WineInk: Wine intimidation

It happened to me recently in a New York City restaurant. I was interested in ordering a bottle of wine to go with a wood-fired pizza and chose a California Zinfandel instead of the pricy Barolo that the sommelier had suggested. The somm copped an attitude and shook his head with an obvious disdain for my selection. “That’s not what I would drink,” he said when I asked him what his problem was. “The Barolo pairs really well but you can drink … whatever.” I certainly can. It was an attempt at wine intimidation, and the comments were unappreciated. It cost the somm a tip as well. But the bright side was that the incident reminded me of a column from the past where I discussed some of the intimidation that people can feel when it comes to the culture of wine. Here is what I wrote in that WineInk: Do you know your Txakoli from your Albariño? Or how about what malolactic fermentation or carbonic maceration are? Do you know what grape grows best in Central Otago and Rio Negro?

This excerpt comes from the named source. Read the original for the full reporting.