People have been drinking wine for centuries. Grape seeds pre-dating ancient Greece were found in the country of Georgia near the Caucus Mountains. Let's face it; drinking wine isn't a new thing. Despite wine being around for centuries, new (and sometimes even old) wine drinkers are often scared to buy wine. ?If I'm just starting to drink wine, where should I go?,? you might ask. You might be headed to a new BYOB Chicago restaurant or an intimate dinner party, and you don't want to disappoint.
Your local supermarket or wholesale store is a great wine resource once you know what you want. Typically, they have large inventories and low prices. Costco is a great place to buy wine, as long as you expect little service and information besides a price tag, tasting notes, and ratings. Better hold off on getting your wine there until you learn a few basics.
On the other hand, you may prefer small wine stores or bottle shops any time you are shopping for win. Bottle shops usually have wine geeks behind the counter waiting to tell you about their ?latest find? or cool wine accessories. For example, Bob from Liner & Elsen in Portland, Ore., or Amy from The Bottle Shop in Chicago won't steer you wrong.
You've decided to venture into a bottle shop. You walk into a store and walk up to rows of bottles with price tags, tasting notes, and ratings. What should you buy?
One section of the store is American wines, with rows marked Cabernet, Syrah, Merlot, miscellaneous reds, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and more. Then there are other sections, such as Italian, Spanish, French, Australian, New Zealand, South American, etc. It's not getting any easier, is it?
By this time, you are ready to grab the bottle with the coolest label?you have no idea what to do. It's okay. Take a deep breath and remember, buying wine should be a pleasure, not a chore. Don't be afraid to talk to someone at the shop. People who work in wine shops are generally passionate about wine and can provide you with great recommendations.
When you talk with someone at a wine store, here are some things to know: 1. Your budget. For example, ?I'm looking to spend $12 or less per bottle.? 2. Price. There are great wines at every price point. From experience, it is generally hard to find good wine below $9 per bottle (sorry Charles Shaw), but that still leaves a lot of wiggle room. 3. What will you be eating with the wine? The staff can suggest a wine that will match well with the food accompanying the wine. 4. What you like or dislike. For example, ?Cabernet is too bitter for me, but I really like wine that tastes like raspberries.? 5. Other things to consider are fruit (juicy), alcohol (body), acidity (refreshing), sweetness (sugar). 6. Don't pay attention to ratings. Yes, ratings do give an indication of the wine quality, but it doesn't mean you are going to enjoy the wine, so buy what you enjoy drinking.
After a few minutes of chit-chat, you will likely have some great wines to choose from. But we're not done yet?
Before you leave, ask the wine steward if they have any wine tastings coming up. Wine tastings are the perfect way to learn about and taste new wines. Though regulated differently in every state, typically they are free. Often the distributor and/or producers will come to talk about their wine making it an even more enjoyable experience.
When looking to hire a caterer you want to make sure you are dealing with a reputable person or business, with experience, and a good record in food sanitation and safety. There are 2 areas to focus on and inquire about when evaluating and researching a caterer or catering service: 1. The business aspect and 2. The food safety aspect. I have broken each set of requirements and requests to make of the caterer into these 2 areas as follows:
1. The Business Side: - Cost is usually if not always, the number one determinant in choosing a caterer. Request an itemized list of services, including costs and a food menu. Also many caterers provide chairs, tables, tents etc. to save you an extra step of renting them elsewhere.
- Have the caterer either fill out and send you a preliminary contract including costs (after you give them the basics of what you are planning), or send you a sample contract that includes everything you are looking for. Look for a substitution clause where they may need to substitute certain foods if unavailable on the day of the event (you should choose what the substitutions can be).
- The contract should also note the number of staff that will be working your event or party and how they are presenting themselves or how they will be dressed.
- Request a copy of evidence of insurance and even a copy of their bond and contact the provider to ensure their current coverage. The insurance will cover damages or losses including food poisoning or theft, and the bond should cover your deposit. If the caterer requests a deposit then you should request a copy of the bond.
- Ask for references (more than one) including their contact information, and specifically, very recent clients that had similar types of events and similar numbers of attendees that you are planning. Make those calls to the references and don't forget to ask them what they did not like about this caterer and what would they do differently if they could do it over again.
- Request to observe an upcoming event or party the caterer will be working. No one should mind if a large event, as long you don't stay too long.
- Request a tasting so you can evaluate a range of possible foods or meals they're offering
2. The Food Safety Side: - Ask for a copy, or to see their current public health permit or license and make note of the business name (the same name of the person or company you are hiring), address (location of their kitchen) and expiration date (should not be expired). The only situation where a caterer would not be required to have a public health permit is if you, the customer, or the caterer purchase the food directly from the market and it is taken or stored only in your home or the event site on the day of the event. The caterer then does all preparation and cooking at your home or the site. They do not have a commercial kitchen or storage location. He or she might only bring some utensils.
In this type of situation, they are only selling their services and not the food. Remember, they can not do any food preparation, processing or storage out of their, that is the caterer's or anyone else's personal house kitchen. They either must have a commercial kitchen or restaurant that is licensed/permitted and inspected, or prepare and process only at the location of the event (yours or the event locations kitchen).
- Ask for copies, or to see their latest inspection reports. Look closely for the score or grade, the types of violations noted (any high risk), the date of the last inspection, and the date of compliance, if noted.
- Look them up on the website of your local Environmental Health Food Inspection program or search for them on the web looking for public forums noting comments on their food safety, service etc.
- Request to see their kitchen and look for a well maintained kitchen, orderly storage of food, modern commercial equipment. You do not want to see unattended perishable or potentially hazardous foods left out at room temperate, any evidence of live or dead cockroaches, flies or rodents and employees with good personal hygiene habits. Ask them how they plan to maintain temperatures during transport from their kitchen to your event. Also, determine how far, time wise, is their kitchen from the event, keeping in mind that ready-to-eat, perishable or potentially hazardous foods should not be left out of temperature more than 2 hours.
- Request to see a Certified Food Handlers certificate for the employee(s) or staff that will be working your event. Many states mandate in the health and safety law, that at least one responsible person pass a certified food handler exam at least every 3-5 years. Check with your local Environmental Health Food Inspection program for this requirement.
If the caterer refuses any of these requests, provide questionable information or their kitchen or latest inspection report show high risk violations, I suggest moving to the next business on your list or your phone book. Any reputable catering business should not have any issues with these requests and questions.
Both Subbu & Michael Doom are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Subbu has sinced written about articles on various topics from Sales and Negotiation, Guide Guitar and Wellness. Kevin Cohen is co-founder of Corx Wine Bags LLC, an online retailer and wholesaler of the original, high-tech wine bags and. Subbu's top article generates over 3600 views. to your Favourites.
Michael Doom has sinced written about articles on various topics from Food And Drink, Cooking Tips and Sales and Negotiation. Mr. Doom has worked as a Environmental Health Specialist for more than 20 years. He has conducted thousands of inspections and educated more than a thousand, food facility owners, managers and employees on. Michael Doom's top article generates over 4400 views. to your Favourites.