Winetex
Austin, Texas
Master of Wine
Posts:10573
 | | 08/31/2004 1:09 AM |
| At Vino Las Vegas II last weekend we had an interesting development while drinking our wines at one of the restaurants.
We ate dinner at Delmonico's in the Venetian Hotel. We were in the smoking section but no one close to us was smoking. However, there was a heavy smoke smell in the area.
We opened what should have been some good wines. The list included:
2001 Failla Pinot Noir Keefer Ranch
1998 Gardine CDP (potentially corked)
1995 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
1995 Leoville Poyfrere
1998 Allegrini Amarone
1990 Chat. Haut-Manbuzet
The Failla was served first and was quite good (it had been previously decanted). The next few wines were served in approximately the order above. The weird part was that the two Bdx and the cab had an overwhelming cigar taste to them. The Amarone just tasted messy, hot and disjointed.
We will never know for sure but we suspect that the glasses were tainted by cigar smoke and/or soap. Has anyone had a similar experience? At one point we thought it was just the BDXs but then we tasted the Groth and it had the same taste.
Comments? It certainly seemed like a lot of good wine was potentially tainted or perhaps less good than they could have been. | | | |
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skwid
Wine Connoisseur
Posts:5452
| | 08/31/2004 1:22 AM |
| | I was at a BAWE tasting and the glassware I brought wasn't clean (probably some soap or something) and the wines were totally dulled. I got some other glassware and voila the fruit in the wine showed up. I will also say that if the room is heavily perfumed (by smoke or food) then this will effect you ability to enjoy the wines. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Stomper
Posts:152
| | 08/31/2004 12:07 PM |
| | A pub in my hometown hangs the wineglasses to dry (for show) right over the bar. The place is fairly smoky, and I remember tasting stale tobacco when I had a glass of wine there. But then again, considering the wine list, I'm not sure it wasn't an improvement. | | | |
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Pool Boy
Laurl, MD (DC suburb)
Master of Wine
Posts:13660
| | 08/31/2004 1:06 PM |
| | That is too bad Winetex. Not sure if that stuff could really affect the wine with certainty, but I'd put money on it that it very well could have. | |
www.roguefood.com -- www.cellartracker.com | |
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Rothko
Palm Beach
Wine Thief
Posts:2849
| | 08/31/2004 1:15 PM |
| We put new cabinets in our kitchen about six months ago, and some of the glassware still gives off a "new cabinet" scent. Turns any white wine into a heavy, oaky chardonnay.  | | | |
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ormbee
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2397
| | 08/31/2004 1:45 PM |
| Rothko,
I had the same problem. What I found worked best was to store the red wine glasses there. When I used them, I rinsed with water, then seasoned with a bit of the wine. The red seemed to take away the scnet better then the white. | | | |
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Sacred Cow
Wine Thief
Posts:2764
| | 08/31/2004 4:27 PM |
| Of course, the smoke in Vegas may not have been the only problem. Anyone ever tasted the water in Vegas? And who knows about potential soap issues.
Though I do think the smoke was the biggest problem, with the heavy cigar smeall/taste in all of the wines.
Mike | | | |
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15709
| | 09/01/2004 2:35 AM |
| I can't be the only guy nuts enough to wash and polish my glassware the morning of the day some winos are coming over for dinner.
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ChangeMe
Grape Puncher
Posts:986
| | 09/01/2004 11:15 AM |
| | If a restaurant is smoky I just turn around & leave. I find cigarette/cigar smoke to be just about the most offensive smell in the world. every time a state bans smoking in pulic places I cheer! | | | |
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Stephen D.
Grape Fermenter
Posts:678
| | 09/01/2004 4:58 PM |
| I for one am a big fan of the ban on smoking in bars/restaurants. Really miss smoke wafting over my food as I prepare for another bite or a sip of wine. To say nothing of the stench on your clothes when you got home after a night out.
While I enjoy cigars, I only smoke them outdoors while golfing , fishing ,or on a walk so as not to offend anyone else. | | | |
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DdB
Barrel Filler
Posts:1452
| | 09/02/2004 4:21 PM |
| Nope, david, I do the same. Wash 'em before and after use | | | |
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ChangeMe
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2098
| | 09/03/2004 10:46 PM |
| I'll tell you when the waiter or wine steward gets an extra-special tip from me - when I see them cleaning the (best) glasses with a clean cloth shortly before pouring my wine in them. You never know how long the glass has been sitting idle, collecting a film of smells and "stuff" that's in the air in the place.
Winetex - I wonder if this restaurant had a kitchen fire sometime just prior to your dining there and they didn't clean everything that was exposed to the smoke. | | | |
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Winetex
Austin, Texas
Master of Wine
Posts:10573
| | 09/04/2004 1:23 AM |
| | Lilac - re: small kitchen fire. That is a very interesting thought and might explain some of the "attributes" we were tasting. | | | |
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