Last Tuesday I attended a NACE Meeting at the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay.  The topic of the evening was proper dining etiquette and Constance Hoffman of Social and Business Graces, Inc. lead us down the treacherous road of dos and don’ts.  I was very excited about the evening and came away with several fantastic tidbits of information that I would like to share!

• When attending a networking function be sure to wear a blazer with pockets so that YOUR business cards are at the ready in one pocket and the other pocket is available to for cards you receive
• If you have a drink in one hand and a plate in the other, chances are you are not prepared to shake anyone’s hand.  Try placing the plate on top of your drink…this may take some practice, but will instantly free up your hand for a proper handshake and introduction.
• The dining table is meant to be a place of cleanliness.  That means anything carrying germs should not be set upon the dining table.  This includes but is not limited to: cellphones, wallets, handbags, and keys
• When you are dining with a client, match their courses.  If they order soup, salad and entree then you order soup, salad and entree.  This does not mean you have to consume everything in its entirety, but the act helps set a comfortable playing field for you and your client.
• If a soup bowl has one or two handles on it, then feel free to drink from it like you would any other hot beverage!
• The bread basket is always past around the table clockwise, and the one that begins the passing is the last to take from the basket.

Constance did a fantastic job, especially with a social crowd such as ours.  If you are looking for a lesson on proper etiquette, I highly recommend her!

When it comes to what wine you’re supposed to drink with different types of entrees, people tend to get a bit unnerved.  The fear of serving the wrong wine with the wrong entree is actually pretty prevalent for wine newbies.  I myself am more of a “drink what you like” person unless I’m at a really fantastic restaurant…then I ask the sommelier…that’s what he’s there for!

But if you would like to effectively pair your wines with a meal then let’s walk through what that means.
Now the rules of white wine with chicken and red wine with beef are a bit too loose.  For example, chicken with a marsala wine sauce is actually best served with a red wine (pinot noir or merlot) rather than a white wine.  And if you are having BBQ Beef and want a glass of wine, then a White Zinfandel is your best bet.  To properly pair wine you really have to pay attention to how the entree is seasoned and what the flavors of the sauce are.  Remember, wine and food pairing is about finding flavors that compliment each other.

You will find that spicy foods tend to pair better with white wines.  White wines are served chilled which helps cut the spicyness, but also the fruitful flavors help balance spicy dishes and help your poor tongue taste the flavors and not just that spicy kick!

Dishes with a tomato based sauce tend to naturally have more developed flavors, so you need a wine that can hold its own!  That’s why red wines typically pair best with tomato sauces; red wines have more going on that white wines so the complexity of a red will help balance a rich sauce.

If you’re getting ready for a dinner party and are stuck as to what you should offer, then check out the following website:
E&J Gallo Winery Wine Pairing
It has  a great interactive chart to help you find the best red and best white for whatever you may be serving!

From My Travels!

In January of 2008 I was fortunate enough to take a fantastic trip to London.  One of my best friends and I planned a 4 day excursion, but I got to thinking…if we’re going to be in London then why not also go to Paris?!  Well, she couldn’t get the extra time off work, but I could.  So when the London part of the trip came to an end, she hopped a plane back to the states and I hopped a train to Paris!
Now, I had only ever been there once before about 7 years prior so its not as though I was familiar with the city.  I don’t even speak French!  So I was concerned about being able to navigate the city, by myself no less!  Before my trip I picked up a phrase book and reviewed what I thought would be some important things to know.

Now, I was told the not being able to speak French thing would not be a problem because most Parisians speak English, but at the same time I felt it would be rude of me to just assume the language barrier would not be a problem.  I figured that I may not be able to speak French, but at least demonstrating some effort would get me more than just a cold shoulder from the locals.  And I think my efforts paid off!

The French tend to get a pretty bad rap for being rude, but I didn’t have a problem (aside from one waitress, but I think that was just her general disposition).  Its my belief that whenever you are traveling to a country where English is not native language, the polite thing to do is to learn phrases that will help you on your travels.  At least know how to ask if they other person speaks English, that way if they don’t they may be able to find someone that does.  Also, for restaurant dining, be able to ask for a table, for the menu, and for the check.  Know what “exit” and “enter” signs are, and how to purchase train & metro tickets.  The things you will most commonly do on your travels are the bits to brush up on so that you won’t feel so much like a fish out of water!

Happy Monday!

Wine tasting is always a fun outing!  Having lived in the Bay Area for a bit, it was always one of my go-to weekend adventures.  Hitting up Napa and Sonoma…it was always a guaranteed good time!  And now that I’m back down south, I go to Temecula to get my winery fix (not quite the same, but just as much fun).

So I have never had the “What do I do” complex at a winery, but I understand that some people do.  So here’s a crib sheet for you!

1. Okay….so technically….when you’re wine tasting you’re not really supposed to drink the wine.  You are to quite literally taste it and then spit it out….but in my book that is just an absolute waste!  The reason for this is so that you don’t get drunk.  And if you’re tasting 4 or 5 wines per winery and hitting up about 5 wineries and they are all heavy on the pour….well good luck getting home!  So, while it still goes against some of my beliefs, when I go wine tasting I don’t finish the glass…unless its a really good one!  I taste, maybe take one more sip, then pour the rest out.
2. The crackers serve a purpose.  They are to cleanse your palate between wines so that your taste buds don’t confuse the flavors.  So, it is okay to eat the crackers.
3. You don’t always get to keep the glasses.  Some wineries allow you to keep your glass as part of the fee for the tasting…others don’t.  So always ask before you abscond with your glass and you’ll save yourself a wee bit of embarrassment.
4. You are not supposed to get a full glass of wine per pour.  Remember, its a tasting. A typical wine glass accommodates about 6 oz if filled.  A tasting pour is usually about 2 or 3 ounces…some places may even only do 1 oz.
5. It is perfectly okay to not like something.  Everyone’s taste buds are different…and all wine is not created equally.  So if something doesn’t quite hit the right spot for you, don’t worry about it.
6. Have fun!  I am a big believer in wine for all mankind.  So just because someone may be standing next to making comments on the color of the wine, tannins or sulfites does not mean you have to do the same.

Everyone is busy.  We all have places to go and things to do.  But in all that hustle and bustle, don’t forget what your mother taught you!  Like many basics of simple courtesy, the phrase “thank you” seems to be going the way of yesteryear as if they were some pop culture phenomenon that’s past its prime!

I have personally conducted my own study (which has no bearing in science or statistics whatsoever and is merely my own observations) and have come to find that saying “thank you” goes a very long way.  I don’t believe our friends in the service industry hear it nearly as much as they should.  A polite “thank you” to the cashier at whatever store you are at could be a bright spot after they’ve been berated by some angry customer over something that was not their fault in the first place.  If someone holds the door open for you, a “thank you” is an acknowledgment of the kind gesture and a demonstration of your gratitude for something they did not have to do.  And when was the last time you told a busser at a restaurant “thank you” for clearing your table for you so that you may chat a bit without those dirty plates in front of you?

Anyone who has completed a service for you should be complimented with a thank you… unless they’ve been completely rude or neglectful, but that’s another story.  And when you ask anything of anyone you should always finish your request with a thank you…like when you ask a salesperson to find an item for you in a different size or color or both.

But don’t say “thank you” just to say it.  Mean it.  Because there is nothing worse than being
disingenuous.  In fact, an insincere “thank you” can be perceived as a back-handed compliment or dripping with sarcasm.

And I’ll let you in on a little secret.  Being justly polite and courteous to people actually brightens your day too…again, I have no actual proof.  Just a personal observation.  But I’m sure someone somewhere got a research grant to study this.

So next time you’re have a bad day, make an effort to say “thank you” to the folks you encounter who deserve it.  They will certainly appreciate it and your day will slowly improve!