Demystifying Wine Jargon: How to Confidently Communicate with Sommeliers for an Enhanced Wine Experience Chris Lehoux, May 29, 2024 For many adults, even those who are typically self-assured, the arrival of a sommelier at the dinner table can incite feelings of vulnerability and self-doubt, all over something as seemingly trivial as choosing a wine. Whether you’re a regular wine drinker or whether you reserve it for special occasions, sommeliers and wine retailers can be your greatest allies in navigating the world of wine. These professionals have dedicated years to studying and understanding wines so they can help you decode intricate menus and bottle labels and assist you in finding the perfect pinot noir or the ideal pairing for an unusual dish. However, despite this, many of us feel on edge when a sommelier approaches with a list of wines and a series of friendly inquiries. Likewise, how often do we steer clear of engaging with the knowledgeable retailer, even though we could benefit enormously from their assistance? Torrence O’Haire, the beverage director at Gage Hospitality Group, which manages establishments such as The Gage and Acanto close to Millenium Park, suggests that angst related to wine derives from its potential for causing social blunders. The fear that making a wrong selection or consuming a wine inappropriately might lead to public embarrassment is pervasive. He noted, “Guests frequently avoid conversing with a sommelier because they fear being made to feel ignorant, or being chastised for not spending enough.” Wine professionals understand the unease that many people feel when discussing wine. They are more than willing to help alleviate this stress, if you’d only approach them. The first rule, as O’Haire suggests, is to find a wine expert with whom you feel comfortable. Not every café or liquor store has a knowledgeable wine staff, but if you’re curious regarding wines, choose restaurants and liquor stores where the staff are eager to build rapport with you. As per O’Haire, “If they can’t make you feel at ease enough to engage, you’d better find another place.” It’s crucial for your sommelier or wine retailer that you set clear limitations. The most important factor is your budget for the wine. This is unequivocally the best method for a wine expert to identify what to offer you. There can be a slight embarrassment while mentioning a budget in front of your date or a colleague. But O’Haire advises that whether you want to point at a price tag or state it out loud, “buyers should have no qualms about sharing their budget with their sommelier. Irrespective of whether you’re spending $40 or $400, a wine professional’s job is to ensure you feel excited and well-taken care of.” If you often get confused when trying to understand a sommelier or any wine expert, then you’re not alone. The vocabulary related to wine is filled with complex terms and there is a huge difference in how consumers and wine professionals talk about wine. The trouble arises from both sides. “We, as wine professionals are so submerged into the wine vocabulary, we often slip and use terms or mention areas or grapes that are totally foreign to most individuals,” asserts George Day-Toles, a sommelier and the manager for beverage and education at Verve Wine, a wine shop situated in Lincoln Park. “Sometimes, while at home, my partner prompts me to explain the wine in simple terms as if he were a child of four,” he laughs. “We are, however, jointly striving to make wine more accessible and less intimidating, particularly in here, in Chicago,” says Day-Toles. “We aim to build a connection where our guests feel that we understand what they’re saying instead of just aggressively promoting our items to them.” Consumers blur the lines by incorrectly using many fundamental wine terms. The difference between a wine being dry or sweet is a constant source of confusion among wine lovers. In technical terms, a dry wine is one where no sweetness can be perceived because little to no residual sugar remains after fermentation. On the opposite side, a sweet wine tastes sugary because it does have leftover sugar. Wine enthusiasts often misuse the term “dry” when describing their experiences that are unrelated to sugar content – they may be referring to the absence of fruitiness or the astringency of tannins, the bitter substances in grapes or wood that give wine its texture and tartness. Many individuals mistakenly link the fruitiness in wine to sweetness, assuming that flavors such as cherry, mango, or grapefruit indicate sugar, even if there is none. In reality, many wines that we perceive to have prominent fruity tastes, such as sauvignon blanc or pinot noir, are entirely dry. “When a customer requests a sweet wine, I consistently need to clarify, ‘do you specifically want a sugary wine with residual sugar, or are you searching for something that’s more fruity and juicy?'” Day-Toles queried. The descriptor “smooth” is commonly misunderstood and can be more confusing than beneficial due to its subjective nature. At times, it may denote the general texture of a wine, suggesting lower acidity or softer tannins. However, consumers often use “smooth” to describe everything from the presence of residual sugar to a lack of carbonation. In some instances, describing a wine as smooth may suggest a lack of character or even blandness. “It’s fine if that’s what they really want,” O’Haire said, but there are a lot of unhelpful wine terms that remind him of a line from the movie, “The Princess Bride.” “You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means,” he quotes. This communications gap is why sommeliers like O’Haire often choose to completely remove wine terminology when speaking with guests, instead asking them questions about their current state of mind or favorite movie to build a relationship and openness. “Sometimes, the most beneficial information a customer can give is much simpler,” he said. “If a guest tells me, ‘at home, we drink a lot of pinot grigio, I love Chablis, but I don’t want to spend that much money tonight, and I’m having fish for dinner,’ I can quickly figure out what they might enjoy,” said O’Haire. After all, the best wine specialists are more than just experts in their field. Serving sometimes as a translator, detective, and psychologist, they are a greatly underutilized support in getting the most from your wine purchases. Anna Lee Iijima is a freelance writer. About the Author: Chris Lehoux Meet Chris Lehoux, an experienced wine connoisseur and dedicated blogger with a deep passion for all things wine-related. With years of expertise in the industry, Chris shares insightful wine reviews, valuable wine tasting tips, expert pairing advice, and captivating tales of vineyard visits. Join Chris on a journey through the world of wine, where every sip is an adventure waiting to be savored! Wine