to think that someone working in posh catering should know more than a nano-sized amount about...

[MayaAngelCool]

...wine? I was recently at a posh do with food supplied by a catering company. When the waitress came round with the wine she said "Would you like red or white?". When I asked "What are the red and white wines?", she looked flummoxed and said "We have red and white wine, which would you prefer?". So I told her not to worry and took a look at the labels to check what types of wine they were serving.

Now, I'm no wine brainiac. I probably know about 3 types of red and white that I like the taste of. But I make a point of knowing my job inside out, and I think if you're being paid to dish up wine at a posh meal you should at least be able to say the name of the wine bottle in your hand, no? She was in roughly her 50s as well, so couldn't get away with the excuse of being an inexperienced yoof.

That said, the food looked lovely but was all rather bland. Looks like they know nothing about food either...in which case, perhaps IABU!

I would expect a waitress to at least know the grape variety too.

the point I am trying to make is that house wines are non-varietals. The grape varieties used won't be on the bottle and probably won't even be specified in the sales catalogue. Because they are usually made up of different proportions of lots of different grapes which are often not the usual cab sav/sav blanc/chardonnay

Or do you want to be bored by "this is a blend of 10% gruner veltliner, 5% pinot noir, 15% aligote, 35% chenin blanc and 35% chasselas" ? Because that's the sort of blending you get in house wines

there should be more drinking of pissy wine and less boring chat about grapes IMO

All wine is absolutely fine, if you munch gherkins with it.

very interesting video re blind tasting ability

i love stuff like that nigel! I am such an inverted snob!

Oh for the love of God if you wanted to know what sort of wine she was serving, you could have read the label yourself.

Sorry but you're coming across as some sort of wannabee snob who only gets out once a year, apart from Bingo night at the British Legion!

Worra - you didn't bother reading my post, didya?

Yeah I did?

Er, no you didn't. Otherwise you'd have noticed the bit in the OP where I said I told the waitress not to worry and read the label myself.

Yes I did.

If you wanted to know what sort of wine she was holding, you should have read the label yourself.

What was the point in asking if you only know 3 that you like anyway?

Unless of course bingo was cancelled at the Legion and you were somehow trying to look like you knew bugger all about wine?

I imagine the waitress rolled her eyes and thought 'not another one'....

Gawd, you're good, you're really good. And you can't read for toffee. G'night!

No I read for pleasure...you should try it some time. Then you might understand the simple point I'm making.

You should have read the fecking label in the first place instead of making yourself look like a knob.

G'night though...

OP i work in a 5star hotel with a restaurant.

A lady the other day asked me if the white wine was 'chilly'. I earnestly replied "Yes its been on ice for an hour".

She looked at me with a look of pure disgust and said "No Is it FROM CHILE?"

Cue fits of laughter and me having to leave the table.

However i dont think YABU, along with the menu we are expected to have a basic knowledge of where the wine is from and what kind it is.

YANBU

She should know

Country
Grape

for each - not hard to do.

worra bingo night at the British legion sounds fun.

And if the waitress had her the bottles in her hands (as presumably she did as she was pouring it) then how are you supposed to read the label?

still sniggering at is it chilly
aye been on ice mon
eugh no i meant chile....priceless no wonder you laughed