Level One Sommelier

I am so excited and thrill to start the classes at Hyatt Huntington Beach for our level one sommelier, we are committed to have all our F&B team member to be at least level one sommelier. i am sure with upper management help, hard work and dedication form all of the F&B staff team we are going to achieve this for sure :) i can see the light and drive in eyes of every single of us when we sat for our first class last tuesday 

VIVA HYATT@ HB                       YES WE CAN 

Champagne

Contrary to legend and popular belief, Dom Pérignon did not invent sparkling wine, but he did make important contributions to the production and quality of Champagne wine.The oldest recorded sparkling wine is Blanquette de Limoux, which was apparently invented by Benedictine Monks in the Abbey of Saint-Hilaire, near Carcassonne in 1531. They achieved this by bottling the wine before the initial fermentation had ended, The Champagne winemaking community, under the auspices of the Comité Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne (CIVC), has developed a comprehensive set of rules and regulations for all wine produced in the region to protect its economic interests. They include codification of the most suitable growing places; the most suitable grape types (most Champagne is a blend of up to three grape varieties, though other varieties are allowed); and a lengthy set of requirements specifying most aspects of viticulture. This includes pruning, vineyard yield, the degree of pressing, and the time that wine must remain on its lees before bottling. It can also limit the release of Champagne to market to maintain prices. Only when a wine meets these requirements may it be labeled Champagne. The rules agreed upon by the CIVC are submitted for the final approval of the Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (formerly the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine, INAO).

In the United States name protection of wine-growing place names is becoming more important. Several key U.S. wine regions, such as those in California (Napa, Sonoma Valley, Paso Robles), Oregon, and Walla Walla, Washington, came to consider the remaining semi-generic labels as harmful to their reputations (Napa Declaration on Place).

Even the terms méthode champenoise and Champagne method were forbidden by an EU court decision in 1994.As of 2005 the description most often used for sparkling wines using the second fermentation in the bottle process, but not from the Champagne region, is méthode traditionnelle. Sparkling wines are produced worldwide, and many producers use special terms to define them: Spain uses Cava, Italy designates it spumante, and South Africa uses cap classique. An Italian sparkling wine made from the Muscat grape uses the DOCG Asti and from the Glerá grape the DOCG Prosecco. In Germany, Sekt is a common sparkling wine. Other French wine regions cannot use the name Champagne: e.g., Burgundy and Alsace produce Crémant. In 2008, more than 3,000 bottles of sparkling wine produced in California labelled with the term "Champagne" were destroyed by Belgian government authorities.

Champagne production

There are four main methods of sparkling wine production.

•   The first is simple injection of carbon dioxide (CO₂), the process used in soft drinks.

•   The second is the Metodo Martinotti created and patented by Italian Federico Martinotti (1860-1924) in 1895[1] and adapted by Eugène Charmat in 1907,

•   a French vine grower in Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule, in which the wine undergoes a secondary fermentation in bulk tanks, and is bottled under pressure. This method is used for Prosecco and Asti in particular.

•   The third method is the traditional method or méthode champenoise.With this method the effervescence is produced by secondary fermentation in the bottle. As the name suggests, this is used for the production of Champagne, but is slightly more expensive than the Charmat process.

•   The fourth method is the "transfer method". This method will take the cuvée to bottle for secondary fermentation, which allows for the additional complexity, but then will transfer the wine out of the individual bottles into a larger tank after it has spent the desired amount of time on yeast.

Harvest and primary fermentation

Grapes used for Champagne are generally picked earlier, when sugar levels are lower and acid levels higher. Except for pink or rosé Champagnes, the juice of harvested grapes is pressed off quickly, to keep the wine white. The first fermentation begins in the same way as any wine, converting the natural sugar in the grapes into alcohol while the resultant carbon dioxide is allowed to escape. This produces the base wine. This wine is not very pleasant by itself, being too acidic. At this point the blend, known as the cuvée, is assembled, using wines from various vineyards, and, in the case of non-vintage Champagne, various years.

Traditional method.

The traditional method is the process used in the Champagne region of France to produce the sparkling wine known as Champagne. It is also the method used in various French regions to produce Crémant or other traditional method sparkling wines, in Spain to produce Cava and in Italy to produce Franciacorta. The method is known as the méthode champenoise, but the Champagne producers have successfully lobbied the European Union to restrict the use of that term within the EU to wines produced from their region. Thus, wines from elsewhere cannot use the term "méthode champenoise" on products sold in the EU, and instead the term "traditional method" (méthode traditionnelle) or the local language equivalent may be seen; for instance, in Germany the term used is "klassische flaschengärung". South African wines from the Western Cape are labelled with the term "Methode Cap Classique". However, consumers outside the EU may see méthode champenoise used on labels for products made outside of France.

After primary fermentation, blending (assemblage in Champagne) and bottling, a second alcoholic fermentation occurs in the bottle.

Although known as the Champagne method and associated with the name of Dom Perignon in the late seventeenth century, this method of bottle fermentation was already used in Limoux, southwestern France, since 1531 for the production of Blanquette de Limoux.

Second fermentation

The blended wine is put in bottles along with yeast and a small amount of sugar, called the liqueur de tirage, stopped with a crown cap or another temporary plug, and stored in a wine cellar horizontally for a second fermentation. Under the Appellation d'origine contrôlée, NV (non-vintage) Champagne is required to age for 15 months to develop completely. In years where the harvest is exceptional, a vintage (millesime) is declared and the wine must mature for at least three years.

During the secondary fermentation, the carbon dioxide is trapped in the wine in solution. The amount of added sugar determines the pressure of the bottle. To reach the standard value of 6 bars (600 kPa) inside the bottle, it is necessary to have 18 grams of sugar; the amount of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is regulated by the European Commission (Regulation 1622/2000, 24 July 2000) to be 0.3 gram per bottle. The liqueur de tirage is then a mixture of sugar, yeast and still Champagne wine.

Aging on lees

Non-vintage wine from Champagne cannot legally be sold until it has aged on the lees in the bottle for at least 15 months. Champagne's AOC regulations further require that vintage Champagnes be aged in cellars for three years or more before disgorgement, but most top producers exceed the requirement, holding bottles on the lees for 6 to 8 years.

Riddling

After aging, the lees must be consolidated for removal. The bottles undergo process known as riddling (remuage in French). In this stage, the bottles are placed on special racks called pupitres that hold them at a 45° angle, with the crown cap pointed down. Once a day (every two days for Champagne), the bottles are given a slight shake and turn, alternatively on right then left, and dropped back into the pupitres, with the angle gradually increased. The drop back into the rack causes a slight tap, pushing sediments toward the neck of the bottle. In 10 to 14 days (8 to 10 weeks for Champagne), the position of the bottle is straight down, with the lees settled in the neck. (This time can be shortened by moving the bottle more than once a day,[ and by using modern, less sticky strains of yeast.) Manual riddling is still done for Prestige Cuvées in Champagne, but has otherwise been largely abandoned because of the high labour costs. Mechanised riddling equipment (a gyropalette) is used instead.

Many stores now sell riddling racks for decorative storage of finished wine.

Disgorging

The lees removal process is called disgorging (dégorgement in French), traditionally a skilled manual process where the crown cap and lees are removed without losing much of the liquid, and a varying amount of sugar added. Before the invention of this process by Madame Clicquot in 1816, Champagne was cloudy. Freezing a small amount of the liquid in the neck and removing this plug of ice containing the lees do modern automated disgorgement.

Dosage

Immediately after disgorging but before final corking, the liquid level is topped up with liqueur d'expédition, commonly a little sugar, a practice known as dosage. The liqueur d'expédition is a mixture of the base wine and sucrose, plus 0.02 to 0.03 grams of sulfur dioxide as a preservative. Some maisons de Champagne (Champagne brands) claim to have secret recipes for this, adding ingredients such as old Champagne wine and candi sugar. In the Traité théorique et pratique du travail des vins (1873), Maumené lists the additional ingredients "usually present in the liqueur d'expédition": port wine, cognac, elderberry wine, kirsch, framboise wine, alum solutions, tartaric acid, and tannins.

The amount of sugar in the liqueur d'expédition determines the sweetness of the Champagne, the sugar previously in the wine having been consumed in the second fermentation. Generally, sugar is added to balance the high acidity of the Champagne, rather than to produce a sweet taste. Brut Champagne will only have a little sugar added, and Champagne called nature or zéro dosage will have no sugar added at all. A cork is then inserted, with a capsule and wire cage (muselet) securing it in place.

Champagne's sugar content varies. The sweetest level is 'doux' (meaning sweet) and then, in increasing dryness, 'demi-sec' (half-dry), 'sec' (dry), 'extra sec' (extra dry), 'brut' (very dry-dry), 'extra brut' (very dry), 'brut nature/brut zero/ultra brut' (no additional sugar, bone dry).

Other method

While the traditional, or "Champagne method", is the most widely known style of production, there are several ways to produce sparkling wine that are less costly in labor.[3]

Metodo Italiano (Charmat process)

The Charmat process is known as Metodo Charmat-Martinotti (or Metodo Martinotti) in Italy, where it was invented and is most used. In France, the process is referred to as Méthode Charmat. The wine undergoes secondary fermentation in stainless steel tanks or steel vessels covered with vitreous enamel rather than in individual bottles, and are bottled under pressure in a continuous process. Many grape varieties, including Prosecco, are best suited for fermentation in tanks. Charmat method sparkling wines can be produced at a slightly lower cost than méthode champenoise wines.

Sovetskoye Shampanskoye or 'Soviet champagne' was produced using a similar method. In 1975 Moët & Chandon bought licence of production of sparkling wine by Soviet method.

Transfer method

This follows the first steps of "méthode champenoise" in that after primary fermentation the cuvée is transferred to bottles to complete secondary fermentation. When the secondary fermentation is complete and the wine has spent the desired amount of time in bottle on yeast lees (six months is the requirement to label a wine 'bottle fermented') then the individual bottles are transferred (hence the name) into a larger tank. The wine is then filtered, the liqueur de dosage added, and then filled back into new bottles for sale. This method allows for complexity to be built into the wine, but also gives scope for blending options after the wine has gone into bottle and reduces the bottle-to-bottle variations that can be hard to control in the "méthode champenoise".

Gas injection

Comparatively inexpensive sparkling wine is made by simple injection of CO₂ from a carbonator. This way of manufacturing is allowed in the European Union. Sparkling wines made via this method must use terms ‘aerated sparkling wine’ and ‘aerated semi-sparkling wine’ must be supplemented, where necessary, by the words ‘obtained by adding carbon dioxide’ or ‘obtained by adding carbon anhydride.'

Bottle aging

Even experts disagree about the effects of aging on Champagne after disgorgement. Some prefer the freshness and vitality of young, recently disgorged Champagne, and others prefer the baked apple and caramel flavors that develop from a year or more of bottle aging. In 2009, a 184-year-old bottle of Perrier-Jouët was opened and tasted, still drinkable, with notes of "truffles and caramel", according to the experts.[9]

Vintage vs. non-vintage

The majority of the Champagne produced is non-vintage (also known as mixed vintage or multivintage), a blend of wines from several years. This means that no declared year will be displayed on the bottle label. Typically, however, the majority of the wine is from the current year but a percentage is made of reserve wine from previous years. This serves to smooth out some of the vintage variations caused by the marginal growing climate of Champagne, which is the most northerly winegrowing region in France. Most Champagne houses strive for a consistent house style from year to year (largely for reasons related to price-setting and successful marketing), and this is arguably one of the hardest tasks of the house winemaker.

The grapes to produce vintage Champagne must be 100% from the year indicated (some other wines in the EU need only be 85% to be called vintage, depending on their type and appellation). To maintain the quality of non-vintage Champagne a maximum of half the grapes harvested in one year can be used in the production of vintage Champagne ensuring at least 50%, though usually more, is reserved for non-vintage wines. Vintage Champagnes are the product of a single high-quality year, and bottles from prestigious makers can be rare and expensive.

Wine fault

Several wine faults can occur in sparkling wine production. Some that were present in early production methods include yeux de crapauds (toad's eyes) which was a condition of big, viscous bubbles that resulted from the wine spending too much time in wooden casks. Another fault could occur when the wine is exposed to bacteria or direct sunlight, leaving the wine with murky coloring and an oily

 Khan 

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Your Wine Dr.

Mer Soleil Santa Lucia Reserve with bold fruit sourced from Santa Lucia Highlands,Mer Soleil Chardonnay presents an ambitious, classic California Chardonnay - a rich, creamy style with big, ripe fruit that ranges from zesty citrus to succulent pineapple and toasted coconut (thanks to the heady, focused influence of French oak). The acidity is bright and engaging rounding out the creamy textures and spotlighting the fruit while making for exceptional food pairing partnerships. Well-balanced, well-priced, and perfect for pairing with lobster tail, crab cakes, or poultry picks served with cream or butter-based sauces, the 2010 Mer Soleil rocks out with remarkable symmetry and fine-tuned balance - another wine delight from the Wagner Family.

I personally love this Chard.

your Wine Dr.

KHAN

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WATERTABLE @ HYATT HB

Watch out Orange County some one going to knock on the doors of OC restaurant and on the door of foodie in orange county A new place called WATERTABLE is poised to take over soon the old Californian restaurant . The new restaurant will feature a Spanish-inspired menu, this means it will have small plates served in bar and called "Bar Jars," which are mason jars filled with "Oven-Cured Tomatoes with Sherry, Artichoke and Manchego Cheese Spread and Iberico and Spicy Tomato Jam." and many more.
Watertable will also have additional Spanish-influenced hot bar appetizers including "Charred Prawns in Romesco, Potato and Corn Empanadas and Lamb Meatballs with Mojo Verde."
On Sunday nights, WATERTABLE will feature a so-called "Meat + three" supper, "done California-style with Roasted Salmon as one of the protein options, served alongside roasted vegetables, cheddar sage biscuits and apple butter."
But depending on your point of view, it's the "signature water drinks" that are going to be either interesting "water drinks" this way: "water, hand-dipped from a free-flowing contemporary 'well' and infused with ever-changing herbs, spices and syrups."
Highly decorated Executive Master chef Mr.Manfred and his right hand Executive sous chef Mr. Perez working 24/7 tirelessly to bring a totally new menu concept to live
Hyatt higher management hand picked some of the top orange county restaurant pro. to kick start this new concept like GM Mr. Mario Selar and AGM Mr. Kevin Morales the restaurant will be having a Certified Sommelier/ certified wine specialist on the floor to assist the guest for their wine selection. the menu is incredibly innovative hand crafted cocktail , world wide selection of wine ( you buy two glass of wine and they will open any bottle from the menu ) live tapas style small kitchen in bar area to assist your needs right away and local brewery beer on tap.
Food menu is more Spanish inspired where you will feel like home.
i would definitely suggest you give a try once they open their door to welcome the guest in second or third week of april of the this mind blowing concept

Your Wine Dr. KHAN
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Dessert Wines

We get so much involve in other type of wine or get too much full eating all the delicious food and yummy wine but when it come to dessert wine we normally make a comments OH GOD i am too full :) but let me tell you one think start sipping some and then you will never use that comments again in your life. Dessert and wine—best of both worlds. The sweetness of dessert wine helps to "close" the palate after a meal, naturally leaving mouths open for more conversation and frivolity. In selecting a dessert wine to accompany your dessert, it is helpful to match the weight, colors and flavors of the wine to your dessert.

Late Harvest Wines:
Wines made from grapes picked toward the end of the harvest when they are very ripe. Such grapes have higher sugar content, particularly those with botrytis cinerea, a beloved, beneficial mold that shrivels the grape thereby concentrating its sugar. This translates to a sweet wine, a wine that is high in alcohol or a wine with both of these characteristics.
Flavor Intensity: Rich, Deep, Honeyed Serving Temperature: 51-61º F
Wines Late Harvest Semillon Late Harvest Muscat Late Harvest Riesling Late Harvest Muscat Canelli Sauternes	Classic Food Pairings Raspberry/Blueberry Tarte Baked Apples Fresh Pear Slices with Honey Veined Cheeses

PORT:
Port originates in the Douro Valley, Portugal (though it's named for Oporto, the city from which they're shipped). Originally crafted to ensure the draught lasted over long sea voyages, these sweet red wines have been fortified with a portion of brandy, giving them a higher alcohol content (20% average).
Port Suggested Serving Temperature: 62-65º F
Styles	Characteristics	Dessert Pairings
Ruby Port: a blend of wines aged in bulk for around 2-3 years and then bottled young, while still ruby red in color.	Sweet, fresh, fruity, unfussy. Meant to be imbibed immediately after bottling.	Gouda Cheese Blueberry Tarte Ultimate Berry Pie Chocolate Lava Cake
Tawny Port: A blend of wines aged in wood for 5-50 years, allowing the color to dissipate to an orange-amber (aka tawny) hue.	Slightly drier than Ruby, Tawny Port boast flavors reminiscent of caramel and brown sugar.	Blue Cheeses (Roquefort) Apple Blossoms Pecan Pie Fresh Peaches
Vintage Port: Made from the very best grapes of a single year, the wines are aged in wood for just two years, then in the bottle for at least 10. It's bottled unfiltered and should always be decanted prior to enjoyment.	Deep color, exquisite bouquet and fruity taste with hints of plum and blackberries. Full bodied with a long finish.	Raspberry Tarte Chocolate Lava Cake Dark Chocolate Blue Stilton Aged Cheddar Camembert

Dessert Wine Glass In general, Dessert wine glasses are smaller than a traditional wine glass, but with a curved/rounded bowl designed to emphasize the acidity of sweet wines and create balance.

Your Wine Dr. 

KHAN -CS,CSW,CSC

HOW TO STORE THE WINE

Many time i have been asked how to store the wine once they open it or when people buy new one , so put my all thought together most wines are not meant to be stored for long periods of time. However, some types of wine are meant to be stored and actually improve in quality as they age. Some have even been kept for over 100 years without going bad! However, most people do not know the fundamentals of storing wine properly, which results in a much shorter shelf life.

If you do plan on storing wine for a while, there are several things to keep in mind when finding a place to store your wine. Each can have a significant impact on the shelf life of your wine, and ignoring any of them can cause it to go bad quickly.

1. Light

Light is the number one destroyer of wine. Most modern glass bottles are made with materials that block most light rays. However, leaving the bottle in any kind of light can still break down the wine and leave it tasting like wet cardboard. This should be a concern for anyone bottling their own wine, as most bottles sold at home brew and home wine-making stores are cheap and will not block light.

2. Humidity

Store your bottles in a relatively moist area, preferably higher than 75 percent humidity. This will keep the cork from drying out, which exposes the liquid inside to the elements (this is bad). Obviously don't store it intoo moist of an area, or you will have mold.

3. Temperature

Colder temperatures will slow the aging of all wines. It's basic chemistry: lower temp=slower-moving molecules=slower chemical reaction! Since the aging of wine is a chemical reaction, the same principal applies! The generally agreed-upon temperature is around 55°F (13°C). Also, try to make sure that the temperature stays constant, and does not fluctuate.

4. Vibration

Wine should never be shaken, bumped, or vibrated. This greatly increases the rate of chemical breakdown. So, keep your bottles in an out of the way area where it will not be disturbed (not on the other side of the wall from your stereo system!).

Aside from these environmental factors, here are a few tips to keep your wine tasting great:


Always keep the bottles on their side. This will keep the corks moist.
Consider investing in a wine cellar or closet. These are engineered to provide your wine with the ideal storage conditions.
If you'd like to try a fun and useful project, try building a wine rack   . My page on how to build a wine rack has tips, step-by-step plans for free, a how-to video, and everything you need to get starting building a wine rack whether you are a beginner or a seasoned pro.

Lets's Read The Wine Bottle Label Today

Wine labels can be straight-forward or fairly tricky to decipher, depending on whose you're trying to read and where it's from. New World labels tend to be easier to read, with the varietal or blend clearly labeled, the producer, where the grapes were grown and the alcohol content right there in plain view. Old World wines have a reputation for being tougher to interpret. Instead of the varietal being the primary piece of information on the Old World label, it is the location - where the wine is from. Old World wines are heavily invested in their individual terroir, not necessarily the specific grape

1-    HOW TO READ A NEW WORLD WINE LABEL :-

New World wine labels are pretty user friendly, offering consumers a few key pieces of wine buying information. The varietal is listed on the label, making for less guesswork than many Old World labels. The producer, varietal, vintage year, region where grapes are grown, and alcohol content typically appear on the front label. The back label sports the government warning, "According to the Surgeon General..." and the sulfite statement along with some witty wine wisdom and pairing preferences for the particular wine.


2-    HOW TO READ AN ALSATIAN WINE LABEL :-
Alsatian wine labels tend to be easier on the New World consumer, as they are the one French wine region that habitually states the wine’s grape varietal directly on the front label. These labels are a good place to start easing into Old World label decoding, because they provide a "hybrid" of Old World and New World labeling strategies. The detective work is significantly reduced as consumers conquer the label offerings in record time, but easy label deciphering aside, the majority of Alsatian Rieslings need little help in convincing consumers to give them a go. Alsace has an international reputation for producing tip top Rieslings at consumer-friendly price points - this particular Lucien Albrecht Riesling is no exception.


3-    HOW TOREAD A FRENCH WINE LABEL ( BURGUNDY ) :-
This label is from Burgundy (right corner “Vin de Bourgogne,” meaning “Wine of Burgundy”). In Burgundy there are two wines to know: Red Burgundy (Pinot Noir) and White Burgundy (Chardonnay). This label represents a white wine from Burgundy, which we figure out from bottle and label clues. The bottle will have the sloped shoulder style that is typically found in white wines. Next, the appellation in Burgundy is Macon-Villages (known for white Burgundy wines, aka Chardonnay). The estate where the grapes are from is "Domaine Champ de Brulee." The wine's producer is Vincent and the bottling information is at the label's bottom. So, we know this wine is a Chardonnay from Burgundy produced by JJ Vincent in 2003 with an alcohol content of 12.5%.


4-    HOW TO READ A GERMAN WINE LABEL :-


The vast majority of German wines are Rieslings, and for good reason. Germany has been setting the traditional standard for the Riesling grape for centuries. The German wine label includes the basic information found on most other labels: producer, region, vintage, vineyard, varietal, and the like, but they throw a curve when the ripeness levels, sugar levels and quality classifications also grace the label. The quality classification starts off with the basic table wine, "Tafelwein" and proceeds to a level 5 designation of "Qualitätsweine mit Prädikat" (QmP) - translated to "Quality wine with attributes."


5-     HOW TO READ A ITALIAN WINE LABEL :-
For those that don't speak Italian, wine labels from Italy can be daunting, until you know a few essential label clues. The primary pieces of information that Italian wines want to communicate to you, their celebrated consumer, are the wine's: Name, Growing Region (There are 37 designated wine growing regions in Italy), Grape Type (Italy has over 2,000!), Estate and Producer Names, Alcohol Content, Vintage Year and Classification (Vdt, IGT, DOC, DOCG - government appellation designations related to volume, location and quality). If you can grab these key pieces of information off of an Italian wine label then you are good to go.

Yor Wine Dr.

Khan

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