How Long Does It Take To Get Your Taste Back

CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- PepsiCo employees mingled inside the festive and cozy wine shop, sipping their proseccos and pinot noirs while fluffy snow fell on the street outside.

Above all, it was a holiday celebration that about 70 co-workers attended, some of them flying in from other parts of the country for the end-of-the-year party held in a store just west of Chicago's Loop. But with each modest pour came an appetizer that paired well with it and a server who could talk with authority on the characteristics of the wine they were about to drink as well as the regions in which the grapes were grown.

In short, while reveling with colleagues, partygoers had an opportunity to learn about wine selection -- lessons that the manager-level employees could use to add to their overall wine I.Q. and easily tap when entertaining clients.

"The education isn't in-your-face education," said Don Sritong, corporate sommelier and owner of Just Grapes, the store that hosted the event. In fact, he called the method more of a "Cliffs Notes" for learning about wine.

To show that more expensive isn't always better, PepsiCo employees did a blind tasting, ranking three wines in order of most to least expensive. Often their hunches were wrong.

For clients who request more formal instruction, the evening might end by passing out several styles of wine menus from chains like P.F. Chang's or a more upscale establishment such as Chicago-based Charlie Trotter's, Sritong said. The evening's lessons are then put to a test as participants are asked to select the wine they would order for a group.

What employees pick up from these events can go a long way in impressing others at a business dinner. Because "there's a lot of business being done in dining rooms of restaurants," learning how to navigate a wine list can be as functional as taking golf lessons for those at companies where business is done on the golf course, Sritong said.

A case of Wine 101

While wine education isn't new, it might be becoming more essential for business people.

Wine consumption has risen each year for the past 14 years, said Kevin Zraly, wine educator and author of book, "Windows on the World Complete Wine Course." This year, the United States overtook Italy in total wine consumption, he said; in three years, the United States is expected to consume more wine than France, Zraly added.

As another indication of how interest in wine is rising, Zraly's book, first published in 1985, is expected to have its best year in terms of sales in 2007, he said.

In short, more people in the United States are beginning to know a little something about wine, and as they develop some sophistication in their palates, those in the business world are wise to know a little more than the average drinker, he said.

And knowing how to navigate a wine list can help someone subtly rise to a position of power at a dining table, said Eddie Osterland, a master sommelier who speaks to groups about entertaining with food and wine.

Most people "duck and weave and head-fake and go to the bathroom, and women look in their purses" when the wine list arrives at the table, he said.

"You need to take the position of power," he said. When those at the table are asked "'who would like to see the wine list,' you want to be the one to jump up and say 'I'll take that.'"

Event planners are also increasingly in the know on this topic; Zraly sometimes does training sessions strictly for event planners who will be ordering wine for business parties. In addition to quality, they're also looking for value -- especially considering that imported wine prices are set to go up next year by at least 25% due to the value of the dollar and the effect of increasing wine demand from markets including China and India, he said.

Finding value, he said, is his specialty: "My job in life is to find the $10 bottle of wine that tastes like a $20," Zraly said.

Tasting party tips

Congratulations if you're one of the lucky ones attending a holiday wine tasting this year. Even if you consider yourself a wine aficionado, you'll probably learn something.

"I do know a lot about wine, but I always take something away from it," said James Mack, now a wine grower in California, who attended a recent wine dinner in Chicago through Vistage, a CEO membership organization. Osterland provided the wine education for the evening, at one point instructing diners to take a sip of white wine while a bite of crab cake was still in their mouths to show how wine can complement food.

To get the most out of the event, jot down some notes as you go, or remember to take home a printout of the wines served, if available.

Also, while small tasting portions are poured at these events, they do add up. Not only will you retain less if you imbibe excessively, but you also risk impairing your judgment while around co-workers and bosses -- an office party no-no, whatever the event's format.

Not invited to a company wine soiree this year? You can still look like you know something about wine the next time you're at a business dinner.

Here are some wine-ordering tips from the experts:

Do some advance planning. Chances are the wine list is on the restaurant's Web site, so look at it before you go. You could also call the sommelier to discuss good values and unique offerings, Osterland said.
Remember that more expensive isn't always better. If you can't tell the difference between a $10 and $100 bottle of wine, there's probably no sense in buying the most expensive bottle, Sritong said.
Some expensive wines aren't served correctly in all restaurants. Sometimes red wines are served just a tad too warm or should be decanted but aren't, Osterland said. If the conditions aren't right, spending the extra amount could be a waste of money.
Waive the tasting ritual and don't smell the cork. Most wines will be fine and if you send back a bottle, you'd better have a reason, Osterland said. So waive the tasting. And forget smelling the cork -- you're not going to get a good whiff of the wine that way. Smell it in the glass instead, he said.