Wine 101. Just the facts, please!

Let us 

Wine Consultant with clients  Auberge St. Antoine a’ ville du Québec Canada.
Please take note of the carafes, ice bucket & the large ice bath on the serving tray. 

have a discussion today on wine. Not which to drink but how you present and care for wines with your guests.

Simplified, this abstract encourages you to look further once you take a few small steps. 

Caveat, that’s Latin for be careful here. There may be times in circumstances that cause you to not be able to follow these recommendations. So there will be times when you will have to use your own good judgement in deciding what and when to follow these guidelines. Such as you’re at a cocktail party with 25 other people, it would not be cool to test the wine temperature.

1. Glassware.
   Simply stated - medium white wine to serve in a U-shaped glass, focusing the aroma and taste on a narrow opening. 
   
   
   Medium red wine – a bowl shaped wine glass.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Serving temperature - 
   A medium red wine should be sure served at a temperature of 60 to 65°. 
   White wine at a serving temperature of 45 to 50°.
   Champagne 45°.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Aeration or opening.
   Red wine, specifically, and some whites, are dramatically improved if you give them some time to breathe. By that I mean, open the wine, pour into a clean glass container and then pour it back into the wine bottle. That's the simplest advice and that came from Clement Brown, a Wine Connoisseur and salesman for the famous Seagram Company of NYC.  
   
   
   
   
4. Price point for a wine to be served a guest. A good rule of thumb is the adequate price point for a wine you  are getting ready to serve to a guest is between $20 and $30 purchased at the wine store.  Beyond $40 and $60 your into the more more limited, aged and sophisticated wine. 

Those are Constantine's basic wine protocols for the fundamentals of wine – particularly when you are hosting guests.

What follows is of greater depth -

I'm inviting you to take a journey with me along with five other people. My advisory group is comprised of two wine California aficionados, a retired Emeritus Wine Club Chairman, two Sommeliers and lastly, an esteemed Wine Consultant with expertise in Bordeaux. That be Bordeaux France, the city.  

The purpose of this blog post is principally very basic. It will refresh your memory with regards to the purchase, preparation and serving of wines to your guests.

Selection

At risk at enraging anyone I’m going to just proffer one piece of advice or  knowledge – The higher the alcohol content the dryer the wine.

Price point 

Regardless of the type of wine you choose, you should anticipate a wine or bubbles that  you're going to serve to guests, the price point is going to be      -        

More available average wines $20-$25. 

Greater specialty wines, blends $40 and up

Those greatly aged and less available wines $60. and up.  

These price points  will give you a relatively "smart wine" that you'll be pleased to serve your guests or as a gift. 

And yes, mail oui at home I’m content with a vin de table, Sauvignon Blanc sil vows plait. But not so for my girlfriend - her’s more exotic reds chilled appropriately and in a Burgundy glass. 

Storage

I know you won't be surprised to relearn that your wine should be stored in a cool dark location, a cellar  temperature of 55°, a max of 65 degrees. Ideally, a 25 bottled wine cave  is very satisfactory. A 50 bottle wine cave is regally  satisfactory.

Serving temperature

Generally speaking people are universal in agreement that it should be at room temperature, however – understand this is room temperature in a cellar or a drafty old English or French château. That means your wines are probably going to be in the 55° range. The following is the average guidelines for the types of wines  is recommended that you serve so this is the temperature at pouring time –

Champagne and sparkling wines. 45 degrees

White wines.                                     55 degrees

Red wine.                                          61 degrees

If you have not been following this practice some experimentation and you'll realize the significant difference that you get by serving your ones at these temperature

Aerating your wine.

This is similar to decanting, but not the same. Clement  would open a bottle, white or red, pour into a clean glass container and then pour back in the bottle. This allows the wine to aerate just prior to a party you're having with a gathering of people. The purpose of aerating a wine is to let the wine expand-breathe and become like it's original home in those fantastically oak wine barrels where they were first born.

Glassware

We're not talking crystal here. But we are speaking of a good quality wine glass. 

Red wine bowl shaped,     O

White wine,                         U shaped

Champagne,                       Fluted

       Alternatively a “Champagne glass” or a Coupe.

The purpose of the glassware is to enhance the aroma and the taste of the wine, so therefore you want to encapsulate the bubbles of champagne into a small narrow medium. The whole purpose of drinking the champagne is for the bubbles, so why would you pour them in a glass that dissipates the bubbles.

Similarly, with a white wine, you want to focus that you shaped narrow lipped top so that the aroma of these very simplified wines enhance that nose of the wine. Red wines, which are so much more bolder, are best appreciated in a larger bowl that allows those red aromatic notes to rise up to your nose and taste.

Universal wine glasses? There is no such thing as a universal wine glass,  skip that and save your money.

The finish.

I find it very appropriate when I'm first pouring the glass of wine to make a little toast - to my guests. If it's my girlfriend, I might even reach across the table and give her a kiss. A word of caution – be careful here if it's friends.  Toast their health. C'est bon. 

Pouring Champagne at an angle minimises the loss of those fantastic bubbles.  

I hope these tips and this reflection on skills you have learned in the past will serve you well in appreciating your wonderful purchase be a Bordeaux or a Sancerre. 

I would like to thank my wonderful group of advisors who assembled for this commentary. They gave up their time freely and we're most enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge experiences and training.

Merci Mesdames et Messieurs - Vince, Karen, Clement, Frank, Al and -----  along with Robert Parker, Marcel Desaulniers,  Buzz BeLer and the charming wine steward lady from the Bordeaux Chateau and the very wise Sommelier from the Homestead Resort.

“Que la fête commence!"

Constantine 

  

      And, no wine was spilled nor injured during the course of this  gathering.

Cocktail of the Month. November

 November Cocktail of the Month

           Drum roll. 

November's Apple season in the western hemisphere is an excellent time to stock up on Apple brandy or Calvados, from North America to France. I suggest that because it's an excellent base for a remarkable treat, the  infamous Jack Rose cocktail.

The name Jack Rose Cocktail has some differences of opinion with regards to its history, some say it's named after a person, some say it's named after a rose in France. Regardless, it's a remarkably tasty cocktail, both sweet and savory. It balances the Apple brandy, eau de vie - A fruit base brandy. With the lemon juice and the sweet grenadine.

The Laird Company (1)  dating back to the time of George Washington during the American  revolution, will tell you that the resurgence in the Jack Rose cocktail has stimulated their Apple brandy consumption. 

I use Laird’s Apple brandy. But I have seen it served elsewhere with Calvados. I recall one time my girlfriend ordered a Jack Rose at The Prime Rib Restaurant in Washington DC, an upscale bar, fine dining,  and Rob the Barman used Calvados as the base.

While the cocktail has not yet made it to the International Bartenders Association's cocktail list, I can comfortably tell you that the recipe is –

"Jack Rose cocktail"

        Apple brandy 2 ounces (fn 2)

        Lemon juice three-quarter ounce.

        Grenadine one-half ounce.

Shaken till well chilled, poured into a chilled martini glass. Served with a lemon peel or better yet I would prefer a slice of apple.   

Cocktail – Jack Rose cocktail.

Appetizer – Camembert cheese with rosemary cracker.

Music –  Charles Aznavour

Enjoy

1. it is my understanding that the Laird Company of New Jersey buys its apples from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Historically, the Laird Company holds the oldest alcohol license in America, Number 1. 
   
   
2. As a devotee of  “liquor replacement theory“ – I think you might be able to replace the Apple brandy with a brandy and a little bit of apple juice. This might give you a hint of what you’re in store for, but it just won’t be the same taste! Regardless, I would still encourage you to try Laird’s Apple Brandy. 

An introduction to those crazily named odd shaped bottles of Italian liqueur. Is this Amari?

Amaro  *Amari is the plural*  is that uniquely Italian low alcohol, bitter - sweet beverage made with herbs, spices, etc. Often used after dinner to aid in digestion, it’s equally as often used in the creation of unique cocktails. 

My introduction to a new Amaro began with a taste testing. I conducted a taste test the other night with a small party, kind of an international party, some people from England. Well, truth be known it was one person from England. But she had been to Italy and she was aware of such exotic Italian liquors has "grappa". So that says it all!

This was NOT our taste testing. 

What caused me to begin this Amaro exploration was an introduction to a cocktail – "The Alpha-Romeo cocktail”.  I looked at the ingredients and it seemed to indicate that might be something that my girlfriend would like in as much as she's not a great fan of Campari. No fan at all of Campari. And this recipe spoke of CYNAR which I understand is pronounced as CHEE – nahr. 

So, I took it upon myself to pick up a bottle and explore this Amaro which describes itself as a “gateway” to Amaro & liqueurs.*

As an aside - I have begun or re-initiated discussion of or research on Amari  and bitters. So this fit right into both my research and inquisitiveness about this Italian liqueur. 

Cynar is produced in the Milan region of Italy. It is principally based on artichokes along with the other gazillion herbs that these people have researched &  conducted over decades and hundreds of years. 

As we tasted, we all seem to agree that we felt it was a sweeter tasting Amaro, which had similarities to Campari. And I had read that the company indicates that it is not as sweet as Aperol. Nor as bitter as Campari. 

I suppose this will act as "digestif"  as well as a base for a cocktail. So, it'll be an interesting exploration as we proceed to investigate further using it to make cocktails or otherwise having an on a rock.

Partial list of Amari

Campari*

Cynar

Fernet branca

Ramazotti

Aperol

   and many, many others

   * also recognized as a “bitter liqueur”

Amari should not be confused with the “bitters” that you use in making your cocktails. You do use bitters, C’Exact?  Oui!

Le Cocktail 

The Apha-Romeo Cocktail 

    Source: Diffords Guide online

2 oz	Hayman's London Dry Gin
1⁄2 oz	Strucchi Rosso Vermouth
1⁄3 oz	Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
1⁄6 oz	Strucchi  Red Bitter (Campari-style liqueur) refer to editor's note.
2 drop	Saline solution 4:1 (20g sea salt to 80g water)

           Editors note – I am using Cynar for the Strucchi Red Bitter 

Appetizer - Raclette  cheese toasted on French bread, dash of Grey Poupon

Music – Spotify playlist from Professor T

              Ciao!

 

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A New Career? Or return to an old career v 2

  Bartending is not an easy job. Treat and tip your bartender well.

Yes, I was Braggadocios about my blog. Which inspired a lovely lady to ask me if I would bartend a private party of hers. I must say I was a little nervous about that. It’s one thing if you have four or five people over.  It’s another thing if you’re wearing a bartenders jacket with your name &  the Prime Rib logo and you’re serving 15 predominantly ladies, custom-made cocktails, and non-alcoholic cocktails to boot.

So I put on a good face. I thought of myself as being “OK if Marcel Desaulniers can do this, I can maybe succeed”. Emphasis on the maybe. I packed up all my stuff, took way too much stuff. And somewhat with a little queasiness in my head, headed over.

The hostess was cocktail party dressed, LBD. I had my black tie and white jacket on, so I thought I looked the role. Now let’s see if I could actually produce! I had come prepared with a menu that I created. I titled it “Constantine’s Speakeasy Bar”. It included four non-alcoholic drinks – which was a hit. (Thank you Seedlip. Distilled non-alcoholic liquor.) Oh and while I’m at it, let me thank Difford’s Guide.  Simon Gifford continues to inspire and educate. So don’t pass up on Difford’s Guide,  from England, no less. 

One thing that surprised me was what a hit the clear, large ice cubes were. Some people went bonkers over it. Another thing – which really didn’t surprise me – was how many ladies chose to have an alcoholic cocktail first followed by a non-alcoholic. And the non-alcoholic cocktail– the Cosmo – made with non-alcoholic distilled Seedlip Garden was definitely a big hit.

At one point, I looked up and I realized I had two lines going out from where the bar was. It was surreal, how does Yiovanya & Rachelle do it? I was feeling a little overwhelmed. I encouraged people to go and take a seat and then I would come by and deliver their drink to them. Also, I would take more drink orders. It went on and on. Finally, 3 to 4 hours later it ended. I was exhausted but quite exhilarated by my seeming success. I was measuring  only by the applause people were giving me for the cocktails they were drinking.

I do think – to the hostess’ credit – people are so accustomed to going to a party and only being offered wine. In this case she banned wine and said “no we’re only having cocktails”. And of course I was very happy with that decision.

From time to time, I would measure the success of the ladies party by loud talking and laughter. I only hoped that my alcoholic drinks were contributing to the noise and laughter.

So what’s the “Take Home”?

Un. Cocktail parties are a cool thing to do. Deux, having  your own barman or barlady service your clientele makes for an exotic atmosphere. Trois, creating a cocktail list enable guests to choose something old and something new. As someone mentioned to me, you don’t see a cocktail list much anymore not even when you go to a bar. You better be prepared to know what you wanna drink because they don’t offer any suggestions.

À tout à l'heure

Vieux Carre’ Cocktail

https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/2048/vieux-carre-cocktail

.75 oz rye whiskey

.75 oz cognac

.75 Italian vermouth

.33 oz orange liquer

2 dashes peyschaud bitters plus 1 dash Angostura

Serve in an old fashioned glass with clear block of ice

       Want a clear cube of ice? https://www.truecubes.com/#clearice 

Appetizer: Smoked almonds

Music: Errol Garner Trio

Le Boulevardier Cocktail - Une Magnafique

New Year’s Eve  celebratory message I received -

May the Boulevardier live forever. Happy New Year!

As a generous fan of the Boulevardier Cocktail (1927 created cocktail, Paris …named after Parisian magazine Boulevardier) 1/3 bourbon, 1/3 Campari, 1/3 Italian sweet vermouth is a great classic Campari cocktail. So very similar to the Italian Negroni, it is my second go to cocktail. I look forward to each Friday’s after work cocktail hour when Rachelle - world’s best bartender,  hands me my evening Boulevardier. 

merci mon ami Craig

Le Cocktail

Une boîte   - equal parts rye whiskey, Campari & Portuguese Vermut

Appetizer - boiled shrimp a la grecque

Music - “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer” by Marcel Zanini

Karen Hibbbard

2025 A Happy of Year of Peace

 

Happy New Year 2025

 

Traditionally one might say the universal celebratory cocktail for  New Year’s Eve is a Champagne Cocktail.

                French 75 Soixante Quinze  

•    30 mL (1 US fl oz) Cognac
• 15 mL (0.5 US fl oz) lemon juice
• 15 mL (0.5 US fl oz) simple syrup
• 60 mL (2 US fl oz) Champagne

             Champagne Cocktail

•    90 ml Champagne
•    10 ml Cognac
•    2 dashes Angostura bitters
•    1 Sugar cube

My girlfriend always calls out to me and asks “What is Difford’s  Guide cocktail of the day?”  Once again  a woman of good taste.

Enjoy with a smile, une bisou et responsibility. And reach out to family and friends and send them your love and friendship.

 

World’s Best Bars

Once again the Top 50 bars in the world has been released. If like me you’ll be traveling, please note your city’s best rated bar.

https://www.theworlds50best.com/bars/list/1-50

Wishing you a Joyous & Happy New Year and a celebratory one as well. I for one with my girlfriend anticipate being at the Little Red Door in Le Marais, Paris, squeezing our way past the crowds to get in for at least one cocktail for the New Year Day.

My heart felt best wishes to all friends and family. And very seriously I say and pray for

“peace on earth”

 

Constantine

 

Cocktail

Soixante Quinze – French 75

Music – play Sinatra’s Fly Me To The Moon

Appetizer – a dish of  Raclette

 

 

 

CIA Executive Chef, U.S. Marine, Gentleman and Le Chocolatier Marcel Desaulniers

Marcel ~ Le Chocolatier 

In my life experiences, I find every once in a while, rarely, you come across someone who is at once talented, amusing, entrepreneurial, and a person you enjoy being around. Somebody in the food industry one time told me that I am infatuated with the food industry. I believe that's true.

  

Equally, I was infatuated with the Executive Chef/Owner of The Trellis restaurant, Marcel Desaulniers. I think of Marcel as being from the town that I like to say I hail from, Williamsburg, Virginia, where he resided  for many years as he honed his craft. I always thought of him as a French Canadian or a Frenchman. But his biography tells more about him. He was very proud to be a Marine. He told me his nickname in the U. S.  Marine Corp was "Frenchie", and he was quite proud of that.

If you read the bio of Marcel, and he has a lot of them going around since his passing – the New York Times, the Internet, probably Food and Wine magazine, to name a few - you learn of his career, his wife and family, the U. S. Marine Corp, his books, TV cooking programs, oh, and that famous “Death By Chocolate” dessert.

Residing in the same town as he, along with his wife, Connie, I was able to witness his greater than life expansion on the TV with The Julia. His persona was always understated, whether in person at his restaurant or at parties with him. Through his TV series, he educated my girlfriend and me about many cooking techniques, for example, not overcooking string beans! Maybe I should go into that a little bit more, as he was quite emphatic about it.

Marcel was an author and very talented one, with a sophisticated taste in the design of the menu, the bar, and of his foods. Clearly, the “Death by Chocolate” cake exemplified his sophistication. If you haven't experienced his Death By Chocolate cake, then it's hard to describe what I'm talking about. At a cocktail party the other day, we were talking about it, and someone said that it was so huge, she needed to share it with the rest of her table. It was absolutely delicious! And quite a masterpiece! As the New York Times described, people would stop talking and gawk when a waiter would walk across the dining room floor with a slice of the Death By Chocolate cake.

Marcel was a very hospitable man and the epitome of hospitality. It seems to me it's likely he got that from his mother, of whom he seemed to be very proud. In our conversations from time to time, the mention of her name would be spoken fondly. Following a party one night, the next morning I looked up and there was Marcel walking down the pathway with a couple of books under his arm. I had mentioned to him the night before that we had taken a cookbook of his to the French guide that we hired for a visit to Verdun, France. She was much pleased to have this treasure. Unknown to me, he had some books translated into French, which he brought for my next trip to France to give out as gifts. Who does that? What kind of man is so thoughtful? And remember, I mentioned he is a Marine. Not just a Marine, but a Marine who served in Vietnam. If I recall correctly, one time he talked to me about firing from the opening of a Huey helicopter. A man's man. Someone who let it known quietly,  "yes, I'm carrying". You gotta know what that means.

I came to know a few of the staff who worked with Marcel both in the back of the house and the front of the house. Marcel was verifiably much loved and admired for what he taught these young people, some of whom were at the College of William & Mary. Those skills they brought with them later in life. He seemed to attract people with similar tastes as his – friendly, hospitable, hard-working, and skilled. The one name that comes to mind is Stephanie, who worked at the bar. (I still have the bar ticket where she went to the length to not use the table number, but said "Dino". That's the kind of professional that you want to have in your establishment, who goes to the length to recognize the customer.) Stephanie exemplified the quality and character of the people who Marcel brought with him in life. 

So, I hope I'm doing honor to him in speaking of all of his talents, not just his epic. Which is most well-known. 

I know I mentioned the Trellis, but did I mention MAD About  Chocolate? Exquisite little patisserie café. It was artistically designed by Connie and Marcel from floor to ceiling, tables and banquette customized ~ even the toilette artistically designed. They opened it together, and it was very successful. He in the back of the house, supported by some fine staff and she, winsome in the front of the house – polished, exquisite in her taste in clothing and her personality and her greetings to you. She made you feel that you were the only one in the cafe’ when she greeted you. That experience was quite an event. Hosted just a few blocks from the original Trellis. Mais oui, Connie was the artist/designer at “MAD”. 

I had the opportunity to speak with Dave Everett about his granting a pass to Marcel and Connie for their MAD café. He just smiled and said thanks. There's a certain honor between professionals in the restaurant world. And I'm sure that it was out of respect for Marcel’s talents and skills that Executive Chef Dave was encouraging in this new venture for Marcel and Connie.

  

           αιώνια του η μνήμη -  may his memory live forever.

                An Orthodox religious praise for someone deceased.  

Constantine

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