Why Attend A Wine Tasting? For non drinkers, caterers and customers, event organizers.

 

Why would you attend a wine tasting? Would you bother to go to one if you are an amateur or don't drink? What is the protocol?

Wine Tasting For Non Drinkers

You might attend a wine tasting if you run a restaurant, or work in a restaurant, shop, hotel, supermarket or other business selling wines. 

Identifying No Alcohol

You need to know about alcohol levels to identify the difference between no alcohol for drivers and people working with machinery. Low alcohol is not the same as no alcohol. 

Alcohol In Food

Alcohol is also used as a preservative in food such as Christmas pudding. This is traditionally made weeks or even months ahead. 

Red wine is used in Coq au vin and some casseroles. 

White wine is sometimes used in risottos and white fish sauces. 

Madeira is used in madeira sauce for meat dishes.

Vinegar

You might learn about vinegar, which is made when one particular bacteria converts wine into acetic acid. 

Some vinegars are made by malting. What does malting mean?  Grains allowed to sprout, as in malt whisky, converting starch into sugar. The best vinegars are from wine.

Alcohol Prices

You want to know about prices, so you can use cheaper alcohol in cooking and not waste expensive alcohol. When buying a gift, you might need to know about drinks you do not drink.

Protecting Your Health

As a teenager at college, having had no alcohol at home, with parents who drank little, I had no idea that fortified wines such as sherry served without food, would get me drunk quickly. Looking back, I am alarmed that I was in danger crossing roads drunk as a pedestrian, or as a young driver. 

I want to be aware that spirits are stronger. Also, how much is in each glass, to watch calories as well as alcohol content.

Nowadays, with cameras in streets everywhere, you want to be sure customers are not in danger. Not getting drunk themselves. Not in danger from other customers. And not getting drunk and aggressive and endangering others.

Reading Bottle Labels

It is helpful to read bottle labels. English bottle labels. French labels. German labels. Spanish. Italian. Portuguese. Japanese - sake, plum wine.

You want to know why a restaurant is charging more for one wine than another. How to compare prices online to see the restaurant markup. 

When ordering large quantities for a Christmas party, birthday, anniversary, or wedding, it helps to know the amounts to order and the cost. 

If you don't like wine, or only some wine, it helps to know which wines contain tannin which give you a headache. 

Identify Sweet and Dry

Which wines are sweeter. Which are dry? What to buy or serve yourself and others. 

Avoiding Alcohol

You might want to know whether alcohol in food gets you drunk or is perfectly safe. Who likes which alcohol?

What should you provide at a party? 

General Knowledge  Updated

What is orange wine? 

Import regulations

If you are bringing back wine as souvenirs or gifts for others, how much wine is it legal to bring in? 

Knowing The Law

In which countries or states is it illegal to have opened wine on public transport, or in a car, or off the premises. 

Where can you buy wine? Which countries ban alcohol? What if you are in transit on a plane or car? 

Even online. Even if you do not visit another country where alcohol is banned or unpopular, but are a long distance consultant, your job interview on Zoom will go better, or you will feel more confident, if you do not have bottles of open or unopened alcohol in the room behind you.

Wine Tasting Protocol

Perfume Is Not Popular

You should not wear strong perfumes or aftershave to a winetasting. Why? Because people are sniffing drinks to identify and describe the aroma. Strong perfumes interfere with other people's ability to detect aromas. This will apply to one day courses and exams as well as tastings.

Polite Listening

A wine tasting may include a lot of technical terms and facts. When a speaker is describing wines, or the other participants are giving their feedback publicly, those attending should not start private conversations with those seated alongside. If you are organizing, you may need to take action to prevent or stop noise. For example, tap a glass for silence, stand up and project your voice, wait for silence, use a microphone. Ask the audience, can you hear me. People who ae inebriated may lose inhibitions and talk loudly. 

Also beware of noise from people in doorways, or outside the doors and windows, or nearby at exhibitions, fairs and events. Passers-by to other events may not realise they are disturbing you. You may need to shut windows. and doors. Or turn off air conditioning, fans. Ask the venue to make the canned music quieter. 

Tell the adjacent stalls at an exhibition which times your or your guests are speaking. Conversely, let them know when, before or after your event, it is okay for them to play music and shout to their audience and passers-by.

Organizing Events

It is helpful to know about:

hire of glasses. Who gives loans or gives glasses free? Who sells glasses. Which glasses are unbreakable. What insurance do you need? What licensing permits are needed? Which venues, such as churches and temples and their rooms for hire will ban alcohol? 

Preparing For Non Drinking People, Locations and Events

When are drinks banned or expected? Some religions ban alcohol. Others allow drinking in moderation. Others have celebrations where a glass of wine is expected. What should you provide for children and non drinkers?

Glasses and Decanters

Even if you are not interested in wine, you might be interested in the use and value of antique and modern decanters. And selling or buying drinking glasses. Unbreakable glassware for serving soft drinks. Unbreakable glassware or lookalikes for bars near swimming pools. How to clean a decanter. 

Gifts 

Visiting large wine venues and shops may provide gifts for people who drink wine and don't. You might see books. Aprons and tea towels. Bottle openers. Discount vouchers. Hampers. 

Other Food and Drink

Water. Jams. Olive oils.

Networking

You might meet people in other businesses. 

The local tourist board, to help you plan a holiday. 

Rich investors, who can advise you on investing, on your business or theirs, or travel, or life in general. 

People who are accompanying their spouse or boss and actually prefer whisky, beer, non-alcoholic drinks, food.

The organizers, may be able to recommend  local restaurants and advise on visitor attractions.

The PR company for this event might invite you to other food and wine exhibitions, restaurant openings, or national events.

What Is Free?

A free tasting is free. Although you might feel obliged or happy to buy something in a shop or at the venue.

Free tastings often take place alongside the month's promotion of wine and food.

Tastings often end with discounts on wines or products at the venue. Sometimes you get a free large or small sample, useful leaflets, an opportunity to buy a signed book, or a free goodie bag to take home with information and gifts for yourself or a friend or colleague.

You can buy a wine tasting as a surprise or novelty for family and friends, as a gift for a birthday.

What's For Non Drinkers And Children?

Occasionally you will find other events or exhibitions alongside. For example, in the Canary islands, the large wine museum centre had a room on the architecture of the building and the history of the area. Another exhibition was about bees and honey.

The Wow wine theme park in Portugal had provision for children with non alcoholic drinks and cartoon character glasses.

Two wine museums in Spain and Portugal had aroma exhibits, with the aromas or different herbs and other ingredients. Their shops sold

Wine museums often sell tee-shirts and caps advertising the local winery and/or the local area.

Wine And Food

Wine tastings for the trade sometimes have only wine to taste and spit into a spitoon. Other events have water. Some have savoury water biscuits. Others have national food alongside, or a buffet afterwards, or canapes. You might get invited back to a Christmas, end of year, national day, or summer party with food.

If the event is at a restaurant, you might wish to stay on later, paying for a meal, if that is an option. 

Some organizations served food with wine or spirits. Two which I know about in England are a food and wine club in London and a whisky dinner group in Pinner in north west London.

The Wine Society

The Wine Society in Stevenage has a programme of lunches and dinner with matched wines, not all in Stevenage, some in London and elsewhere.  If you join the society, just £40 for life, no further annual fee, you can buy from their huge premises in person or online and get invited to events.

Many wine shops and warehouses hold regular events.

Useful Websites

Free wine tasting forms you can print, save or photograph

https://www.delongwine.com/products/wine-tasting-note-form

Sign up to get this form

https://www.bbcmaestro.com/free-wine-tasting-template

Wine Tasting Descriptors

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine_tasting_descriptors

Wine Events

https://www.thewinesociety.com/buy/tastings-and-events/

Central London Wine Society

On Meetup 

Majestic

https://www.majestic.co.uk/events

Information

https://www.wine-tastings-guide.com/

Virundhu Restaurant, Eastcote, serving Sri Lankan Food

After trying Sri Lankan food at Pradha in South Harrow, I was interested in trying other Sri Lankan restaurants. My family found Virundhu in Eastcote. The restaurant's name is Tamil for feast.

I went on their website and saw they had lassi. Not just mango lassi. Rose lassi. Carrot drink.

I had found a restaurant I must try. You can sit indoors, or outdoors on the pavement.

Did they have Prosecco? Yes, at £9 for 20 cl. That would be for me, if I had not seen the lassi. Rose lassi.

Maybe both.

On arrival we asked for water, just plain tap water. It was served from attractive copper coloured jug.

The table lights were mechanical, not candles. Good. I think candles are dangerous and a nuisance because every now and then they set fire to something small like a table napkin. I prefer everything clean.  So far, the restaurant has several plus points. To read the menu, we were a foursome, we took a second light from another table.

I also liked the strings of flags.

Rose Lassi

The rose lassi was thick. Served in a copper colour metal container, with a thin straw. 

The Food

Starter Hopper

I ordered a hopper with egg. That was a novelty for all of us. Within the bowl an edible bowl made of crispy rice for the central egg which looked like poached egg. A contrast in textures. Soft boiled egg with a crispy outside.

My main course choices were 

chicken, 

potatoes.

 And a rice item. A thick white disc 

Two members of staff  asked if the food was okay. We all smiled and nodded. Although, my husband said we didn't have much in the way of vegetables. I found the chicken and potatoes too spicey and didn't want to fill up on rice to counteract the spiciness. Next time I shall order at least one vegetable dish. And ask for a less spicy option.

Desserts

Only two of the desserts were available.  In any case we were full. We wanted the leftovers wrapped up to go. This was done efficiently and promptly.

With the bill came a small glass of ginger tea, on the house. I really liked the ginger tea. Sweet, satisfying, refreshing, lovely ginger flavour.

As Shakespeare said in the title of is play, all's well that ends well

Website for Virundhu Restaurant Menu 

https://virundhurestaurant.com/DrinksMenu.pdf

https://virundhurestaurant.com/pdf/dessert-menu

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German words

 

German and English Words spelled the same

German - English

Kiosk - kiosk (Note that the German noun has a capital letter.)

German and English Words containing similar letters

German - English

Kanzler - chancellor (both words include the letters an, l, r

Mantel - mantel / coat

nacht - night (starts with n and ends with ht)

morgen - morning (Both words start with the three letters mor, and later g and n, although German has the g before the n, whilst English has the n before the g)

richtig - right ( Both words start with ri and include ht  - and a g)

Text - text

wann - when (Both start with w and end with n.)

warte - wait (Both start with wa and include the letter t.)

Useful resources for learning German

duolingo.com

https://wikitravel.org/en/German_phrasebook

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Canary Islands' Congenial Places - Vineyard Visits, Winery Restaurants, and Shopping & Hotels In Tenerife and La Palma

Lovely Little La Palma

La Palma is the little island with active volcano videos. The environment offers all kinds of excitement, both for the active and those who prefer to watch from a distance.

My husband and I were joining our annual hiking holiday group. Our destination was La Palma, where you can go hiking and see recordings of the most recently active volcano, lasting 85 days in 2021. A  great museum about volcanoes shows videos taken every day during the last months-long overflowing of red hot lava.

However, from London our most convenient and affordable international flights were from Stansted into Tenerife where we stayed before and afterwards, catching a ferry to and from little La Palma with the car we had hired on Tenerife. 

La Palma Hotels

The Parador

A remote inland hotel is a parador hotel, part of the popular parador network established by the government to promote regional culture, food and tourism. This parador has an outdoor pool open to residents in the daytime and a beautiful botanical garden. 

The hotel will give you a picnic lunch if you tell them you are leaving before breakfast for a ferry or hike. 

La Palma Vinery Visits

Bodegas Teneguia, La Palma

A large co-operative, with a huge courtyard entrance, but friendly like a family business. You look down on the working area below.

Malvasia Grape

Book and buy the package of the tour of the vineyard and learn about Malvasia, which was the sweet wine exported to England in William Shakespeare's time and praised in his plays featuring King Henry, Falstaff and the lady of the night who gets drunk on the wine. (You can find online on Youtube a video of the Royal Shakespeare Company performing this.)  

La Palma is a great outdoors place with challenging hikes in the strong Westerly winds. Our group hiked down to the lighthouse, but the wind was so strong trying to walk back up that my husband, Trevor, had to hitch a lift from a passing car, and could hardly hold the door open against the wind to get in the vehiclej .

Museum

But for non hikers see that fantastic museum on the recent volcanic eruption. Afterwards we drove to the nearby village for a light lunch in a small cafe.

***

TERRIFIC TENERIFE And Mount Teide

Tenerife is larger. It has two airports, north and south. We flew to the north airport from Stansted.

Tenerife - large island with Mount Teide, massive triangular mountain, more or less in the middle but you seem to see it from everywhere. A cable car takes you to the top if you are prepared to pay the price. 

Tenerife Hotels

The Parador - Parador Las Canadas Del Tiede

The 3 star parador hotel is isolated at the base with a secured car park for overnight residents, because the public parks are notorious for the thefts of belongings in cars and even the parts of the car such as the tyres. Next door to the parador is a shop and cafeteria. 

The hotel helpfully gives you a picnic lunch if you tell them you are leaving before breakfast for a ferry or hike.  (I didn't want ham, or any processed meat, nor pork. The parador had offered fish and when I said I was allergic to shellfish I was offered chicken, and smoked salmon, which was lovely, and I took one of each. Great service.)

The indoor pool in a side building closes early, and you have to take your towel back to the hotel's reception. For security most of the outer doors are locked, so I ended carrying a heavy wet towel, plus my costume and bag, up and down stairs and around long corridors. A whole nuisance.

The Melia Hotel

The group has more than one Melia hotel on Tenerife. The one we stayed at was near the beach, on the seafront.

It has an outdoor pool. We were given a voucher for the spa, for a 45 minute session in the pools with water jets. Very nice. Any longer would have cost a fee. You don't get a voucher per day, but once per person as an introduction to the spa. We were out and about so much no time to use it more.

We paid for an upgrade, for a seaview room and use of the Level, a ground floor private dining area. Less food than the buffet in the main room, but cooked breakfast main dish option, and longer hours so you could eat or snack earlier or later. With help yourself to a glass or two of free sparkling wine for lunch and dinner as well as breakfast.

The Gran Hotel Taoro 

A big hotel, which we stayed at because my husband was invited to a conference, The Island Wines Summit.

Swimming pool with sloping entrance for wheelchairs and those who don't like vertical ladders into pools. 

Inconveniently, the courtyard entrance is completely pedestrianised, so many people in a hurry end up dragging their own suitcases on wheel to the front entrance from the open gate entrance with the staff who check you in and out.

The packed breakfast was satisfactory. But we had to choose between pork and vegetarian.

Vineyard Visits

The bigger island of Tenerife has five wine areas, each having different soil - colour and consistency, climate - sun and wind, height, grapes and grape blends and so important and distinctive that it has its own protected name of origin. 

Big Free Museum

Casa Del Vino

The name means house of wine. Lots to see for free. Exhibits about the old farm building, growing and bottling wines. And a honey museum. So, something for all the family.

There's also a restaurant in one corner of the quadrangle, under separate management, with an indoor area beside an attractive outdoor terrace. 

You will probably be tempted to pay for a wine tasting which includes food, at the entrance to a shop selling wines. They offer a kiddie tasting option.

Useful Websites For Tenerife and La Palma

Parador Hotels

www.parador.es

https://paradores.es/en/parador-de-la-palma

Museum & Tasting

www.casadelvinotenerife.com

Post being written. Come back later for more.

On my Italy Wishlist: Alberobello Trulli

1 In the north, the Prosecco area.

Description	English: "Trulli" in Alberobello Deutsch: "Trulli" in Alberobello
Date	9 December 2006 (original upload date)
Source	Own work by the author. Download from Wikitravel
Author	Niels Elgaard Larsen - User: (WT-shared) Elgaard at wts wikivoyage

2 In the south, towards the heel of Italy, Alberobello, Province of Bari, Puglia, Italy

Alberobello means beautiful tree. The adjective comes second, after the noun, in Italian like in Spanish and French.

Must see

Museo del Territorio 'Casa Pezzolla', Alberobello, Province of Bari, Puglia, Italy .

Also visit The White Town.

Useful Websites About Trulli and Alberobello

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Alberobello

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Apulia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberobello

Hotels

https://www.booking.com/hotel/it/trulli-holiday

https://hand-picked-hotels.com/alberobello

Useful Websites

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g580227-d242628-Reviews-Museo_del_Territorio_Casa_Pezzolla-Alberobello_Province_of_Bari_Puglia.html

Walking Tour about £6 or £11, which does not include entrance to the museum and two more trulli.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/AttractionProductReview-g580227-d32704213-Alberobello_Walking_Tour_with_Audio_and_Written_Guide_by_a_Local

The Packhorse Pub. Near Reading - the name, surroundings, service and cooking by Angela Lansbury

 
Inside is a picture of the packhorse.

Delightful Decor

Decor

As you can see, pictures, pictures, everywhere. You'll never be short of things to look at and talk about.

I commented to a member of staff on the number of pictures. He said, 'Two of the pictures are upside down. It's deliberate. It's like that in all the group pubs. We have about 80 all over the country.'

Service

The staff were friendly, chatty, smiley and helpful. Easy to catch their eye and wave to them when we were ready to order.  They didn't rush us out. That is the advantage of a country pub - as opposed to a small city centre place where there's a crush and rush on seating and parking space.

They did not ask us if everything was all right.  So I did not have the courage to tell them I did not like the batter on my fish, which was too crisp. I would have preferred a batter softer, more like a thin pancake. I fantasied that f I had been a regular, I might have gone into the kitchen, seen if fish was heated in n oven or grill or frying pan, and told them exactly at what point they should lift it out and said, I'll come here every Friday if you can cook it the way I like it. Restaurants do steak the way you like it. 

Strangely, I had the opposite problem with the crumble dessert. Undercooked. No texture to the crumble which was not crumbled on top but a smooth uncooked paste. Yes, the same as steaks, the customer's preference should apply to batter. 

Is it just me? I had the same view of the masala dosai at Praba restaurant later the same day that it should have been cooked the way I like it. Cooked too much. Crispy and crackly instead of soft like a pancake.

Four things I like to know. Where to sit. They were good at that. The sign at the door tells you. Staff behind the bar tell you. They offer to show you to the table. One separate nook of alcove tables in a middle room between the bar and restaurant is the dog friendly area. 

Toilets

The toilets were lovely. I tried both the spacious handicapped toilet which was spotlessly clean and welcoming, and the ladies' room. Flowers. Colours. Clean. Accessible bin for hand towels. Plenty of visible spare toilet rolls so they don't run out.

Interesting

Seating Choice

Choice of indoor, in three indoor areas, the bar area, the main restaurant with windows, the more enclosed area, the two large alcove dog-friendly tables. Plus seating at the front where you can sit to hail your friends if you arrive first. The large garden at the back. Plenty of seating. No need to worry about booking, except for events and co-ordinating with friends. However, you can make an automated booking online.

Events

They organize country walks, and one off events such as the Sausage day, and Spanish food and music.

Meal Tickets

Our bill came with small address card size pieces of paper marked meal ticket. I thought they were address cards and took only one.

It had small white print on grey and a QR code. You might need reading glasses, and to take time to check what it says.

Later I discovered it was a discount voucher. I presume you received one person per meal. You needed six of them for a discount, and they were valid until November, four months away.

So, and if you had six of them, which would have been from two more meals for a couple, or more. But we are unlikely to go back to this area. Are they valid also in London, where other restaurants in this group can be found?

Prices

Pricier than a Wetherspoons, but less than the top Michelin restaurants in the area. 

Regulars come here because it is nearby and convenient with parking.

Useful Websites

www.packhorsepub.co.uk

https://www.brunningandprice.co.uk/packhorse/menus/sunday-menu/

Return to Praba Sri Lankan Restaurant

 On my second visit to Praba, the Sri Lankan restaurant near South Harrow Station, they were able to provide me with a mango lassi. Thirst quenching and cold.

Also milk is a source of calcium, so I like to think it is good for me, helping with osteoporosis.

Again, I ordered masala dosai.

This time the pancake was cooked crispier. Still okay.

We wanted the bill split. They wanted to charge each of us extra if we paid with four credit cards. We spent a long time discussing this with the waiter. At first we were disconcerted and unhappy. This seemed a whole palaver.

But after we had eaten, our mood changed.

Finally, one of the four of us decided he was happy to pay for all on his one card, because he got cashback with Chase Bank.

So we other three all did a bank transfer to our friend. Not next day, but immediately. Much simpler. Easier to check the bill in front of you. Be sure the cash had been transferred. Job done.

There are terms and conditions you must apply to be eligible for the UK Chase deal.

Useful Websites

https://www.chase.co.uk/gb/en/support/where-can-i-earn-cashback/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chase_Bank

See my previous post on this restaurant. Please share links to your previous posts.