Wine Pairing Pet Peeve
Has anyone else noticed that when wines are paired with recipes on nearly all websites and in most magazines they often recommend small single vineyard wines from uncommon/older vintages? I have been in the wine business for years and nothing ticks me off more than trying to help a customer that demands that she must have the Eroica Horse Heaven Vineyard Riesling from the 2003 vintage rather than the commonly available Eroica Riesling (just an example).
Its usually from some fancy Wine and Food magazine and the wine is either unavailable or allocated to only 25 6-packs for the entire state of NJ. Many other times customers request a vintage that was released 10 years ago and is no longer readily available except for at auction houses at 10 times the original retail value. Often they know nothing about the wine and would be very pleased with something from a similar producer in a nearby vineyard.
I think wine pairing needs to head in the direction of general guidance or stick to readily available nationally distributed wines. Just because magazine editors have highly rated, very expensive, and incredibly allocated wines doesn't mean they have to rub in in our faces!
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5 Comments:
Do you feel better now? Good
I don't let anyone pick my pairings aside of ME. We have a good stock and great resources for anything we might need. I think people who have to buy a magazine to develop a menu and wine pairings need to branch out a little and stop running home to momma. Mommy what should I drink with that? It is a suggestion.
When I have had dinner at someone's home and they drug out Food and Wine or some other magazine and showed us that they went through hell and high water to get the suggested wine, we laughed. We got in the car and laughed our asses off.
I went to a dinner party around the holidays where someone raved over Turning Leaf because Wegmans food magazine said it was the "only" wine to serve with it. Again we left and giggled. They meant well I am sure and we did not want to appear ungracious.
Wine snobs do not need a magazine to tell us what to serve with what.
Let you palate be your guide.
JerzeeTomato at 7:52AM on 03/05/09
@twoojoe--If one has to read a magazine to plan a dinner with wine then one is an amateur. Those of us in "the industry" encounter on a daily basis amateurs of varying levels of insufferability. However, we don't get to pick and choose our customers and what they choose to consume. If they have the money to pay for it, I'll do my damndest to procure it. Also, people may not know your credentials, but place their trust in a publication because they assume the writers must be some sort of authority on the subject. Their trust in you will come with time and will depend on you and the information you provide. Another thing I've encountered is the person who has no idea the prices of certain allocated wines. Once they know that it's going to be $30-$100 per bottle or more depending on the wine, and that they'll need 2-3 bottles of each for their dinner party, then they are more apt to consider alternatives.
If an article in a glossy food and wine magazine brought them into your wine shop, give thanks that it brought you an opportunity to show the neophyte the light and potentially make a sale. Every opportunity to make contact is important, moreso when the economy is so poor.
So, don't let it "tick you off." It's not worth it.
Cheers!
wookie at 11:48AM on 03/05/09
@twoojoe--As someone who is not in the wine business, knows a bit about wine and likes to learn more, I couldn't agree with you more. The "recommended pairings" of specific wines are so useless as to turn me away from the magazine. In general I find that magazine that do this type of thing are more interested in glossy pictures and luxury car ads than real cooking.
smallblondemom at 12:36PM on 03/05/09
I don't follow the recommended wine pairings in magazines any more than I follow the serving suggestions (serve with a green salad and roasted parsnips...) If it's for me, I know what I have on hand and what I like. If I'm not sure what will fit and I need several bottles for company, I ask my trusted wine guy what will go.
As for demanding customers, you can try to accommodate them, you can try to educate them, or you can send them elsewhere. Which is the right choice depends on the customer. Some are worth keeping and some aren't.
dbcurrie at 1:35PM on 03/05/09
I agree that often the people who demand certain wines either don't know what they are talking about and just regurgitate magazine suggestions or are just being pretentious. I would like to point out, though, that some may be scared by what suggestions they are going to get and therefore need to have something specific in mind. I've been shocked at some of the horribly suggested wines I've purchased before. I live on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. You would think that they have good quality staff at restaurants, wine stores, etc but I've been duped on numerous occasions!
meem21 at 4:00PM on 03/05/09