10 Myths about Wine

Wine has been enjoyed through the ages of time by so many people around the world. However, there are so many different myths about wine whether it is the way it’s packaged to the foods you should eat with it. 

7 Most Expensive Alcoholic Drinks in the World

Download BOTY and share your favorite wine. Here are several myths about wine I will attempt to debunk.

1. All wines are better with age.

If you keep a bottle of wine in your pantry thinking it will be better if you save it for several years, you may ruin a perfectly good bottle of wine. There is a majority of wine to drink within the first year or two. Actually about 90% of wines are made to drink right away.

2. Always serve red wine with meat and white wine with fish.

While it’s true that red wine typically tastes good with meat and white wine is lovely to pair with fish, there is a wide variety of foods and meats that work well with these types of wine. Tuna or even salmon go excellent with some red wines. White wine that is fruity or distinguished could pair nicely with a slab of beef. So you really need to have a better understanding of food pairings before making wide assumptions.

3. Expensive wines always taste better.

This may be true of a lot of wine. But a lot more goes into the price such as the location, quantities, exclusiveness, celebrity ratings and a whole slew of other reasons. If you don’t believe me, go to your local liquor store and see which wines are flying off of the shelf.

4. The bigger the wine better the wine will taste.

It is true the bigger the bottle the more you have to drink. However, this is just ridiculous to think the bigger the wine, the better the taste. There are plenty of wine that come in big bottles that taste terrible. The size of the bottle doesn’t make wine taste any better.

5. Aged-worthy wines are always sealed with a cork.

There are amazing wines that have aged beautifully with a screw top cap. Some age better than some that are corked. Don’t let the old myth that ‘corked wine is more prestigious’ stop you from trying some wines that are not corked. You may miss out on some screw top wines.

6. Boxed wine is inferior and cheap.

While boxed wine may be inexpensive, it does not mean all boxed wines are bad. Box wine is portable, convenient and many of them taste really good. So don’t judge a wine by it’s box.

7. Small, private wineries make the most prestigious and noteworthy wine.

While there are many small and private wineries that make exceptional wines, don’t rule out wines from big corporations. Big corporations have a lot of money and people working for them to perfect the taste of the wine. If you let yourself be this close-minded about wine makers, you will miss out on some truly wonderful varietals and blended wines.

8.  Blended wines are not as good as wines made with one type of grape.

It is very true that many wines with only one type of grape in them can be labelled as authentic and prestigious. However, there are several wineries who do blend their grapes and pass the wine off to even the most professional wine tasters as varietal, or single grape wines. Labels can fool you. Not only that, there are so many delicious types of blended wines. You can’t just assume all blended wines can’t get amazing ratings.

9. Red wine should be served at room temperature while white wine should ice cold.

Red wine at room temperature can speed up the aging process and ruin the taste of the wine while no wine, including white wine should really be served ice cold. Ice cold wine can change the chemistry of the wine and change the taste. So there you go. You should keep your wine at the recommended temperature that you would store it at.

10. You should always let your wine breathe before drinking.

For some wines this may be quite true but not all wines need to breathe. Not only that, just uncorking a wine bottle will not give a bottle of wine enough are to breathe. The best way to aerate wine is by putting it into a decanter.

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7 Most Expensive Alcoholic Drinks in the World

Billie Raucci, Contributor

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How the Bar is Like the Church

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How to Deal with Rude Regulars

We all have ‘em. Those customers you wish would be a little less…present. Why is it often the most annoying, rude, or just downright weird patrons who seem to keep showing up day after day? From the ones who feel the need to draw on your chalkboard to the creepy old guys making you feel gross; bartenders have seen it all. Here we’ve tried to compile a few helpful tips for dealing with terrible regulars.

 

It’s Time to Stop Serving Drinks

Get Busy

With side work of course! Now, just because someone is a little dull doesn’t mean you should ignore them. But, if a customer is creepy, rude, or makes you uncomfortable, find some bottles to wipe at the other end of the bar. Of course, if anyone crosses the line from ‘annoying customer’ into actual harassment, throw them the hell out.

 

Don’t Give Them Any Buybacks 

If you want to discourage someone from coming in every day, don’t buy them anything. Regulars are regulars partially because they get a good deal at the bar. Well, once that well dries up you may be seeing less of them. Obviously, only reserve this for the truly heinous since it affects your fellow staff.

 

Be Direct 

Of course you could always take the less passive aggressive route and just call them out on their s**t. Be polite but direct. Try something like, “If you continue to speak to me in that way you won’t be welcome here.” Enlist a co-worker to back you up if necessary.

 

Get a Manager 

If someone is rude, harasses you, or makes you physically uncomfortable you shouldn’t have to serve them. Go to a higher up if you’re unsure of how to proceed. It is the job of management and owners to ensure that you have a safe workplace environment.

 

Be Safe 

Don’t antagonize someone who is likely to be violent or seems volatile. Leave the space immediately and call the police if someone is truly threatening you or endangering your co-workers or patrons. Don’t be a hero.

You do not have to deal with workplace harassment from customers or staff. If someone’s annoying behavior crosses the line, alert your superior and look up local workplace harassment policies.

How to Deal with the One Horrible Coworker

Allison DelVecchio, Contributor

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Tips To Running A Successful Brewery

Everyone loves a great brewery. However, breweries are a lot of work and many people don’t understand the work that goes into running one. If you want to run a successful brewery or even work at one you need to check out these tips.

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Tip 1: You Have To Love Beer

This is serious. You have to love beer, the smell of it, the taste of it and even the thought of wearing it when accidents happen. A brewery is all about the beer and without it you have no business. So you really do have to have a love for craft beers in order to run a successful brewery. If the smell of beer is disgusting to you, you might want to think about another career choice.

Tip 2: Cleanliness Is Next to Godliness

Using the right chemicals to clean with is essential for the fermentation process. Cleaning the kettles, the machines and the floors is a daily process that needs a checklist schedule in order to make sure you are not harming the fermentation process. Making beer is a sanitary process with the no room for mistakes. You have to love to clean and even be a little bit OCD to work at a brewery.

Tip 3: The Fermentation Process Is A 24/7 Job

Fermentation is the process which gives the beer both its alcohol content and its carbonation.

To begin the fermentation process, the cooled wort is transferred into a fermentation vessel to which the yeast has already been added. Since fermentation produces a substantial amount of heat, the tanks must be cooled constantly to maintain the proper temperature.

You better love to work, because running a brewery is a constant job. You will work long hours. If you don’t own the brewery expect to work long hours for little pay. If you do own the brewery expect to work long hours and do a lot of paperwork. Don’t get me wrong, running a brewery can be rewarding, however, it is a lot of work.

 

Tip 4: You Have To Be A Good Handyman

Breweries have machines that are typically in harsh conditions from crazy temperatures to being ridiculously wet all the time. Small motors like to break frequently. You either have to know how to repair the machines or you have to have an affordable mechanic on the payroll. Either way you have to know that your machines will take a beating.

Tip 5: Quality Beer Is Key

The one thing you can’t do when running a brewery is cut corners. High quality beer made from good products is essential. Also, tasting the beer for quality is important.

If you are trying to make cheap tasting beer might as well put it in a can, box it up and call it domestic beer. Customers frequent breweries for the real deal.

Tip 6: People Love To Drink And Are Always Thirsty

A big mistake that many first time owners make is that they underestimate the need that customers want to drink at the brewery. So when they build their brewery they get smaller kettles and run out of beer faster. Be sure you are well stocked up on product and when you or your boss decides to purchase a new kettle make sure it will be big enough to serve your customers.

Tip 7: Branding Your Product Is Essential

Lastly, branding your product in a way that people will remember it is essential for sales and to bring customers in. So when it comes to design, don’t go cheap. Find someone who can create a good logo for you. If you don’t own the bar this may not apply to you. But selling the product and the brand is. So, make sure you are behind the product and can really sell it.

Why is a Social Drinker So Much Fun?

Billie Raucci, Contributor

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