StateWays is the only magazine exclusively covering the control state system within the beverage alcohol industry, with annual updates from liquor control commissions and alcohol control boards and yearly fiscal reporting from control jurisdictions
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Foie gras paired with a glass of AOC Rivesaltes Ambré (Vin Doux Naturel). The Psychology of the Ask Roasted scallops served with Muscat Sparkling wines work well with salty snacks, vegeta- bles with dips, cured or raw fish and seafood, spicy cured meats, fried finger food, cheese, Asian style appetizers; it's hard to think of anything the style doesn't make shine. As Laz suggests, many light- to medium-intensity main dishes – sauteéd or roast poultry, poached, broiled or grilled seafood, creamy chowders and stews – benefit from being served with a tart and cleansing sparkling wine. The recent increase in brands and supply from Spain and Italy as well as Crément de Bordeaux and other lesser-known French sparklers, means that retailers can more easily extend their range of sparkling wines they offer, from the high-end down to such Cavas as Jaume Serra Cristallino, fre- quently sold for a rock bottom $7. Likewise, fino and manzanilla sherries, while higher in alcohol than most sparklers, are perfect with salty and briny snacks like olives, salted nuts, cured meats, hard cheese, fried seafood or other hors d'oeurves. There's the added benefit of novelty for most con- mousse; paired with Domaine de la Coume du Roy, Muscat de Rivesaltes The fact that many customers still turn to sales people for help when selecting a wine should be a source of opportunity for merchants, but unfortunately, most customers usually don't ask the right question. Instead of directly answering, "What food would this go with," or "What should I serve with (blank)," it would probably be smart to respond with some questions of your own. Like, "What's your favorite wine or varietal," or "Do you like the wines from a particular part of the world?" Narrowing down their field of comfort will make providing a range of selections easier. If a customer only drinks California chardonnays or likes Washington State merlots, then they're telling you a lot about their taste prefer- 30 temporary wine drinkers, and where allowed by law, retailers may find it pays to keep a bottle of one of the popular sherry brands (La Ina, Tio Pepe) in the cooler to offer customers a taste when making the suggestion. These examples offer two ways to set the stage: both are appetizing and high acid, though sherries are gener- ally higher in alcohol and have more tang. Either style will leave the palate crisp and ready for more intense fla- vors. Yet many customers will prefer more expected wines styles. Keeping strength and potency in mind, the lighter pinot grigios, Portugese vinho verdes or Spanish albarinos, all generally lower in alcohol with some pleas- ing fruitiness, are great starter wines. SEAFOOD EXAMPLES S eafood and tannin rarely mix well, but that doesn't eliminate every red wine as a seafood course choice; in fact, salmon and pinot noir are almost a reflexive pairing these days. With lighter-hued fish and most seafood, light is still right. However, preparation is everything; creamy chowders love buttery chardonnays, tomato and garlic based stews prefer a more rounded red like tempranil- lo, and grilled whole fish, well- seasoned and oiled, do well with reds – flakier fleshed fish like snapper better with lighter young reds, dense-fleshed fish including swordfish, tuna and halibut able to manage medium-bodied reds such as Rioja, Burgundy and barbera. CHICKEN, PORK, GAME, BEEF s mentioned, the most important factor in match- ing is to pair a wine's body with the main or dominating ingredi- A ences and limits. You may have just sampled a remarkable Austrian blauburgunder that you think goes great with many dishes, but now's not the time, nor this the customer. Some of your questions are likely to stop the conversation flat. Customers are notoriously cagey about sharing how much they'd like to spend, afraid that they will be upsold into something unfamiliar, so steer clear of, "What price range are you thinking of?" Instead, once you get a general idea of their preferences, steer them toward a style or region that you stock in a range of prices. Then you can make more specific recommendations based on whether they like their chardonnays with loads of vanilla, or crisp and lively, and let them make the price call on their own. StateWays s www.stateways.com s January/February 2012