Amore committed to helping you find the perfect pair . . .

When thinking about a meal, you consider a few things. One of the things you ask yourself, "What am I craving?" is a key to happiness. Often when this decision is made you have just discovered a pallet for Amore to paint with, and one of the colors we love is wine. With a few simple questions such as; what color, how sweet or fruity, and of course will you like some thing big or soft, allows the artists at Amore to really paint a satisfying experience. The choices you make about wine are all about what you want, and at Amore what you want is what we want to offer. Some thing we would like to offer you is a small guidance in life, a basic wine knowledge if you will. There are six major wines that most people will recognize and are standard editions in our cellars. With these six wines come a full range of body and flavor in both red and white wines.

There are a couple things to keep in mind while thinking about these, what we will call, the big six. First, always remember that fruity doesn’t mean sweet. Always remember that the higher the sugar content the lower the alcohol and alcohol is the main factor in the dryness of the wine. Some dryness is accredited to grape and oak barrels, but the more alcohol in a wine the dryer it is. Always remember that savory does not mean you have to stick to a red wine, and quite true for creamy or soft meaning sticking to a white. This is where real fun and experience can make a moment a memory. When thinking about the "body" of a wine, it is easiest to refer to the types of milk there are. If you look at skim milk or 2 percent milk in a glass, you can easily see how the milk runs off of the glass when poured out. It runs, and leaves the glass very quickly. This can be considered the same idea when we think of a "light bodied" wine. This applies to whites and Reds. The white varietal or grape that falls under this example is the Pinot Grigio, often having hints of apple or pair and tends to fall on the dryer side. Italian Pinot Grigio will have more of the pair flavor, were as the American version claims the fruitiness of the apple. The red version of the light bodied wines would be the Pinot Noir. It is soft, and often fruity. The flavors hit your taste buds with a blast and leave them just as quickly. Some of the best Pinot Noir in the world comes from Oregon.

The next step in the fullness scale would be that of whole milk, or medium bodied. When poured from a glass it can be seen clinging to the glass longer, and fuller. It does run off of the glass but not quickly, it has coated the glass and lingers. Again, in both the white and the red medium is an option. The white version of this fullness would be the Sauvignon Blanc often earthy, with the smells of sweet grass. Sauvignon Blanc is a real breath of summer in a glass. If from the United States it tends to have more of grassy smell and a dryer finish. Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand are free of sulfites, making them a perfect wine for the heat of a day. The Italian versions of this wine are often a bit more acidic and are meant to stand up to robust foods such as tomato sauces and garlic. This is one of them line crossing wines if ever there was one. The Red varietal is the merlot, silky and smooth scents of chocolate, and vanilla a definite hint of oak every time. Now we are brought to the fullest of the levels, and these are the "full bodied" wines. When thinking about our glass of milk, if we fill it with cream and pour it out there would be a thick and clinging fullness about the glass. The full bodied wines are the same. They will fill your mouth with flavor and it will stay there. The white wine that falls under full bodied is the Chardonnay. It can be "buttery" which is rich and almost creamy. It can also be described as citric. It is more refreshing, and crisp. This type of wine is great for thick sauces of cheese or milk, as they will clear the pallet for your next bite. The red varietal is the Cabernet Sauvignon, full of pepper and spice. Stored in rich American oak, or Italian oak, giving it that dark oak flavor. This is the wine for spicy food, or savory cheeses and toasted nuts. Dark breads would also provide a flavor explosion with this wine. Please don’t forget this one when considering dark and rich chocolate and dense desserts.

So as we consider the colors of our pallet we can also consider what we shall use to clear it. We have three very distinct levels of fullness to choice from.

Light Bodied: Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir.
Medium Bodied: Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot
Full Bodied: Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon

These are your big six the most commonly known wines amongst restaurants and guests alike. Now you have the pour to start filling your pallet with the most amazing colors on the earth. Enjoy exploring wine, and your pallet. When you’re at Amore, you have the chance to really enjoy using these tools. In the kitchen the flavors are carefully blended and paired, and at the table we are committed to helping you do the same with our wines. Just ask us if you need help, that is what we are here for. Helping you explore your passion is what Amore means to us, because it is what we truly love.

-Robert Beeman, Service Manager