Sunday, July 24, 2005
New Job
Hey kids,
Last week I started a new job in the wine biz. Officially, I have begun to prepare myself for bigger, better things to come by beginning work at Vino di Vino, a wine shop in Newton Centre, Mass (link located to the left though the site is pretty slim).
It's a small shop that limits its wine offerings to just 202 distinct bottles and a handful of liquors, sakes and beers. The emphasis is on service, quality and getting the correct bottle for your needs. At checkout, you receive a little card with basic information (varietal, region, vintage, tasting notes, food pairing ideas...) about the wine you bought. The hope is that the information will allow the buyer to better enjoy the wine and remember why they bought it and where it came from.
Each wine is rated 85 points or more by Parker and his ilk and the majority cost 25 bucks or less. Every wine on the shelf is tasted and approved by the staff so we can, without question, recommend it. We typically buy unique wines that are made in small batches so the stock is constantly changing though the basic options are always available.
I will be a sales clerk who will be responsible for manning the counter, receiving customers, offering advice and taking care of the hundred other little things that need to be done throughout the course of the day. Once I get the hang of it, I'll be doing all this on my own at times.
My biggest problem at this point is getting the tasting experience and confidence to talk about the wines in order to honestly recommend them. There is no time to taste each bottle, I'll have to rely on the few that I have had, the knowledge of the other employees and the basic characteristics of the grape variety and region.
I'm excited for the opportunity to finally be exposed to more wines. I feel that I have a pretty good base of knowledge regarding wine production, varietals and regions but lack the tasting experience to apply what I know to the flavors on the tongue. I'm looking forward to getting this opportunity but I have to say that tasting wine when you're looking to get something out of it is a whole different ballgame than drinking it with some friends at dinner.
The first thing people assume is that we sit around drinking wine all day getting drunk. It is pleasurable to a degree if you're sipping just a couple of bottles but when you need to plow through a large number, it gets tiring. First off, you aren't actually drinking, you're spitting it out because a drunk taster is an ineffective one. Your taste buds get fatigued by the tannins, alcohol vapors and the many flavor compounds found in wine. You're trying to describe something that may very closely resemble the last thing you tasted. In short, it comes very close to taking all the fun out of it.
Luckily, once work is over and you get home, you can sip, drink and enjoy some wine in a relaxed setting and you remember why you like it. I am hoping that what I learn will increase the enjoyment of wine and food and possibly even enrich my cellar stock to a great degree. I'm excited to get used the job and my role in the store. Come on by sometime and I'll sell you some wine.
Last week I started a new job in the wine biz. Officially, I have begun to prepare myself for bigger, better things to come by beginning work at Vino di Vino, a wine shop in Newton Centre, Mass (link located to the left though the site is pretty slim).
It's a small shop that limits its wine offerings to just 202 distinct bottles and a handful of liquors, sakes and beers. The emphasis is on service, quality and getting the correct bottle for your needs. At checkout, you receive a little card with basic information (varietal, region, vintage, tasting notes, food pairing ideas...) about the wine you bought. The hope is that the information will allow the buyer to better enjoy the wine and remember why they bought it and where it came from.
Each wine is rated 85 points or more by Parker and his ilk and the majority cost 25 bucks or less. Every wine on the shelf is tasted and approved by the staff so we can, without question, recommend it. We typically buy unique wines that are made in small batches so the stock is constantly changing though the basic options are always available.
I will be a sales clerk who will be responsible for manning the counter, receiving customers, offering advice and taking care of the hundred other little things that need to be done throughout the course of the day. Once I get the hang of it, I'll be doing all this on my own at times.
My biggest problem at this point is getting the tasting experience and confidence to talk about the wines in order to honestly recommend them. There is no time to taste each bottle, I'll have to rely on the few that I have had, the knowledge of the other employees and the basic characteristics of the grape variety and region.
I'm excited for the opportunity to finally be exposed to more wines. I feel that I have a pretty good base of knowledge regarding wine production, varietals and regions but lack the tasting experience to apply what I know to the flavors on the tongue. I'm looking forward to getting this opportunity but I have to say that tasting wine when you're looking to get something out of it is a whole different ballgame than drinking it with some friends at dinner.
The first thing people assume is that we sit around drinking wine all day getting drunk. It is pleasurable to a degree if you're sipping just a couple of bottles but when you need to plow through a large number, it gets tiring. First off, you aren't actually drinking, you're spitting it out because a drunk taster is an ineffective one. Your taste buds get fatigued by the tannins, alcohol vapors and the many flavor compounds found in wine. You're trying to describe something that may very closely resemble the last thing you tasted. In short, it comes very close to taking all the fun out of it.
Luckily, once work is over and you get home, you can sip, drink and enjoy some wine in a relaxed setting and you remember why you like it. I am hoping that what I learn will increase the enjoyment of wine and food and possibly even enrich my cellar stock to a great degree. I'm excited to get used the job and my role in the store. Come on by sometime and I'll sell you some wine.
# posted by Yossie @ 10:20 PM 
