12. The Label
By · Comments12. The Label
The label is the identity card of a wine, the document which certifies the legal requirements for commercialization.
The first important labels were created by champagne producers – the first ones were written by hand and made by Moët&Chandon shortly before 1750 – and very soon they were launched also in Germany and in the region of Porto wines.
As from 1798, the lithography press was invented and the printed labels were spread quickly all over Europe.
The first example of back label appeared at the beginning of the XIX century when Earl Giulio della Cremosina applied a little rectangle of paper on the back of his bottle of Nebbiolo. This back label reported the year of the harvest and the bottling, and a little description of the enological techniques used in that time.
Nowadays, wineries tend to use very simple labels (monochromatic and basic graphic elements) but capable of catching the client attention. Even it is possible to find the so-called worldwide known wines – Dom Perignon, Krug, Château Margaux, and much more – without the back label.
Edizioni Associazione Italiana Sommeliers (2003). Il Sommelier., Cavriago – Reggio Emilia, Bertani & C – Industria grafica
CABALLERO DE LA CEPA – MALBEC – FINCA FLICHMAN
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CABALLERO DE LA CEPA – MALBEC – CRIADO EN BARRICA DE ROBLE – FINCA FLICHMAN – MENDOZA – ARGENTINA 2010 14%
PRODUCIDO Y EMBOTELLADO POR FINCA FLICHMAN S.A. – MUNIVES 800 – BARRANCAS – MAIPU – MENDOZA
CRIANZA: seis meses en barrica de roble y estiba en botella
VISUAL ANALYSIS: limpid, ruby red with violet reflexes, quite flowing.
OLFACTORY ANALYSIS: the variety of perfumes is represented by vanilla, strawberries, red plum, chocolate, wood, herbs and violet.
GUSTATIVE ANALYSIS: we can perceive interesting mineral notes together with some astringent touches given by tannins; the palate is not watering so much because there is a stong alcoholic dryness and the final is bitterish and wood flavoured. There is a consistent body and the gustative aromatic persistence is about 5/6 seconds.
WINE-FOOD COMBINATION: lomo saltado (typical Peruvian meat dish)
- The sweet tendency of the meat is counterbalancing the sapidity (mineral salts) of the wine
- The succulence of the vegetables is compensating for the astringency of the tannins
- The oiliness of the recipe is counterbalancing the tannins and the alcoholic dryness of the wine
- The sweet tendency of the recipe is counterweighing the bitterish final of the wine
- The structure of the recipe is matching to the structure of the wine
- The gustative persistence of the dish is pairing with the aromatic persistence of the wine
MY PERSONAL OPINION: young, strong and kind to all possible pairing with meat recipe.
11. The price of the wine
By · Comments11. The price of the wine
The great variety of typologies of wines, harvests and prices suggest a precise selection based on the parameter price-quality relation.
Based on the price, the wines can be divided in several segments: low, medium, high and highest; for every segment of price, it is possible to apply a proportionally different mark-up.
| PURCHASE PRICE | MARK-UP |
| until 5€ | 150% – 200% |
| from 5€ to 10€ | 120% – 150% |
| from 10€ to 20€ | 100% – 120% |
| from 20€ to 50€ | 80% – 100% |
| more than 50€ | 50% – 60% |
Edizioni Associazione Italiana Sommeliers (2003). Il Sommelier., Cavriago – Reggio Emilia, Bertani & C – Industria grafica
CHARDONNAY ROBLE – FINCA FLICHMAN – MENDOZA
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CHARDONNAY ROBLE – FINCA FLICHMAN – MENDOZA – ARGENTINA 2011 13%
PRODUCIDO Y EMBOTELLADO POR FINCA FLICHMAN S.A. – MUNIVES 800 – BARRANCAS – MAIPU – MENDOZA
CRIANZA: tres meses en barrica de roble
VISUAL ANALYSIS: the wine is limpid and the shade is a very pale yellow with silverish reflections, quite flowing.
OLFACTORY ANALYSIS: the groups of aromas of the organoleptic analysis are characterized by banana, pineapple, almond, vanilla touches and dandelion.
GUSTATIVE ANALYSIS: it is detectable the sensation of the softness, a good structure and we can also perceive a strong salivation and a bitter final lemon flavoured. The gustative aromatic persistence is about 4/5 seconds.
WINE-FOOD COMBINATION: ají de gallina (typical dish of Peru)
- The fatness of the recipe is counterbalancing the salivation of the wine
- The sweet tendency of the chicken is compensating for the bitter final of the wine
- The structure of the recipe is matching to the structure of the wine
- The gustative persistence of the dish is pairing with the aromatic persistence of the wine
MI PERSONAL OPINION: if you want a good pairing between wine and food, you get a really good combination by matching this recipe with this wine.
10. The Sommelier and the public relations
By · Comments10. The Sommelier and the public relations
In the modern wine world, the Sommelier is not only the clever “cupbearer” or “bottlebearer” of centuries ago, who was capable of perceiving scents and flavours in the wines that were unknown to the common people.
Nowadays, more and more frequently the Sommelier is also working out of the restaurants and wine shops; he is joining meeting in which is invited to express his own opinion, he is attending television or radio programmes where he is helping to spread the concepts of food-and-wine connoisseurship, and still he can write on reviews or journals.
His professional competence is requiring further studies and researches just to extend with work experience and meetings. Starting from the winemaker, passing through the kitchen and arriving at a publisher, the professional Sommelier has to plan to keep contact with all the people belonging to the food-and-wine connoisseurship department.
Edizioni Associazione Italiana Sommeliers (2003). Il Sommelier., Cavriago – Reggio Emilia, Bertani & C – Industria grafica
NIETO SENETINER – MALBEC D.O.C.
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NIETO SENETINER DESDE 1888 – MALBEC D.O.C. – LUJÁN DE CUJO – MENDOZA – ARGENTINA 2010 14%
La distinción D.O.C. Luján de Cuyo (Denominación de Origen Controlada) garantiza un malbec de calidad superior, elaborado y supervisado bajo estrictas normas reglamentadas por un consejo de especialistas.
CRIANZA: 12 meses en roble francés y 6 meses en botella
POTENCIAL DE GUARDA: 7 años
VISUAL ANALYSIS: limpid, intense ruby red, quite flowing.
OLFACTORY ANALYSIS: the variety of perfumes is represented by blueberries, soap, wax, herbs and red lily.
GUSTATIVE ANALYSIS: the astringency of the tannin is important and the alcoholic dryness is interesting. The structure is strong, the final is lightly sweet and blueberries flavoured. The gustative aromatic persistence is about 6/7 seconds.
WINE-FOOD COMBINATION: beef steak – well done (with some olive oil)
- The succulence of the meat is compensating for the alcoholic dryness of the wine
- The oiliness of the recipe is counterbalancing the tannins and the alcoholic dryness of the wine
- The structure of the recipe is matching to the structure of the wine
- The gustative persistence of the meat is pairing with the aromatic persistence of the wine
MY PERSONAL OPINION: this malbec is very soft at the tongue, astringent at the gums and with an abundant alcoholic dryness; a combination with some red meat is really mandatory.
9. The Sommelier in the supermarket
By · Comments9. The Sommelier in the supermarket
The data of the sale of the wines in bottle tell us that, either in Europe or America (Canada, United States and Latin America), 45% of bottled wine is sold on the shelves of shopping malls (supermarket, hypermarket, etc.). They are able to offer wines at lower prices, partly because they propose the self-service.
When the Sommelier is a sales executive, he should apply to the best the sales techniques, but generally this kind of job is almost the same as for the wine shop.
The Sommelier is also the responsible for the so-called lay-out of the bottles of wines, more specifically when a winery is paying extra-money to sponsor their own products. He also can decide with the manager of the winery what is the best way to attain good goals in this period.
Edizioni Associazione Italiana Sommeliers (2003). Il Sommelier., Cavriago – Reggio Emilia, Bertani & C – Industria grafica
NIETO SENETINER – MALBEC RESERVA
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NIETO SENETINER – MALBEC RESERVA – ELABORADO Y ENVASADO EN ORIGEN POR BODEGAS NIETO SENETINER BGA. INV A-71577 – LUJÁN DE CUYO – MENDOZA 2011 14,5%
VISUAL ANALYSIS: it is limpid, ruby red with purple reflexes and with a great body.
OLFACTORY ANALYSIS: the range of scents consists of vanilla, strawberry, and violet. In the meanwhile, the same scents are improving in order to confirm the wine character.
GUSTATIVE ANALYSIS: on the one hand, structure and body are well identifiable, while on the other one it is recognizable the softness of a wine aged in barrique. Some touch of tannin and a final strawberry flavoured complete the gustative analysis. The gustative aromatic persistence is of 5 seconds.
WINE-FOOD COMBINATION: on every occasion
MY PERSONAL OPINION: a good wine which is prepared just thinking about the international taste.
8. The Sommelier in the wine shop
By · Comments8. The Sommelier in the wine shop
The wine shop is getting, more and more, the ideal place to buy a bottle of wine, because the client can fulfill the whole information about the products to buy. The profession of Sommelier has come into being as a professional in the catering service, but nowadays the Sommelier, with his own fund of knowledge, can also work in a wine shop.
The Sommelier in a wine shop has to listen to the client much more carefully, because he has requested to suggest, if necessary, a fine wine, that’s to say a very expensive product. Logically, the Sommelier has to recommend several another options to compare to the expensive wine.
Since the Sommelier will not be present at the moment in which the bottle will be uncorked and tasted, he should give information about wine service temperature, the more suitable glass, the ideal recipe to pair to the wine, etc. Obviously, all these information must be given with tact and without appearing as a wiseacre person.
Edizioni Associazione Italiana Sommeliers (2003). Il Sommelier., Cavriago – Reggio Emilia, Bertani & C – Industria grafica
EMILIA – NIETO SENETINER DESDE 1888 – MALBEC
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EMILIA – NIETO SENETINER DESDE 1888 –MALBEC – ELABORADO Y ENVASADO EN ORIGEN POR BODEGAS NIETO SENETINER BGA. INV A-71577 – LUJÁN DE CUYO – MENDOZA 2011 12,5%
VISUAL ANALYSIS: limpid, ruby red with violet reflections, quite flowing.
OLFACTORY ANALYSIS: the olfactory bouquet is composed by chocolate, coffee, berries, cherry and violet.
GUSTATIVE ANALYSIS: it is perceivable a very good equilibrium between alcoholic dryness and salivation, astringency and softness; the final is cherry flavoured and just a little bit bitterish. The gustative aromatic persistence is about 5 seconds.
WINE-FOOD COMBINATION: wine for a conversation
MY PERSONAL OPINON: it is cute like a flower in springtime…
