Warm Red Wine Survey Results

www.CleverleysNewsletter.com

Houston, We Have a Problem with Our Wine Service

94% of Survey Respondents Say That
Red Wine is Served Too Warm

From Cleverley's Newsletter
June 2, 2006

Life is too short to drink warm red wine

Many restaurants in Houston are serving warm red wine. This is just not right.

We've always heard that red wine should be served at room temperature. Have you tasted red wine at room temperature in Houston? It's not really tasty. And it's not
fair to the wine.

When our wine forefathers said "serve red wine at room temperature" I think they meant room temp in a wine cellar in a stone castle in Italy or France, not a restaurant in Houston, Texas, in the summertime.

This is a much discussed topic and wine experts can argue with me about this if they wish (new world wines versus old world wines, etc.) But to simplify it for the rest of us, it's pretty safe to say that no red wine should be served at a temperature above 70 degrees.

In general, I like my reds at about 62 degrees. When dining out, if I'm served a red that I feel is too warm, I'll ask for an ice bucket to chill it down for a few minutes. This is a perfectly acceptable practice. Do not hesitate to do this. (Especially if you see wine bottles stacked up to the ceiling of the restaurant, under the hot lights.)

If you need further convincing, Google: "red wine temperature."
Michael Bauer, executive food and wine editor, San Francisco Chronicle, also wrote about this issue on June 16th. See article here.

I promise you. You will be amazed at the delicious difference in the taste of red wine that is served in the mid to low 60's. Do your own experiment and see.

So - now I've gotten really obnoxious about this issue and I carry a laser thermometer with me to measure the temp of my red wine when dining out. I won't carry it with me forever, but it is fun to convert non-believers, chilling them down, so to speak.

You don't have to drink warm red wine. You are the customer and you are paying for it. Drink it at the temp at which it was meant to be served, not what is convenient for the restaurant. If anyone gives you a problem, tell them to contact me. Please.
Cleverley@CleverleysNewsletter.com

Warm Red Wine Survey Results
Survey distributed to Cleverley's Newsletter subscribers,
Houston, Texas in August 2006

1. Do you order red wine when dining out?

Yes: 100%

No: 0%

Total: 100%

2. What is your gender?

Female: 59%

Male: 41%

Total: 100%

3. When dining out, how often are you served red wine that is too warm?

a. Never: 6%

b. Some of the time: 44%

c. Most of the time: 43%

d. All of the time: 7%

Total: 100%

4. If you feel that your red wine is served too warm,
what are you most likely to do?

a. Just drink it and suffer in silence: 33%

b. Ask the server to take it back and chill it down: 16%

c. Ask the server to bring a wine bucket with ice to the table
and you cool it down yourself: 37%

d. Write in responses: 14%
"bring a wine that has been properly stored."
"Put an ice cube in the glass"
"Red wine is served room temperature, never chilled"
"Inform the server, manager, and/or owner"
"I either ask them to chill it or offer to do it.
"i would send it back and choose another wine"
"I drink it at 'Houston Room Temperature'"
"tell them they need to store it at cellar temp. 61 degrees"

Total: 100%

5. If warm red wine is served to you initially, will you
decrease the amount of the tip you will give the server?

a. Never: 65%

b. Some of the time: 17%

c. Most of the time: 5%

d. All of the time: 3%

e. Write in responses: 10%
"based on attitude of server"
"Depends on my perception of storage etc..."
"Depends on the response to the problem."
"Only if he doesn't correct it"
"Not if they fixed it for me right away"
"it would depend on his service as a whole"

Total: 100%

6. How do you most often order red wine when dining out?

a. By the Glass: 37%

b. Half Bottle: 3%

c. Whole Bottle: 55%

d. Write in responses: 5%
"50/50 - whole bottles depending on where we are"
"glass or whole bottle if two people"
"by myself half bottle or by the glass, with others"

Total: 100%

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