break. However, if you really think you are having a reaction to sulfites please make an appointment with an allergy specialist. If you develop breathing problems or airway constriction, please go to your local emergency room immediately.

As always remember to drink responsibly.

Mollydooker The Boxer Shiraz

Late last year while at dinner with some friends we decided to order a couple of bottles of wine for the table. Being predictable I opted for the red wine which was an Australian Shiraz.  It was a truly intense wine with heavy fruit content. The smell was quite aromatic and the taste of sweet fruit stood out in the complex wine. As you all know I am not a fan of sweet wines, but this was different. There was definitely a boldness with a peculiar hint of sweetness. I found the wine to be delicious and made sure I wrote down the name before I left the restaurant. As I was jotting down the name I couldn’t help but giggle because the name was quite fitting. Mollydooker’s “The Boxer” Shiraz packs quite a powerful punch. However, the wine finishes on a very smooth note.

The Boxer Label

The next day I took a trip to one of my favorite wine shops, The Green Jug, in search of The Boxer and sure enough they had it in stock. The holidays were fast approaching so I purchased a few bottles for myself and some extras to give as gifts. On New Year’s Eve my husband and I decided to open a bottle to drink instead of going with the traditional Champagne.  Although it was good, I was a little disappointed because it wasn’t as good as I’d remembered it being at the restaurant.  It was still intense but the fruit was extremely sweet and tight. I thought that part of the problem was me not letting it breathe long enough and at that time I didn’t have my wonderful Vinturi aerator.

Not willing to give up on The Boxer, I visited the website of the producer to try and understand this wine a bit better. Again, Mollydooker wines are produced in Australia by an award winning husband and wife team. Sarah & Sparky Marquis have been producing wines for years and now have a winery in McLaren Vale outside of Adelaide in South Australia. Their Watering Programme and Fruit Weight system has proven to be key in making great wines.

While visiting their website I noticed that they had a link to what they called the Mollydooker Shake.  Curious to find out more, I clicked on the link and sure enough there is a video teaching you how prepare Mollydooker wines for optimal consumption.  To watch the video please click here. Below I have also included written instructions on the Mollydooker Shake. If you can, check out the video because it is not only educational, but fun also.  According to Sarah and Sparky they put the minimal amount of sulfites in their wine because of sensitivity in some people. To reduce the sulfites they add inert nitrogen gas prior to bottling.  The purpose of the Mollydooker Shake is to eliminate some of the nitrogen. By doing the shake some of the nitrogen escapes and the full, round flavor of the wine comes out. Since learning this new wine dance, I have found The Boxer every bit as tasty as our first match-up.

Go out and pick-up The Boxer tonight. This jackpot retails for about $20.00 to $25.00. Before drinking it though don’t forget to do the Mollydooker Shake. Have fun!!!

Mollydooker Shake Instructions

Stonehedge

I simply love going into a store to purchase something and then happening by the wine section only to leave with a total jackpot. That very thing happened to me again today. I was in Trader Joe’s picking up a few items for lunch for the rest of the week when I decided to just peruse the wine section. Now mind you, I wasn’t planning on buying anything I was only going to look (window shop if you will). 

Stonehedge Vineyards

Well after several minutes of going up and down the aisles I happened upon a small section of Petite Syrahs. Knowing how much I enjoy a good Syrah I decided to focus in a little closer. I found myself reading several of the labels (front and back – see previous post) when I became fixated on a bottle of Stonehedge Reserve Petite Syrah produced by Stonehedge Winery in Napa, California. There was nothing extremely fancy about the bottle. A typical black bottle with a nicely done black and gold front label. The back label was also nothing to write home about. However, for some reason this little bottle seemed to be calling out to me to take it home. I finally conceded and put it in my small shopping cart before heading to the register.

Petite Syrah Grapes

After I made dinner I decided to give it a taste. Wow! What a surprise. The first thing that came to my mind was a nice smell of ripe dark cherries.  The initial taste was outstanding. Explosive flavors of dark plums and berries filled my mouth and engulfed my palate. Complex, the flavor was quite bold but the finish was as smooth as silk. I didn’t have to use my Vinturi to get this effect either. 

I really try not to seek out other reviews about a wine before I write about them so that I am not biased. However, while searching for more info about the vineyard this wine comes from I did read a few reviews. Some seem to agree with me and others not so much. As always I encourage you to try this wine for yourself and let me know what you think. I had this with a spicy dinner and it was very good. Also, for the price (a mere $9.99 at Trader Joe’s) this will definitely go on my jackpots list. Go out and try it and provide a comment. I would love to hear your opinion. 

Stonehedge Reserves

Until next time…drink responsibly.

Dolomites Alps - Italy

The Italian Dolomites, a section of the Alps, is well-known for skiing in the winter and hand gliding in the summer. It is also recognized for great wine that is produced there. Although the Dolomites spans three Italian provinces  (Belluno, Bolzano-Bozen and Trento), it is the Trentino region that is home to Mezzacorona, makers of a fabulous Pinot Grigio. If you truly want a refreshing glass of wine on a hot day this is one to try. 

Trentino Region

The Trentino region is known for it’s Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio and Mezzacorona is the largest Italian producer of these varietals. Using only the grapes they grow, Mezzacorona produces a very high quality, straw-colored Pinot Grigio. Its light, crisp, fruity taste makes it great choice with white meats or fish. However for optimal flavor this wine needs to be served extremely chilled. When that is done you will have a refreshing experience.

Mezzacorona Pinot Grigio

My first experience with this wine was a few years ago at a restaurant in the Valley called Toast. The restaurant has since gone out of business but this delicious wine has remained a constant with me. As you may remember, I am more of a red wine lover than a white wine lover. However, this  wine meets my definition of a jackpot, not just for the elegant taste and aroma but because of it’s availability and price. Imported by the Prestige Wine Imports (PWI), you can actually find this delight in your local supermarkets (in California) and it retails for around $10.00 a bottle. A true steal. Pick up a bottle tonight and feel that touch of mountain freshness in every sip.

Have you ever stopped to think about what goes into creating that wine label on your favorite bottle of vino? Well I am here to share with you that it’s more than what you may think. The design of the label takes much work but there is also a different component that has to be considered, the regulatory requirements of labels. That is correct…in the United States wine labels have to be  approved by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB).

The requirements for wines sold in the U.S include the following:

• Brand Name
• Indication of Class or Type (i.e. desert wine or table wine)
• Alcohol percentage by volume (unless this is implied by class – table wine is up to 14%)
• Name and address of the bottler
• Net contents (sometimes on label but can be etched into glass – standard is 750 ml)

California Wine Label

Wines sold in the U.S. must also include the government warning:

(1) According to the Surgeon General, women should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy because of the risk of birth defects. (2) Consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery, and may cause health problems.

A  U.S. wine label must also contain the phrase “Contains Sulfites”. Sulfites (or sulphites) are compounds that prevent microbial growth. It is readily digested in the human body. However, there are certain people like asthmatics who can have  severe reactions to sulfites. 

Wine labels are not just for those who consume wine. Wine labels are often collected, like stamps or baseball cards, by those individuals who do not consume them. There are also those individuals who only choose a wine based on the appealing nature of the label. 

Wine Label Collage

Other things (nice to haves but not required) that you may find on a wine label include:

• Vintage year – the year the grapes were harvested
• Reserve: discloses that extra aging occurred at winery before release
• Estate bottled: company that bottled wine grew the grapes also.

Understanding Wine Labels — powered by eHow.com

If you live in the U.S., foreign wine labels can be quite intimidating.  Let’s take a French wine label as an example. French wine labels promote the region the wine is from. For example a red Burgundy is what we in California call a Pinot Noir. There are a couple of regulating bodies that mandate how French wine is produced. The Appellation d’Origine Controllee (AOC) mandates that certain grapes are grown in specific regions of France. For example a white wine grown in Burgundy is a Chardonnay in the U.S. because Chardonnay grapes or only to be grown in that region per the AOC.

French Wine Label

The Vin de Pays (VDQS) means “country wine”. This designation is usually given to producer who can’t meet the standards of AOC and who want to try working with different varietals. These wine producers are allowed to put their grape varietals on their wine labels. The other body is the Vin de Table, which means “Table Wine”. This is the most basic quality designator in France. 

Labels should not be intimidating. They should be a great source of information. Now that you have a little background on how they are designed and what’s required on them you should feel a little more liberated when you go into a wine shop. 

Read labels and always remember to drink responsibly.