Wine is one of the oldest known beverages and, nowadays, it directly rivals beer, soft drinks or other beverages with different characteristics but whose common denominator is to accompany our lunch or dinner. Learn more at how to choose a good wine can sometimes become an ordeal due to the number of options available.
If you are one of those people who enjoy good food, we imagine that you have already found the perfect selection of drinks for each of your dishes, and if you haven't done so yet, don't stop looking.
In this article we are going to focus on wine - “a form of life and bottled inspiration that has sown poetry in hearts throughout history” - and it is not surprising that tasting wine creations continues to be one of the main pleasures that accompany celebrations. Now that the celebrations are back, the toasts are also back and they are here to stay at Casino Alcalá.
How to choose a good wine in a restaurant
It is very common not to have the necessary experience or knowledge to choose the right wine for each occasion, or even to distinguish a good wine from a bad one. Don't worry, because we won't tell you which wine to choose, but we will give you some tips you can use to make the right decision.
What are you going to take it with?
To answer this you must first ask yourself the question, what am I going to order to eat? Once you have decided, the label on the bottle of wine will give you this information and pairing recommendation.
In any case, whether you come to taste our gastronomic proposals at letter or if you come explicitly to the menu of the day, Our team of waiters has been trained to recommend the best seasonal wines according to the experience you are looking for and always adapted to your tastes.
Our sommelier, Sergio Adán, will always adapt to your tastes without losing sight of the classics and will try to bring you closer to the new market trends. The first thing he will recommend you will be a small pairing with each of the chosen dishes so that the experience is complete, this can be done thanks to the “coravin” system - it allows us to serve glasses or half glasses without uncorking the bottle -.
Here are a couple of examples to give you an idea of what this experience is all about.
Selection of seasonal wines for our gastronomic proposal
Bluefin Tuna TartarWithout a doubt, this dish is best paired with a wine from Jeréz. Specifically, with a “Manzanilla en rama” from Antonio Barbadillo with Palomino grapes from the famous town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda. The reason for this union is due to the fact that their cellars are close to the sea, the sea breeze enters the cellars and brings salinity to their barrels. This way we enhance the flavour of the bluefin tuna, the explosion of flavour arrives from the first mouthful!
Foie Shavings with Pedro Ximénez and Apricot ReductionFor this dish we recommend a classic pairing with sweet wines. Specifically, the offer is a Malaga wine «Viña Axarkía Maestro» with Moscatel de Alejandría grapes from the village of Moclinejo. The idea of this duo is that, at the time of tasting the Foie, we get to clean the palate with the sweetness of this wine, that fatty touch that leaves and thus give way to another bite more.
The secrets of a good wine
Designation of Origin
In Spain there are around 70 Denominations of Origin, also known as quality seals, including D.O. Rioja, D.O. Ribera del Duero, among others.
In the Casino Alcalá winery, We have more than 80 references in constant change and a wide range of both national and international wines - Chardonnays from Chile, Malbecs from Argentina, and even wines with almost forgotten grapes such as Can Sumoi and its Sumoll grape - .
Type of grape
The grape variety in Spain is considerably wide, although most of it is French in tone; tempranillo, mencía, albariño, malvasía, merlot, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, monastrell..., all of them references included in Casino Restaurant, The main reason for this is that Spain, France and Italy are the main producers.
As far as the harvesting and bottling process is concerned, each winemaker has his or her own manual. What is clear is that it is a daily and essential task that involves checking and anticipating water, temperature and sun as the vineyard's foodstuffs.
To be sure, to know how to choose a good wine, you can always consult the weather conditions of the harvest year to know if it was a good or a bad year, which would affect the quality of the wine.
Maturation time
After bottling, the wine will finish developing in your bottle, thus gaining nuances and creating the classification: young, semi-crianza, crianza, reserva or gran reserva. But how to choose a good wine in the same category?
There is one factor that affects the quality of the wine and the time of conservation and maturation: the size of the bottle. According to experts, the best size for prolonged ageing is the magnum (150 cl), as the wine volume/oxygen ratio of this type of wine will ensure the best condition of the wine.
Only the best wines from each winery make it to the magnum format, so they are synonymous with guaranteed quality.
Graduation
The alcohol level directly affects the body of the wine. The lower the alcohol content (10º or 12º), the lower the body and intensity of the wine; and if you are looking for a fuller-bodied wine, you should look for wines around 14.5º.
Trial and error
In the end, a good wine is discovered by tasting several. Take a medium sip, hold it in your mouth as if you were chewing and then swallow.
This process, despite seeming like mere theatre to make you look like an expert, gives your brain time to realise what your tongue is tasting and to be able to decide whether you like it or not. In this way, it will gradually become easier for you to know how to choose a good wine in restaurants.
From Casino Alcalá we encourage you to try an infinite number of wines, do not settle for just one type. Enjoy this ritual so special for the senses and the context that accompanies it, how a celebration with friends, work colleagues or with your partner, any moment is special if you value it with a glass of wine in your hand.
It is time for you to enjoy our best wines together with our gastronomic offer and to get to know the wine whose aroma and joy will make you come back another day.
We are waiting for you!