In a previous article, we discussed the wine making, more specifically during the harvest periods. We saw there the roles of winegrowers, from winegrowers and grape pickers which make it possible to obtain the harvests of bunches of grapes dedicated to vinification. Once this toil comes to maturation, all that remains is to be suitably stored before arriving then to our tables. Let’s discover the different facets that lead to the service of this drink inseparable from the French gastronomy.
Oenology
it’s about the science of study and knowledge of wine, from vine cultivation until conditioning. L’oenologist is often confused with the sommelier. The latter fulfills the function of cellar manager of a restaurant and must have knowledge in oenology, but he is not necessarily an oenologist. Conversely, the oenologist is not a sommelier. Those are two related professions, most distinct. The title of oenologist is obtained with the National Diploma of Oenologist.
The oenologist is thus perfectly aware of the grape varieties, from favorable conditions from cultures and of harvests, from vinification different types of wines (red, white, rosé, sparkling or others) or even tasting processes (Dress, Nose, Mouth). This wine professional is then the main quality guarantor all along the life of a wine.
Wine cellar and conservation
The wine cellar is the major place for storage of wine bottles. The storage conditions and theatmosphere are essential for the preservation of flavors and some quality some products. The storeroom is most of the time a building buried Where semi-buried, refrigerated or not, which therefore meets precise conditioning criteria.
The conservation of wine is indeed based on several factors :
– Temperature : It should stabilize around the 13° C. Too high a temperature is to be avoided at all costs, as it accelerates the aging of the wine while degrading its quality.
– Hygrometry : This concerns theair humidity. The ideal level for aging wine is around 70%. the Cork of the bottle is the main waterproof barrier wine while being breathable for’gas balance between the exterior and the content. Cork risks degrading with humidity below 40%. Above 80%, the development of mold will damage the stocks.
– The light : Bottles of wine, especially those of still wines, must be protected from direct light at the risk of altering the taste. Those are the ultraviolet penetrating through the glasses of bottles which have a negative influence on the quality of wine storage. The cellars are then either equipped with a glass door processed anti-UV, or a opaque door to keep the interior in thedarkness.
– Vibrations and trepidations : The wine must avoid as much as possible vibrations to maintain its integrity. The wine cellars are thus installed at thedeviation from sources of trepidation (road, railroad and other highly noisy places).
– The position of the bottle : to thehorizontal, the caps cork are constantly wet for optimal sealing. The position vertical should only be used for the transport and the short-term storage.
Some wine cellars make their stocks available for a sold online. For the direct trade on the spot, establishments dedicated to this wine (or other spirits) activity are called wine merchants. They are subject to a own legislation different from restaurants or wine bars. the manager of such a sign is its eponym: the wine merchant. He is a person either independent or dependent on a commercial chain. He is the trader who performs there sale of wines and spirits.
This requires knowledge of sommellerie andoenology. The wine merchant must be able to to advise a client with his knowledge of wines. In short, a job enough close to the sommelier.
The cellarman
the sommelier or the sommelier is the person responsible from wines and alcoholic beverages in the restoration. The function originates from 14th century, where he was in charge of replenishment in food or linen the courtyard. It’s in 1812 that the term ends up designating the person who takes care of the wine and cellars. Today, he is the one who provides his informed advice to clients in the restaurants, wine bars, at the wine merchants, sites of sold online or the specialized press.
His skills and knowledge concern the wine tasting, l’oenology, the distillation, the viticulture and thearboriculture, as well ashotel and the restoration for’homepage, the reception, l’organisation and the management. Son main expertise is to know pair food and wine to best satisfy the customer tastes and professionals. Its role is essential in gastronomic establishments to inform customers or to manage the wine cellar he knows every nook and cranny.
The sommelier position requires a advanced training to be able to meet the requirements of these mediators of taste. By its prestige status, these are generally the upscale restaurants who can afford such services that the brands will not fail to highlight. Apart from restoration tasks, it helps to build a wine cellar, participate in purchases, to inventories and to sales. In the largest establishments, the sommelier acts under the guidance of a head sommelier who is in charge of the restaurant’s cellar and a sommelier brigade. the sommelier clerk the head sommelier assists him.
the wine service is another of essential skills sommeliers, presentation from the bottle to glass service. All the protocol from capsule cutting, d’opening the bottle and of pouring wine must be just as precise that rigorous.
The formation of this craft art is done by two state diplomas : the additional mention in sommellerie and the Professional sommelier certificate. It is also possible to follow technical training, university courses or some professional titles from “sommelier advisor“granted by training organizations.
The sommelier outfit is allure elegant since it is used in upscale restaurants. He will inevitably wear the essential apron which, equipped with practical pockets, will be the main tool for avoid tasks and take order note client. He will also wear a kitchen jacket well dressed, as well as a trousers sober. For the shoes, he can choose safety shoes with a protective cap for trips in the cellar, and non-slip for the smooth floors from kitchens and restaurants. He can also wear the symbol of a bunch of grapes on his outfit to show his status.
Wine in the kitchen
Besides the drink itself, wine is also a ingredient to the strong added value for the gastronomy. The restaurateurs and chefs from France will know conjugate the flavours in their dishes with a wine and cooking marriage which dates back to Antiquity. We can distinguish the wine cooking and the wine cooking which are two different approaches totaste wine in gastronomy.
The wine cooking is mainly available in candied, jellies and cooked wines. We also find the aperitifs and cocktails like sangria for example. Wine can also complement sauces Bolognese, Burgundy, Madeira or many others.
The wine cooking for its partwine use in the kitchen in the food preparation. This concerns all kinds of soups, starters, fish, seafood, meats, offal, and even cheeses or desserts. Finally, we can also mention the wine vinegar from the acid fermentation (or acetic) of the wine.
The wine attractions so don’t stop at his bottle and so will be one asset of choice for the best cooks from gastronomic sector.
L’prestige image great wines are not limited to the only sectors of the restoration andhostellerie. It leads to tasting events and to competition where the different labels AOC are in play. tasting protocol is also meticulous than that of service and will be able to detect all great qualities of wines put to a test.
The creation, the conservation, the service and the wine tasting are, as we have just seen, also domains riches that flavors of the product itself. The actors why gastronomic sector must master a vast panel from knowledge to offer the grand public and to professionals the best that this can offer noble drink.