Are you confident picking wine at a restaurant? Do you know which foods go with which varieties? And do you know what you’re actually supposed to be doing when the waiter brings your wine for your approval? How about French wine? Do you know your claret from your Beaujolais?
If not, then you’re not alone, but help is at hand in the form of the world’s greatest Sommelier, French wine superstar Gerard Basset, OBE.
Gerard Basset is arguably one of the greatest wine professionals of his generation and is the Sommelier’s Sommelier. He is the reigning World Champion and the only person ever to simultaneously hold the Master of Wine, Master Sommelier and MBA Wine honours.
So if you are regularly bamboozled by the wine list in your favourite restaurant, get embarrassed when it comes to ordering, don’t know what you should be asking your waiter to make sure you get the type of wine you want, don’t know which wine goes with which dishes and don’t know what you’re doing when you have to taste it with the waiter looking on, then Gerard is the man for you.
Log on to our live web TV show where he’ll give a wine tasting Masterclass with a restaurant twist, as well as answering all your questions live throughout the show.
Do you get confused looking after wine list what about when it comes to tasting well I’m pleased to say Gerard baepsae is the reigning world champion sommelier and he’s here to help today with a quick wine masterclass welcome to Gerard thanks for joining us tell me what makes a good wine what make
A good wine is about the balance receive a purity of our Marvin if it’s or if it’s all the wine the complexity of flavor of changing all the time and in the mouth from the palate you know emoni between the scdtv alcohol and at the end
Of the day if you like it or not okay well you arrived at a restaurant you get given a great massive wine list how do you know where to start well I think first being don’t panic look at VM maybe if it’s a big list at the end X might
Tell you a different section so you don’t have to go through all release you can say well page 17 goes right away to a page your interest in it might have some testing note we might have to back off about the ratio the section we are
Showing and then if all that fell then ask for and yeah I think that’s really important because a lot of people feel intimidated but why I asked him for help when you could just simply say what you like and they could suggest a wine for you yes give as much information so what
You like or your budget or we see what you’re eating but that we should know because we should have seen what you’re eating on the you know the order and then they should give you some good feedback and pointer suggestion so yes so be honest and be inquisitive yes brilliant
I want a balance when it comes to sort of tasting the wine what are we tasting for cos they normally bring the wine and say would you like to taste something cuz I think well I know I like that wine so what should I be tasting for that
Missing even wine is in good condition so it’s not cool coins note oxidize so you know it doesn’t smell mordy is that what it would smell like if it was called it would be a moldy damp cellar you know something really young and then if it was oxidized would sternest
Like a sherry you know great wine the best on purpose this in a bad young white wine shouldn’t be tasting like a sherry and when the temperature really when you test it if it’s too cold or not cold enough then you can ask them to rectify it so even with the cheaper
Wine it’s worth cutting those points no reason you know some because it’s a cheap wine but you should be you know treated like third-class citizen you should still have good glasses you know because you might come back in two week and spend a lot of money yeah might be a
Birthday celebrate and what about house wines what’s the general rule because I know a lot of people sort of go play it safe go for the house a because it’s probably a little bit more affordable and be because it’s been selected so it’s that good advice to go for a house
Wine it’s not a bad advice but you can find better wine without spending much more money more interesting you know a bit more character house wine would be you’re quite safe so it would be tend to be or something maybe nothing wrong with the wine because it could I start with a
Pure than a good house wine but the most interesting wine you can really find better wine without spending much more okay and what are the rules on mixing your wine throughout the meal do you play it safe and keep with the one bottle or do you mix it depending on
What you’re eating do whatever you like I mean if you’re in a having a longer mannered testing menu maybe a different wine now if you are with you know having everybody a similar type of food maybe one bottle or just two wine whatever you know again it’s you do whatever you like
We need what are your top tips then for choosing wine well depending what you’re if you don’t want to spend too much man maybe go for less than known area because we’re classic tend to be more expensive so but one thing maybe look for try to so white wine don’t go for
Too old white wine because white wine can age certain white wine can age but in general lighter style of white wine for sure are better young and for that wine then maybe again look for some area like belong the Cuchillo myself of a horn of a great value and
Can produce really some stunning add wine at affordable price and what about choosing me wine to go with your food so if you like spicy food or gamey meat some passes are there certain wines that you should be eating with those things yes to be no reason
Doesn’t mean you have only one style but you know some are more adapted often because for insan if it’s a recipe of Whataya you will find what the wine goes better but also look at the weight of the food so if it’s a rich dish or lighter dish more delicate food then try
To match with the wine of similar you know texture if it’s possible or you could go for the contrast you know something cut through like a tangy cut wine with a quite a rich meat there’s lots and lots of options aren’t there unfortunately now when you are actually tasting wine
What’s the best way to taste and swirl the glass smell to see you know because you get a lot of pleasure if it’s a beautiful wine you’re going it’s like a perfume like your lady you know and then test keep it for 10 20 seconds in your
Mouth and play with it you don’t have to make big noise you know you can just do that desperately mm-hmm immense whatever wine a wine that’s the best part and as far as wine is concerned I’m a bit of a novice if I wanted to know more
About it what would I do where would I go well you can a lot of possibility you could go onto website you know a great website about each ratio or you could go into a wine education you could go to find some education the WACC t when course is for beginner Varon classes
They run you know have all sort of possibility books trip i can go into a wine 3-point not yeah i belong to a wine club go to local wine merchants on certain you know like ones on saturday a lot of local wine merchants would run informal
Testing you can do all sort of thing I knew to be the most classy that’s why I’m doing some masterclass at WEC teen so masterclass on French wine and anyways one coming up early in October October ok well that’s brilliant I’ve learnt so much off you just in these three short
Minutes but thank you so much thank you so if you’d like to find out more don’t forget to head to the website it’s wines with style calm there’s the address down on the screen thanks very much for joining us today and goodbye for now