Foreign wine is customarily called foreign wine. Many countries in the world have their own history and culture of wine production. At present, there are many varieties of foreign wines, and the wine licenses are even more diverse, too numerous to mention. The more famous wine-producing countries include: France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, the United States, Russia, Switzerland, Spain, etc. The most famous of these is France. The brandy, champagne, red and white wine and various strong liqueurs produced in France are second to none. Next is the UK. The gin and whiskey produced in the UK are very popular. The unique smoky flavor of Scotch whiskey makes it unique in the whiskey family. German beer is famous for its long history. There are also vodkas from the former Soviet Union and Northern Europe, and Roma wine from Jamaica, which are well known far and near. Although the brewing industry in the United States started late, it also has relatively famous bourbon whiskey.
The production processes of various wines are different, but they can generally be divided into two categories: distilled wine and brewed wine. Distilled wine is a type of wine that uses distillation to concentrate the alcohol and increase the alcohol content during the brewing process. The alcohol content is often above 40% (often recorded as 40%), so it is also called spirits. Before introducing foreign spirits, it is necessary to introduce to you the common methods of expressing alcohol content. Currently, there are three ways to express alcohol content in the world: The first one: standard alcohol content (Alcohol% by volume). The standard alcohol content was invented by the famous French chemist Gay Lusaka. It refers to how many milliliters of alcohol are contained in every 100 milliliters of wine at 20°C. This notation is easier to understand and therefore more widely used. Standard alcohol content is also called Guy-Lussac alcohol content, which is usually expressed as a percentage, or by the abbreviation GL; the second type: Degrees of proof VK. The British proof of alcohol is a method of calculating alcohol content created by the Englishman Clark in the 18th century; the third type: Degrees of proof US. The degree of alcohol in the United States is expressed by alcohol purity (Proof). One alcohol purity is equivalent to 0.5% alcohol content.
Both the invention of British alcoholic beverages and American alcoholic beverages preceded the emergence of standard alcoholic beverages, and they were both represented by the alcohol purity "proof". However, conversions can be made between the three alcohol levels. Therefore, if you know the British alcohol content and want to calculate its American alcohol content or standard alcohol content, you can calculate it as long as you have the following formula:
Standard alcohol content x 1.75 = British alcohol content
Standard alcohol content x2 = US alcohol content
Imperial alcohol content x8/7 = US alcohol content
In restaurants, bars and sales departments, it is usually customary to divide spirits into six categories Major categories: Gin, Whiskey, Brandy, Vodka, Rum and Tequila.
Attachment: Raw materials and place of origin for spirits. Liquor name. Raw materials. Main producing countries and regions. Vintage gin. Cereals, juniper berries, vanilla. UK, Netherlands. Non-vintage whiskey. Cereals, barley, corn, barley. Scotland, Ireland, the United States. Vintage standard brandy grape, fruit French cognac, vintage standard rum, cane sugar, Jamaica, Cuba, at least two years old vodka, wheat, potato, Russia, Poland, the United States, non-vintage Tequila, tequila, cactus, Mexico, with/without vintage.
——Liquor and Etiquette
People who are good at drinking are not only able to drink, but also know how to drink. To truly make good use of wine and follow etiquette, you need to pay special attention to three major issues: matching dishes, making toasts and drinking moderately.
1. Pair with dishes. The main function of wine is to stimulate the appetite during meals. However, in order for wine to play this role correctly, you must know how to pair wine and food. Only in this way will the two complement each other. Otherwise, it is very likely that you will get half the result with twice the effort, and even ruin your appetite. Below, I will briefly introduce the correct pairing methods of wine and dishes during Chinese and Western food gatherings and banquets.
(1) Pairing of Chinese wine and food
Unless there are special regulations, formal Chinese banquets usually include liquor and wine. Due to eating habits, the wine served at Chinese banquets is mostly red wine, and generally sweet red wine.
Red wine is used first because red is full of joy, and sweet red wine is chosen because many people do not agree with dry red wine that tastes not sweet and slightly sour. Usually, three glasses of different sizes are arranged directly in front of the tabletop in front of the diner. From left to right, they are white wine glasses, wine glasses, and water glasses. Specifically, when it comes to matching dishes, the drinks chosen for Chinese food are not very particular. You can drink whatever you like and drink whenever you want. Formal Chinese banquets generally do not serve beer. It is now more and more common in light meals and food stalls. Objectively speaking, the effect is better when paired with cold dishes.
(2) Pairing of wine and food in Western food
In a formal Western-style banquet, wine is the protagonist. Not only is it the most expensive, but its matching with the dishes is also very strict. Generally speaking, when eating Western food, each different dish should be paired with a different drink, and a new drink should be replaced with each dish. The wine served in a Western-style banquet can generally be divided into three types: pre-dinner wine, table wine, and after-dinner wine. Each of them has many specific types.
Pre-dinner wine, also known as aperitif. It's obviously meant to be consumed before a formal meal, or paired with appetizers. In general, drinks that people like to drink before meals include cocktails, vermouth and champagne.
Table wine, also called table wine. There is no doubt that it is a drink consumed during a formal meal. The table wines in Western food are all wines, and most of them are dry wines or semi-dry wines. When choosing wine to accompany a meal or banquet, there is an important rule that must be understood, that is, "white wine goes with white meat, and red wine goes with red meat." The white meat mentioned here refers to fish, seafood, and chicken. When eating them, they must be paired with white wine. The red meat mentioned here is beef, mutton, and pork. When eating this type of meat, it should be paired with red wine. Since most of the white meat in Western dishes is fish, this statement is sometimes reworded as: "Eat fish and drink white wine, eat meat and drink red wine." In fact, the original meaning of the two is exactly the same, but the white wine and red wine mentioned here are both wine.
Dinner wine refers to the wine used to aid digestion after a meal. The most common after-dinner drink is liqueur, also called liqueur. The most famous after-dinner wine is brandy, known as the "King of Foreign Wines".
Under normal circumstances, different special wine glasses should be used to drink different drinks. Above the table knife on the right side of the table in front of each diner, there are usually three or four wine glasses placed in a row. When taking it, you can proceed from the outside to the inside, or you can "follow" the hostess's choice. Among them, champagne glasses, red wine glasses, white wine glasses and water glasses are often essential.
2. Toast and toast In more formal occasions, drinking wine requires specific procedures. Among the common drinking methods, pouring wine, toasting, and toasting are the most commonly used. Below, some descriptions of their cooperation are provided.
(1) Pour wine. Generally, wine should be poured into the glass before drinking. Sometimes, in order to show respect and friendliness to the guests, the host will personally pour them wine. When the waiter pours the wine, don't forget to say thank you, but you don't have to pick up the glass. However, when the host comes to pour the wine in person, he must pick up the glass to express his thanks. If necessary, he must stand up or bow and nod as a courtesy. Sometimes, you can also "kowtow" in return. That is, pinch the thumb, index finger, and middle finger of your right hand together, with the fingertips downward, and tap the table several times. This method is suitable for Chinese banquets. It means paying tribute to the other person. The wine the host pours for the guests should be the best wine at the banquet and should be opened on the spot. When pouring wine, you should pay attention to three points. One is to be considerate and treat everyone equally, and do not be picky and pour wine just for individual people. Second, we must pay attention to the order. You can start from where you are sitting in a clockwise direction, or you can pour wine for the elders and guests first. Third, you need to pour the right amount of wine. Both liquor and beer can be filled to the top, but other foreign wines are not so particular. If the filling is too full, it may not be appropriate and it will be wasteful. Except for the host and waiters, other guests are generally not allowed to pour wine for others.
(2) Toast. Toast, also known as toast. What it specifically refers to is that at a formal banquet, the host proposes to the guests to drink for some reason. When toasting, you usually have to say some wishes and blessings. At a formal banquet, the host and guest of honor will solemnly deliver a special toast.
Therefore, toasting is often an essential procedure for banquets. > Toasting can be done at any time during the drinking process. Frequent toasts will make the atmosphere warm and cheerful. However, if a formal toast is given, it should be carried out in a specific entrance room, and the primary consideration should be not to affect the guests' dining. Usually, it is most suitable to start the toast after the guests and hosts are seated and before the meal. Sometimes, it can also be done after the main course and before the dessert is served. Whether it is a formal toast or a toast under ordinary circumstances, the content should be as short as possible. Don't make others wait for a long time by making long, long speeches. When others are toasting or delivering speeches, other people present should stop eating or drinking. You should sit in your seat, face the other party and listen carefully. Don't sneer at the other person's behavior in a low voice, or openly express your disgust at the other person's verbosity.
(3) Cheers. Cheers usually refers to persuading others to drink in some way when drinking, especially when toasting or toasting, or suggesting that the other person drinks at the same time as you. When making a toast, you often drink the wine in the glass, so it is called a toast. Sometimes, toasters have to clink their glasses with each other, so it is also called clinking glasses. Cheers, someone needs to be the first to suggest it. The person who proposes a toast can be the host or the guest of honor who is delivering the toast, or anyone else drinking there. When proposing a toast, you should stand up, pick up the wine glass with your right hand, or hold the bottom of the glass with your left hand after picking up the wine glass with your right hand. With a smile on your face, look at others, especially the object of your blessing, and say your blessings. Words of praise. For example, I wish the other party good health, happy life, happy holidays, smooth work, successful career, successful cooperation between both parties, etc. After the host or others propose a toast, you should stand up with the wine glass in hand. Even if you don't drink alcohol, you still have to pick up a glass of water and pretend to be drunk. When toasting, you should raise the wine glass to the height of your eyes, say "cheers", and then drink all the wine in one gulp, or drink half of it, or an appropriate amount. Then, you must hold the wine glass and look at the person who proposes a toast, and the process ends. In the past, when drinking white wine with Chinese food, the toast had to be gulped down without leaving any residual wine in the cup. This is no longer the case now. In Western food, only champagne is used when toasting to blessings, and beer or other wines are not allowed. When drinking champagne to toast, you should drink half of the wine in the glass, but you should also act within your ability. In Chinese food, there is another thing to pay attention to. That is, after the host personally toasts to him, he should return the toast and drink another drink with him. When returning the favor, you should hold the cup in your right hand, hold the bottom with your left hand, and drink the wine together with the other person. Sometimes, when toasting, you can clink the wine glass with the other party in a slightly symbolic way. When clinking glasses, don't use too much force or you'll hear a loud noise. Out of respect, you can make your own glass lower than the other person's. When you are far away from the other party, you can use the "crossing the bridge" method as a workaround, that is, lightly touching the table with the bottom of the wine glass in your hand. Doing so is equivalent to clinking glasses with the other party. However, this method is only Chinese. At a Western-style banquet, people only toast but don’t persuade people to drink. They only toast without actually clinking glasses. When using glass wine glasses, especially do not clink glasses with each other. At a Western-style banquet, it is not allowed to pass over the person next to you and toast to someone far away, especially cross toasts.
3. Drink in moderation. No matter what kind of occasion you drink, you must be self-aware and conduct yourself well, strive to maintain your grace, and be a gentleman if you drink without getting drunk. (1) Drinking limit: Do not be competitive at any time. Pretending to be chic, one must "get drunk before stopping" when drinking. Drinking too much alcohol is not only easy to harm the body, but also easy to make one look embarrassed. Cause trouble. In ancient Chinese proverbs, it has long been said that "wine hurts people" and "wine is a matchmaker for sex." Don't forget to use this to warn yourself when drinking. This is not only necessary when you are happy, but also when you are in a bad mood. Never use alcohol to burn away your sorrows. As for intentional drinking, it is even more inappropriate behavior of self-harm. Before drinking, you should know your drinking capacity based on past experience. No matter what situation you encounter, you must perform beyond your level. At formal banquets, you should especially take the initiative to limit your drinking to less than half of your usual amount to avoid getting drunk and causing trouble. (2) Refuse to drink according to etiquette. If you are unable to drink due to living habits or health reasons, you can refuse others' invitation to drink in one of the following etiquette ways. One way is to state the objective reasons why you cannot drink alcohol. The second method is to take the initiative to replace alcohol with other soft drinks. The third method is to entrust relatives, friends, subordinates or juniors to drink on your behalf. The fourth method is to insist on not drinking the wine in the cup.
Don't hide when others are pouring wine for you, push the bottle around, knock on the rim of the glass, tip the glass upside down, or pour it out secretly. It is also wrong to pour your own wine into someone else's cup, especially when you pour a little bit of your own wine into someone else's cup. (3) Change customs. When drinking alcohol, don’t forget to discipline yourself and respect others. In particular, we must abandon the following bad habits and customs that are harmful to others and to ourselves. First, don’t be drunk. A very few people often "get drunk even if they are not drunk" when drinking, taking the opportunity to cause trouble, pretending to be crazy and talking nonsense. This approach is really annoying. Second, don't drink too much. Some people are addicted to alcohol and become addicted to alcohol. This is not only harmful to the body, but also detrimental to personal image. Third, don’t drink alcohol. Toasts and toasts need to be consensual. Never force someone to drink by saying, "If you have a deep feeling, you will get stuffy in one mouthful. If you have a shallow feeling, just a little bit." You have to convince others and laugh at their jokes. Fourth, don’t punch. Some people like to play guessing games, make a lot of noise, and make a fuss while drinking. His approach is also very disrespectful.
——The professional requirements of bartenders
As a special profession in the service industry, bartenders’ work is very intuitively displayed in front of guests, and they are very familiar with the wine inside and outside. All must be proficient and have high requirements in terms of professional abilities and personal qualities.
1. Know everything about wine
The work of a bartender is inseparable from wine, and the degree of mastery of wine directly determines the development of the work. As a bartender, you need to master the origin, physical characteristics, taste characteristics, production technology, product name and drinking method of various wines, and be able to identify the quality, age, etc. of the wine.
In addition, the bartender also needs to give reasonable recommendations on what kind of wine the guests need to pair with different desserts. Finally, because cocktails are composed of a base wine with different auxiliary materials, what physical and chemical effects will be produced by the wine and different auxiliary materials, and what kind of taste differences will be produced? For bartenders, it is the most important thing to create new wines. the basis of.
2. Master bartending skills
Using equipment and utensils correctly and mastering operating procedures proficiently can not only extend the use time of equipment and utensils, but also ensure the improvement of service efficiency. In addition, the mixing movements and postures when mixing drinks will also affect the quality and taste of the drinks. After bartending, the methods of rinsing, cleaning, and disinfecting wine utensils are also something bartenders must master.
3. Understand the customs behind wine
A kind of wine represents the living customs of the residents in the place where the wine is produced. Guests from different places have different food customs, religious beliefs and habits. You must carefully consider what kind of wine you drink and what ingredients you use when mixing wine. If the wine recommended to a guest is inappropriate, it will affect the guest's interest and may even offend the customer's beliefs.
4. English knowledge is very important
The first thing is to understand wine labels. At present, many of the wines sold in bars are produced abroad, and the trademarks are in English. Bartenders must be able to read wine labels and make no mistakes when choosing wine, because all wines with the same physical properties will taste very different if they are produced in different places. Moreover, bartenders often encounter situations where there are overcrowded customers. At this time, if you are not familiar with English wine labels, you have to look for them slowly, which will make the customers anxious. Secondly, there are often many foreigners in the bar, and they also need to understand some foreign languages.
5. Have good temperament
Bartenders have certain requirements for height and appearance. Of course, they are not required to be as beautiful as idol stars. The key is to have decent clothing. , healthy appearance, elegant demeanor and friendly expression show the personal temperament. In addition, being naturally calm and loving to deal with people is also very helpful for a successful career.
——The best wine
→The first wine that humans learned to brew: fruit wine and milk wine.
→The earliest alcoholic beverage made from malt in my country: Li.
→my country’s most distinctive wines: rice wine and white wine.
→my country’s earliest mechanized winery: Yantai Changyu Grape Winery Company.
→The earliest brewery in my country was built in 1900 in Harbin.
→my country’s earliest alcohol factory was built in 1900 in Harbin.
→my country’s first fully mechanized rice wine factory: Wuxi Rice Wine Factory
→The earliest text recording wine: oracle bone inscriptions from the Shang Dynasty.
→The earliest record of medicinal wine production technology: the silk book <
→The earliest record of wine: Sima Qian’s <
→The record of malt manufacturing method: "The Essential Art of Qi Min" by Jia Sixie of the Northern Wei Dynasty.
→The oldest existing wine: wine unearthed from an ancient tomb in Henan in the late Shang Dynasty (about three thousand years ago) in 1980, now in the Palace Museum.
→The beverage with the largest output at present: beer.
→The legendary originators of wine making: Du Kang and Yi Di.
→The first person to propose that winemaking begins with farming: Liu An of the Han Dynasty <
→The first person to propose that wine is a product of natural fermentation: Jiang Tong of the Jin Dynasty <
→The earliest complete set of brewing utensils unearthed: Dawenkou Culture period in Shandong.
→The earliest unearthed image reflecting the entire process of winemaking: the <
→The earliest still found: a bronze still from the Eastern Han Dynasty (now in the Shanghai Museum).
→The earliest brewing regulations: Zhou Dynasty, see <
→The highest academic level rice wine brewing monograph in ancient times: "Beishan Wine Classic" by Zhu Gong of the Northern Song Dynasty.
→The earliest record of heat sterilization technology: the Northern Song Dynasty's "Beishan Wine Classic".
→The book with the most records of wine names in ancient times: Zhang Nengchen’s <
→The most famous wine encyclopedia in ancient times: Dou Ping’s <
→The earliest alcohol prohibition: the <
→The earliest wine monopoly was implemented: Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty in the third year of Tianhan (98 BC).
→The earliest record of the price of wine: In the sixth year of the Han Dynasty (81 BC), officials sold wine for four yuan per liter.
——The story of "discussing heroes over wine" in history
This is a story told in Chapter 21 of my country's famous historical novel "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" .
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Cao Cao used the emperor to command the princes, and he was very powerful. Although Liu Bei was the emperor's uncle, he was weak and weak. In order to prevent Cao Cao from plotting against him, he had to plant vegetables in the back garden of his residence and water it himself, thinking that Tao Hui's plan. Guan Yunchang and Zhang Fei were kept in the dark, saying that Liu Bei did not pay attention to the world's major events, but imitated the things of villains.
One day, Liu Bei was watering vegetables. Cao Cao sent someone to invite Liu Bei. Liu Bei had no choice but to go to the mansion to see Cao Cao together in fear. Cao Cao calmly said to Liu Bei, "You have done a great job at home!" The speaker was intentional, and the listener was even more attentive. This sentence frightened Liu Bei so much that his face turned pale. Cao Cao then said, "It's not easy for you to learn to grow vegetables." Liu Bei felt relieved a little. Cao Cao said, "I just saw the green plums on the branches in the garden. I remembered a past incident (that is, "looking at the plums to quench my thirst"). I saw these plums today and I must appreciate them. It coincides with the time when the wine is being cooked, so I invite you to the small pavilion. a while. Liu Bei calmed down after hearing this. Following Cao Cao to the small pavilion, he saw that various wine vessels had been set up, and green plums were placed on the plates. So he put the green plums in the wine bottles and cooked the wine. The two sat across from each other and drank happily. When the wine was half full, suddenly clouds gathered and heavy rain was coming. Cao Cao talked about the dragon's character and compared the dragon to the heroes of the world. He asked Liu Bei, please tell me who the heroes of the world are. Liu Bei pretended to have no ambition and said Several people were rejected by Cao Cao. At this time, Cao Cao wanted to inquire about Liu Bei's inner thoughts to see if he wanted to dominate the world, so he said: "A hero is one who has great ambitions, has a good plan, has the opportunity to hide the universe, and can express the aspirations of the world."
Liu Bei asked, who can be a hero? Cao Cao said straightforwardly: There are only two heroes in the world today, you and me! When Liu Bei heard this, he was startled, and the chopsticks he was holding fell to the ground unknowingly. It happened that it suddenly rained heavily and thundered loudly. Liu Bei had an idea and calmly lowered his body to pick up the chopsticks. He said that he dropped the chopsticks because he was afraid of thunder. Only then did Cao Cao say with confidence, "Are men afraid of thunder?" Liu Bei said, "Even a saint will lose his composure in response to thunder and strong winds. How can I not be afraid?" After Liu Bei's cover-up, Cao Cao thought that he was a coward with no ambitions. A mediocre person, Cao Cao never doubted Liu Bei again.
——The style of wine
Any kind of wine has its own unique style. Different wines have different styles, and even the styles of wines of the same variety will be different. The style of a wine is formed by many factors, including the color, aroma, and body of the wine. Therefore, to understand and master the style characteristics of the wine, one must look at its color, aroma, and body. Conduct a comprehensive assessment.
1. The color of wine
Color can effectively express emotions, convey information, and enable people to enjoy beauty. The first feeling and impression of wine is the color of the wine. . There are not only many varieties of wines, but also great changes. The world of wines is full of colors, such as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and so on. Today’s people are dizzying. Colored wine has appeared in our country very early, and there are many varieties. Its grace can be seen from many poems, such as Li He's "Xiaocao Wine Drops True Pearl Red", Du Fu's "Goose Yellow Like" "Wine", Bai Juyi's "Like Bamboo Leaves Ying Zun Green", etc., describe the shining red wine like pearls, the yellow rice wine like goose chicks, and the green wine as green as bamboo leaves, which are rich and colorful and beautiful. In addition, there are golden wine, amber-colored wine, green wine, coffee-colored wine, etc. Of course, in China, we are accustomed to call the colorless and transparent wine distilled after fermentation of grains "white wine", and all colored wines are called colored wine, but many imported distilled wines such as brandy, whiskey, etc. They all have a certain color, and these wines cannot be called colored wines. For this reason, we call all wines with low alcohol content and color, such as wine, rice wine, various liqueurs, etc., so how is the color of wine formed? From a production point of view, there are several ways to form the color of wine:
First, it comes from the raw materials for wine making.
Many fruit wines have different colors due to the pigments contained in their brewing raw materials. For example, in red wine, during the pressing and fermentation process of grapes, the pigments in the skin and pulp are continuously precipitated and entered into the brewed wine. Therefore, most of the brewed red wine is brown-red. It can be said that this kind of red wine The color is also the color of the grape itself. The natural color of the raw materials for wine can give people a sense of simplicity and freshness, making them appear unpretentious. Therefore, under normal circumstances, brewers can try to keep the true color of the wine liquid as much as possible.
Second, wine naturally develops color during the production process.
This is due to temperature changes and morphological changes during the production process of wine, which change the true color of the brewing raw materials. This natural color phenomenon is inevitable in the production process of wine, such as distilled liquor. After heating, vaporization, cooling, and condensation, it changes its original color and becomes colorless and transparent. Under normal circumstances, as long as this natural color phenomenon does not affect product quality, manufacturers will not change it.
Third, artificial or non-artificial color enhancement.
Artificial coloring is when producers add certain pigments or toners to wine to improve the style of the wine in order to please customers. The addition of this kind of toner can sometimes cause the wine to taste bad, resulting in adverse consequences. Abuse of pigments or toners will also make the wine color style uncoordinated, and even destroy the style of the wine. Non-artificial color enhancement mostly occurs during production. During the process, the wine changes its original color, such as the aging wine staining the color of the container. Its purpose is to make the color of the wine more beautiful. For example, when brandy is put into oak barrels for aging, on the one hand it slowly The action of oxygen in the ground and air makes the wine more mature. On the other hand, during the aging process, it continuously absorbs the color of the wood of the oak barrel, giving the wine a pleasing amber color. With the continuous improvement of people's lives and the continuous popularization of nutritional knowledge, people are increasingly aware that colored wine is more suitable for modern consumption than white wine because colored wine has lower alcohol content, less irritation, and is rich in nutrients. And other characteristics, drinking it in moderation is good for your health.
In addition, colored wine can sometimes play a role in adding to the drinking atmosphere, allowing people to fully appreciate the joy and satisfaction of drinking. The color of wine varies widely and each has its own characteristics, but as long as it can fully express the unique style of the wine and achieve a pleasing effect, it will generally be welcomed. From the perspective of sensory requirements, liquor should be colorless and transparent, with no suspended matter, turbidity and sedimentation, etc.; beer should be transparent in color, full of luster, without loss of gloss, without yellow or brown small particles, and the foam should be white, delicate and long-lasting; rice wine should be light yellow or golden in color. Yellow, clear and transparent, bright luster, no suspended matter, no turbidity; fruit wine liquid is transparent, no suspended particles, no precipitation, no attachments on the inner wall of the bottle, etc. Of course, when examining the color and style of wine, you should also pay attention to the influence of external factors, such as indoor light and shade, transparency of packaging materials, etc.