The bottle, collected from the wine cellar, must take to the table very carefully.

The Sommelier must present the bottle on the left side of the customer just to let him to see the label. Simultaneously, the Sommelier is telling the name of the wine, the year and the name of the winery. The other information about the wine will be told only if the client will ask about.

The opening of the bottle of a sparkling wine or a white wine will be realized on the service table, taking out the bottle from the ice-bucket; the opening of a bottle of red wine will be still realized on the service table, while as for a long aged bottle of wine, the Sommelier will use the so-called wine-basket for this particular type of wines.

Edizioni Associazione Italiana Sommeliers (2003). Il Sommelier, Cavriago – Reggio Emilia, Bertani & C – Industria grafica

www.felizlavaque.com

QUARA – TORRONTÉS – COSECHA TARDÍA – VALLE DE CAFAYATE – ELABORADO Y EMBOTELLADO POR BODEGA S-73077 – FÉLIX LAVAQUE S.A. – RUTA 40 – KM 4340 – CAFAYATA – SALTA – ARGENTINA 2006  12%

VISUAL ANALYSIS: according to the degree of limpidity, this wine can be defined not so limpid for the presence of petillant;, the colour is golden yellow and the wine slides heavily to the bottom of the glass making no sound, like a syrup.

OLFACTORY ANALYSIS: the quatity of perfumes is based on sensations as honey, caramelized banana, orange peel, caramel and dry apricot that can be clearly recognized.

GUSTATIVE ANALYSIS: we can point out that the first impression is given us by an expressive body and an eloquent structure; it is possible to recognize a little touch of mineral note with a good acidity (salivation in the lateral zones of the palate) and at the end the honey flavour is really delicious. The gustative aromatic persistence is of 4 seconds.

WINE-FOOD COMBINATION: Roquefort cheese (blue cheese)

• The salty tendency of the cheese is counterbalancing the sweet final of the wine
• The fatness of the cheese is compensating for the salivation 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: this wine-food combination is in accordance with the food-and-wine connoisseurship wishes; it is very pleasant harmonizing a blue cheese with a late harvest.

To carry out to the best the wine service, the Sommelier needs some specifical tools, as it happens in every other professional job.

1. 1. The tasting glass
2. 2. The professional corkscrew
3. 3. The decanter
4. 4. The ice-bucket
5. 5. The glacette

Edizioni Associazione Italiana Sommeliers (2003). Il Sommelier, Cavriago – Reggio Emilia, Bertani & C – Industria grafica

www.felizlavaque.com

QUARA – VINO TINTO – MALBEC – VALLE DE CAFAYATE – ELABORADO Y FRACCIONADO POR BODEGA S-73077 – FÉLIX LAVAQUE S.A. – RUTA 40 – KM 4340 – CAFAYATA – SALTA – ARGENTINA 2008  13,5%

Quara: member of the biological family “camelidae”, a domesticated South America type of llama used as a beast of burden by the Incas.

VISUAL ANALYSIS: limpid, ruby red with, quite flowing

OLFACTORY ANALYSIS: the different fragrances which creates the olfactory bouquet are caoutchouc, rubber, red figs, orange peel and geranium.

GUSTATIVE ANALYSIS: we can detect a significant salivation and simultaneously an interesting softness; the tannin is not relevant and the final is just a little bit sweet. The gustative aromatic persistence is about  3/4 seconds.

WINE-FOOD COMBINATION: guiso de lentejas con chorizo español (typical soup of Salta)

• The fatness of the salame and the lentils is compensating for the salivation of the wine
• The spicy sensation (pepper in the salame) is neutralizing the softness 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: a wine which makes happy all the people at the table because it is made for accomplish with the whole tastes. A sort of gift capable of satisfying everyone.

www.felixlavaque.com

QUARA – TORRONTÉS – WINES OF ARGENTINA – VALLE DE CAFAYATE – ELABORADO Y FRACCIONADO POR BODEGA S-73077 – FÉLIX LAVAQUE S.A. – RUTA 40 – KM 4340 – CAFAYATA – SALTA – ARGENTINA 2010  13,3%

VISUAL ANALYSIS: according to the degree of limpidity, this wine can be defined not so limpid for the presence of petillant; the colour is straw yellow with greenish reflexes and the wine runs lightly into the glass showing modest consistency.

OLFACTORY ANALYSIS: the sensations which affect the olfactory organ can be defined starting from a caramelized lemon and a lemon peel; following with some almonds and finishing with grass and daisies.

GUSTATIVE ANALYSIS: it is perceptible an important mineral note which shares the palate with a consistent acidity represented by a generous salivation; there is not a prominent body and the final is lemon flavoured with a light tendency to the bitterish note. The gustative aromatic persistency is about 3/4 seconds.

WINE-FOOD COMBINATION: budín de choclo Capia al caramelo (very typical Andean recipe)

• The sweet tendency of the corn is counterbalancing the sapidity (mineral notes) of the wine
• The fatness of the dish is compensating for the salivation of the wine
• The sweet tendency  of the caramel is counterweighing the bitterish note of the wine
• The structure of the recipe is matching to the structure of the wine
• The gustative persistence of the recipe is pairing with the aromatic persistence of the wine

MY PERSONAL OPINION: this is a sort of wine that we can propose for every simple occasion in order to begin a relationship during the meal.

The by-the-glass wine service could be a nice way to promote the tasting of various wines to match to every recipe, when the number of the guests at the table does not allow to ask for much more than one bottle of wine. In this manner, it is possible to put up for sale bottles of quality wine but not very known.

The proposal of the wines trolley should take in consideration at least 12 distinct typologies of wine:

• for the aperitif – 2 sparkling wines (Champenoise and Charmat)
• 2 white wines – one fresh and young and one aged in barrels
• 1 rose wine – fresh, young and tasty
• 2 red wines – one fresh and young and one aged in barrels
• 2 sweet wines – white late harvest and red late harvest
• 3 special wines – one Sherry, one Oporto and one Madeira

Once more time, it is really important the professional competence of the Sommelier in managing the rotation of the bottles in order to avoid to keep some bottles open too much time.

Edizioni Associazione Italiana Sommeliers (2003). Il Sommelier, Cavriago – Reggio Emilia, Bertani & C – Industria grafica

www.bodegasetchart.com

MALBEC CAFAYATE – BODEGAS ETCHART –  ELABORADO Y EMBOTELLADO POR BODEGA ETCHART INSC. N° S-73089 – RUTA NACIONAL 40 – KM 4338 – CAFAYATE – SALTA – ARGENTINA   2010   14%

VISUAL ANALYSIS: it is limpid, intense ruby red and with a regular body.

OLFACTORY ANALYSIS: the range of scents consists of ripe cherry, blackberries, mentholated, sage, mallow, blue rose and pink lily.

GUSTATIVE ANALYSIS: on the one hand, it is well identifiable the mineral sensation while on the other one it is recognizable the salivation of the aicidty; the tannic sensation is not easily perceivable and the final gives a blackberries flavoured tendency. There is an important structure and the gustative aromatic persistence is of 5 seconds.

WINE-FOOD COMBINATION: locro pulsudo (beans soup – typical dish of Salta)

• The sweet tendency of the beans is counterbalancing the sapidity (mineral salts) of the wine
• The fatness of the beans soup is countervailing the salivation 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: this wine gives new scope to the food-and-wine connoisseurship, focusing on the elemental parameters of marrying a recipe to a wine: a wine coming from a terroir is getting along very well with a dish coming from the same territory. 

More and more restaurants are proposing Set Menus with different prices. This kind of menu permits to taste particular and agreeable dishes to combine with wines served by glass. These wines are suggested and selected by the Sommelier.

In this way, proposing new wine-food combinations and satisfying the client, the Sommelier gets the option of selling wines whose has a good quantity in the wine cellar and has the opportunity of organizing new purchases.

Edizioni Associazione Italiana Sommeliers (2003). Il Sommelier, Cavriago – Reggio Emilia, Bertani & C – Industria grafica

www.bodegasetchart.com

GRAN LINAJE TORRONTÉS – BODEGAS ETCHART –  ELABORADO Y EMBOTELLADO POR BODEGA ETCHART INSC. N° S-73089 – RUTA NACIONAL 40 – KM 4338 – CAFAYATE – SALTA – ARGENTINA   2010   13%

VISUAL ANALYSIS: the wine is not so limpid (petillant) and the shade is a very straw yellow; the particular fluency of the wine in the glass determines a strong structure.

OLFACTORY ANALYSIS: the groups of aromas of the organoleptic analysis are characterized by  toffee, yellow apple, pastry cream and wild flowers.

GUSTATIVE ANALYSIS: it is detectable the intense sensation of the mineral notes in the dorsal part of the tongue; we can also perceive a limited salivation and a just little bit sweet final. The structure is not something important and the gustative aromatic persistence is of 3 seconds.

WINE-FOOD COMBINATION: aperitif

MY PERSONAL OPINION: it goes beyond the aperitif and creates a new approach of tasting wines…

The Tasting Menu is a further version of the traditional menu. In this case, the courses are numerous and allow to the customer to taste many specialities of the restaurant.

The Sommelier should make a study about the best wine-food combinations, trying to find wines to match to much more than one recipe just to reduce the number of the wines selected for this menu.

Generally, the Sommelier could choose 4-5 wines to the utmost, starting from the one to serve as aperitif and finishing with the wine for the dessert.

Edizioni Associazione Italiana Sommeliers (2003). Il Sommelier, Cavriago – Reggio Emilia, Bertani & C – Industria grafica