A Little Wine Knowledge

A few years ago I applied for a job at a casual but chic downtown restaurant. I had worked in the service industry for a few years and decided that since my friends were living and working in the city I should follow the trend. I saw the NOW HIRING sign and confidently went in and asked for my application. The host tending the door promptly handed me a basic information sheet to fill out and then delivered it to his manager which to my delight and surprise, looked it over and came to chat with me. I just knew that things were going well, once I had the initial pre-interview talk I can win anyone over.

We chatted briefly over my experience and knowledge of the industry. I answered with ease and truly believed it was going well. I had worked my job for eight years and was one of the first members of the staff from day one. I learned the serving, hosting and bar-tending skills as well as some of the prep work in the kitchen. I just knew I had this!

To my dismay Mr. manager tells me that they require all applicants to take a wine knowledge quiz before continuing the application process. I still was holding strong I may not know ALL there is to know but How hard could it be? WRONG! It was as if I had never poured a glass of grape juice let alone a nice aged to perfection wine. The questions went from sweet to dry much like a good wine tasting. Grape types? What goes best with what? What is sweet? What is dry? How are wine names determined? It was a classic fail for me. The only wines we carried at the restaurant that I worked in were, white, red, and blush. This information didn't help when having to answer such detailed questions. I knew that red went with beef and various pasta dishes, and that white went with chicken or fish, and that blush was a sweeter wine. I had no clue as to what grapes were what and even answered Concord grapes as a type when presented with the, name four types of grapes question. How embarrassing! I am more than sure that those managers and employees laughed hysterically after looking at that completed quiz. I started from that day on,learning and tasting wines. Reading up on what goes with what. What compliments different foods and flavors.

So, with my embarrassing experience being aired for all to read, I decided to give a little gem of knowledge to help my fellow wine and food peeps out. There is a website, that is a basic introduction to wine and wine knowledge. It has a sweet to dry chart and is quite informative. www.wineintro.com This should be of assistance when choosing a good wine for a party or gathering or if you decide on a tasting of your own. It will also prove useful if you decide to apply for a job at a restaurant that serves more than three types of wine!

Cheers!