Wine 101

Since the beginning of recorded history, wine has been part of celebrations, rituals, and memorable experiences. Our wine is broken into four main categories:

Varietals

Made from one specific grape variety:

  • Chardonnay
  • Merlot
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Pinot Noir
  • Riesling
  • Pinot Grigio
  • Zinfandel
  • Shiraz

Fruit

Wine made from fruit other than grapes, or a blend of grapes and fruits such as:

  • Blackberry Cabernet
  • Blueberry Pinot Noir
  • Green Apple Riesling
  • Pomegranate Zinfandel
  • White Cranberry Pinot Gris

Blends

Wine made from more than one grape varietal:

  • Chianti
  • Liebfraumilch
  • Rose

Dessert

Can be made of one variety or a combination of varieties and is very sweet such as:

  • Port (combination)
  • Riesling Ice Wine (one variety)

Wine...the perfect compliment to food. Like a good marriage, the goal is harmony and balance in food and wine pairings. Wine tastes differently when paired with food and can impart its own flavors to a dish giving the food another layer of complexity. Food can add its own flavors to wine. If one in the pairing is overpowering, the other suffers. Sometimes, an entirely different, and often unpleasant, taste can be created when the pairing is not complimentary.

At Karl's Cuisine Café, Chef Karl has taken the guesswork out of choosing the most complimentary wine for a particular dish. For suggested wine pairings, see our dinner menu.