By Edward M. Korry, CSS, CWE

Having identified types of sparkling wines, here’s how to serve them.

While true service is the ability to read the customer and make appropriate suggestions to enhance a diner’s experience, it also includes the mechanics for seamlessly delivering a product to the customer. We have discussed the types of sparkling wines one might offer. The following article includes the basics of the mechanics for serving sparkling wines.

Sparkling wines should be chilled to 40ºF to 45ºF before opening. This allows the server greater control, as the gas is in a more stable form when chilled, thus preventing the all-too-frequent explosion of corks from the bottle and the resulting loss of wine.

When handling the bottle, the server should ensure that it is dry so that it does not accidentally slip out of his or her hands. Many restaurants set as a service standard the practice of wrapping a service towel around the bottle. This practice stems from a time when bottles were less uniformly made and prone to occasional explosion, and less necessary today.

Recent research suggests pecans, applicable in recipes for every season, are packed with nutrition.

It’s harvest time for the North American pecan industry. Loved throughout the world for their full flavor, crunchy texture and rich aroma, pecans are also recognized by health authorities and consumers for their nutritional value.

A study recently published in the journal Current Topics in Nutraceutical Research suggests pecans—in part because of their high level of vitamin E—might play a role in protecting the nervous system by keeping nerve cells functioning well as we age.

Commercial buyers utilize the following pecan products, according to the National Pecan Shellers Association.

Educators and students were among the 38 finalists who rose to the occasion in the California Raisin Marketing Board’s final bake-off.

The California Raisin Marketing Board, the state marketing order that represents nearly 3,000 California raisin growers, announced 13 winners in its third-annual America’s Best Raisin Bread Contest held recently. The “bakers’ dozen” winners rose to the top among a total of 85 initial entries submitted by professional and student bakers from throughout the country.

“This year’s formulas exceeded our expectations by featuring diverse California raisin-inspired breads and bakery products—from savory Raisin Focaccia Bread with goat cheese and caramelized onions to sweet Raisin Pecan Caramel Rolls,” said Larry Blagg, senior vice president of marketing for the board.

The mission of the America’s Best Raisin Bread competition is to recognize and celebrate aspiring and working bakers for their skills. To allow the bakers more creativity and to broaden the range of products, this year’s artisan and commercial baking categories were expanded to include raisin rolls, pastries and other breakfast breads.

By Edward M. Korry, CSS, CWE

A server needs to seize the opportunity for determining the type of sparkling wine his or her customers prefer.

Champagne and sparkling wines conjure up images of celebration, elegance and pure enjoyment. While frequently perceived as merely a reception wine, the styles of sparkling wines vary enormously, and if properly understood can enhance a restaurant’s bottom line and a server’s income considerably. The key is to also provide commensurate quality service.

Many people refer to any sparkling wine as champagne, though only wine from the specific geographic appellation, 70 miles northeast of Paris, France, can rightfully be called Champagne. Champagne sets the standard for sparkling-wine production, and until 1990, other appellations both within and outside of France were able to refer to the champagne method on their labels. Since then no other EU wine may even refer to the term. In the United States, we have 14 semi-generic labels including champagne. Most U.S. sparkling-wine producers refer to their wines with the term CM/CV on the label. This refers to classic method and classic grape varieties, which includes chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier.

Culinary leaders from the Western Hemisphere gathered last month in San Antonio to celebrate El Sueño, The Culinary Institute of America’s mission to promote Latino diversity in the foodservice and hospitality industries.

The Culinary Institute of America celebrated the official opening of its expanded 30,000-square-foot campus in San Antonio, Texas, in October 2010 with a festival that included food, music, a healthy-snack competition for local high-school students and culinary demonstrations by chefs ranging from Rick Bayless to Johnny Hernandez. The opening marked the completion of the second phase of the CIA's El Sueño initiative that was launched in San Antonio to promote Latino diversity in the foodservice industry.