Wine Pairing

[wilderness gal]

Hi ya'll

Question here, I've never been to or had wine pairing w/any meal.

Do they give you a whole glass of wine, a sip of wine or 1/2 a glass of wine or what? or do you take a sip of selected wines & then you chose from whatever they've given you?

I was thinking about adding it to our V&A's and/or the Artist Point ADR's. When would you add this; when we get there, or just call & add it? As you can see, I don't know and any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

jean

 

[MadToad]

Typically they give you a full serving of the type of wine paired to each course (some wine types have a smaller serving size than others). Each wine is designed to compliment what you order, so you request the pairing when you order. The best pairing I've experienced in WDW was at Citrico's.

Enjoy!

 

[Noelle]

I was thinking about adding it to our V&A's and/or the Artist Point ADR's. When would you add this; when we get there, or just call & add it?

Hi Jean,
We did the wine pairing both times we dined at V&A and loved it. When you place your order, just let them know you're interested in doing the wine parings. Beware: it's a lot of wine. Towards the end, I was having a hard time finishing one glass before the next course and it's wine would show up.

 

[jennbug]

Neither DH or I are very big drinkers so could we share the wine pairing? I thought it would be way too much and knowing how low my tolerence is I would probably end up on the floor!

 

[jennbug]

Sorry I double posted!

 

[SamSam]

I think that I read on this board that a couple had shared the wine pairing.

 

[diselderm]

The first time we went (on our honeymoon) dh and I both got the wine pairing. I nearly ran into a column on the way to the bathroom after that! The next time we went, I believe I had the champagne and ordered one other glass of wine. My husband got the wine pairing again and I took tastes of his during the meal. We're trying it again (after several years) this next trip and I think I'll get the wine pairing again, but I won't feel compelled to finish the glasses! I think you could definitely share, though.

 

[diswedwish]

I've had the wine pairing at both Artist Point and V&A. From what I remember, the glasses are slightly smaller than a regular glass of wine - so much more than a sip, but definitely not a full glass. At Boma I think our waitress explained that it was 2 oz. of wine per glass in their wine flight - so all 3 equaled slightly more than 1 regular glass of wine. So at Artist Point this wasn't an issue for me, since it was only 3 semi-full glasses. But at V&A, that's a lot of courses and a lot of wine!!! I was pretty tipsy You are forewarned. Also, don't be afraid to ask how much wine will be served. My mom takes blood pressure meds, so she can't have more than 1 glass of wine or she will get sick. That's how we found out the exact amount of wine in each glass at Boma.

You'll order the flight when you order the food. I don't think there would be a problem with sharing either - my mom and I asked about this at Boma as well before we asked about the amount.

HTH, wine flights are fun

 

[irisbud]

No wine pairings for me!

I love good wine, but I would not be able to leave the table if I did the one at V&A's in Dec!

Too bad!

 

[Noelle]

Just a reminder that the wines selected are specifically paired to the dishes served. So if your husband and you chose to share, you should also plan to have the same food selections .

 

[jennbug]

Just a reminder that the wines selected are specifically paired to the dishes served. So if your husband and you chose to share, you should also plan to have the same food selections .

I didn't think of that! I don't think I'd have a rich enough palette anyway to taste much difference. We buy our wine from the grocery store! $8.99 a bottle, baby

 

[schoen]

I was pretty tipsy after about the 4th course at VA. My husband ended up drinking a lot of my wine. He was flat out drunk by the end of it. Thankfully he can handle his booze, and the only reason I even knew he was drunk was because he told me! It is fun. I have yet to decide if I will do it this year when we go. I think I might just order a glass or two, or maybe we'll order a bottle. It is a good experience, I just have a hard time paying 50 dollars for it... In the end I am sure I'll just do it though!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

I didn't think of that! I don't think I'd have a rich enough palette anyway to taste much difference. We buy our wine from the grocery store! $8.99 a bottle, baby

It's not a matter of having a "rich enough palette."

We've all seen menus at WDW and elsewhere in which there's a specific wine recommended with each appetizer and entree. For years I thought that these wine recommendations were just gimmicks to sell more wine by the glass.

In recent years, I've become aware that the chefs and master sommeliers use their knowledge and experience to pick wines that taste particularly good with that food — and that make the food taste better too. The experts know what varietal (or blend) and what style of winemaking (such as oak aging or stainless steel) goes particularly well with the food and its preparation. That's what the art of wine pairing is all about.

That doesn't mean you have to have wine with every course, although that's how some pairing deals work. At Citrico's, you can pay $25.50 to get a glass of properly paired wine with each of three courses. In my opinion, this really enhances the meal. As an added bonus, you save a few dollars compared to ordering the wine individually by the glass.

You can usually overrule the "official" wine pairing selection. For example, if the paired wine is a chardonnay, but you don't like chardonnay, then simply ask for another appropriate wine.

If you're paying $8.99 a bottle are a grocery, you should accustomed to decent wine. I buy many very good wines for under (or slightly over) $10 per bottle. Try the pairings some time. You might really enjoy the wines — and you might even enjoy the food courses more than if you had simply ordered a bottle of something with which you're familiar.

 

[wilderness gal]

Hi ya'll

thanks for the input, I'm still toiling w/the idea....yep, thats alot of money for a few glasses of wine. How many courses are there @ V&A? Let me get this straight, you get a glass 1/2 full of wine w/each course. That must be some potent wine. but I guess if you drink enough of it, it'll get you loopie

Can you order drinks, to go along with the dinner like a "Long Island Iced Tea" instead of wine? Didn't know if they offered mixed drinks at an upscaled restaurant w/dinner.

We're like "jennbug", we buy our wine (when we do buy it) from a particular liquor store in town ; and I think the bottle is $8.99 to $12.99 "Schmitt & Shohne / Piesporter Michelsberg Spätlese" a bottle. I think this one is $9.99 a bottle "delicious".......................... It makes you feel like *dancing* in the street, it so sweet/tart & tangy.

Thanks again for the input !

jean

 

[hmp2z]

Hi! The first year we ate at V&A's Chef's Table, my husband and I each ordered the wine pairings, and it was way too much for me. I'd simply push the wine glass away when I was done, without finishing the wine, but the server wouldn't take it away, so I'd end up with 2-3 glasses of wine in front of me. For some reason, I didn't ask them to take the extra wine away, so I felt obligated to finish it. With 8 courses, this was a LOT of wine, especially since I'm under 100 lbs!

Ever since then, my DH orders the pairings, and I simply taste his. Yes, I know they're not matched to my courses, but I love wine and love trying different wines, whether they "go" with my dinner or not.

For many wines, while the flavor can be enhanced by certain entrees, the flavor won't be diminished in any way by tasting them with an unpaired food, unless the food is really something overpowering like chocolate or a strong cheese. Many wines can have their flavor enhanced by almost any food; we recently went to a wine tasting where a zinfandel was paired with Cajun peanuts, because it was the type of wine that food really brought out. What I'm saying is that you will almost certainly still enjoy your DH's wine, even though it's not customized for your entree choices.

Also, DH & I taste each other's entrees, so usually what I do is take a bite of his entree, then drink his wine

Good luck, and enjoy your dinners!
Heather W