Wines and Beers

What kind of beer is Heineken?

A classic Dutch lager / pilsner. Light, crisp, clean, refreshing, with a slightly bitter finish.

How do you describe Heineken to a guest?

It’s a classic crisp lager — light, refreshing, and easy-drinking.

Who should you recommend Heineken to?

Someone who wants something familiar, light, simple, cold, and refreshing.

What kind of beer is Affligem Blond?

A Belgian blond ale. Fuller and more flavorful than a lager, with soft maltiness, light fruitiness, and gentle Belgian spice.

How do you describe Affligem Blond to a guest?

“It’s a Belgian blond — a bit richer and fruitier than Heineken, with a smooth malty finish.”

Who should you recommend Affligem Blond to?

Someone who wants a beer with more body and flavor, but still smooth and approachable.

What kind of beer is IJwit?

A Dutch witbier / white beer. Cloudy, fresh, citrusy, lightly spiced, and easy to drink.

How do you describe IJwit to a guest?

“It’s a refreshing white beer — cloudy, citrusy, lightly spiced, and really easy to drink.”

Compare Heineken, Affligem Blond, and IJwit.

Heineken = lightest, crispest, most familiar. Affligem Blond = richer, maltier, more Belgian. IJwit = fresh, cloudy, citrusy, lightly spiced.

What type of wine is Brut Nature Méthode Ancestrale “Monange”?

A dry sparkling wine from the Loire, made in an ancestral / natural-style method. It tastes very dry, fresh, bright, light-to-medium bodied, with orchard fruit, lively acidity, and a slightly rustic/artisanal feel. Loire wines, in general, are often fresh, high-acid, mineral, and elegant, with apple/pear/citrus notes rather than heavy richness.

“It’s very dry and fresh, with lively bubbles and a slightly more natural, artisanal feel than Champagne.”

It pairs well with… Oysters, seafood, tuna tartare, salty snacks, fried starters, fresh cheese.

How do you pronounce “Brut Nature Méthode Ancestrale ‘Monange’”?

broot nah-TEWR meh-TOD ahn-ses-TRAL moh-NAHNZH

What type of wine is Champagne Brut Grande Réserve?

Classic dry Champagne: sparkling wine from Champagne, France. It tastes dry, crisp, elegant, polished, with fine bubbles, citrus, green apple, and a subtle biscuit/toast note.

Because it’s from the champagne region, it has very bubbles, high acidity, elegance, and often brioche, biscuit, or toasty notes from the winemaking.

“It’s classic Champagne — dry, crisp, elegant, with fine bubbles and a subtle toasty finish.”

22. Champagne — pairings

Pairs well with: Oysters, seafood, creamy sauces, fries, salty snacks, cheese, langoustines, steak tartare.

What type of wine is Kolonne Null Cuvée Blanc Sparkling No. 01?

koh-LON-uh nool

It tastes crisp, fresh, lightly fruity, bubbly, and clean, with a dry-ish finish.

“It’s our alcohol-free sparkling option — crisp, fresh, lightly fruity, and still festive.”

Compare the three sparkling options.

Loire sparkling = driest, freshest, most artisanal
Champagne = most classic, elegant, and polished
Kolonne Null = alcohol-free, crisp, and celebratory.

What type of wine is Côtes du Rhône Blanc?

koht dew rohn blahn

A dry white Rhône blend from France. It has a dry, medium-bodied, round, soft, slightly floral, with stone fruit and gentle citrus. Fresh, but not sharp .Rhône whites are often fuller, softer, rounder, and more textured than very crisp whites like Chablis.

It’s a dry white, but rounder and softer — stone-fruity, lightly floral, and medium-bodied.

Pairs well with: Chicken, grilled vegetables, creamy sauces, roasted leek, monkfish, BBQ langoustines.

What type of wine is Verdicchio Il Filletto?

A dry Italian white wine made from the Verdicchio grape. It tastes dry, fresh, zesty, slightly savory, with lemon, green apple, minerals, herbs, and a subtle almond note. Le Marche is on Italy’s Adriatic side, so Verdicchio often works beautifully with seafood: crisp, mineral, citrusy, and savory.

“It’s a crisp Italian white — zesty, fresh, a little savory, with lemon and a subtle almond finish.”

Pairs well with: Tuna tartare, seafood, seabass, artichoke, salads, lemony dishes, grilled fish.

What type of wine is Mâcon-Villages? mah-KOH vee-LAHZH. I

A dry white Burgundy made from Chardonnay. It tastes dry, medium-bodied, smooth, round, with apple, pear, soft citrus, and a gentle creamy texture. Mâcon is in southern Burgundy, so the Chardonnay is usually riper, softer, fruitier, and more approachable than Chablis.

“It’s a rounder Chardonnay from Burgundy — dry, smooth, appley, and gently creamy.”

Pairs well with: Roasted leek, monkfish, chicken, creamy pasta, mushrooms, white fish, soft cheeses.

What type of wine is Chablis?

A dry white Burgundy made from Chardonnay, but in a lean, crisp, mineral style. It tastes dry, crisp, mineral, citrusy, with green apple, lemon, and a clean stony finish. It’s leaner and fresher than Mâcon. Chablis is northern Burgundy, so it usually means cool-climate Chardonnay: high acidity, citrus, minerals, and little to no buttery richness.

“It’s Chardonnay, but not buttery — very crisp, mineral, citrusy, and elegant.”

Pairs well with: Oysters, seabass, tuna tartare, monkfish, seafood, goat cheese, fresh salads, lemony dishes.

What type of wine is Dr. Loosen Riesling?

A non-alcoholic white Riesling-style wine from the Mosel, Germany. It will taste fresh, fruity, aromatic, lightly sweet, with peach, citrus, and bright acidity. Mosel Riesling is often aromatic, delicate, peachy, fresh, high-acid, and sometimes slightly sweet.

It will pair well with our rhubarb dessert, spicy food, salads, lighter fish, Asian-inspired dishes, blue cheese.

Compare the white wines from crispest to roundest.

Chablis = crispest and most mineral
Verdicchio = zesty and savory
Côtes du Rhône Blanc = fuller and floral
Mâcon = roundest and creamiest
NA Riesling = fruitiest and lightly sweet.

What type of wine is Château d’Ollières Classique Rosé?

A dry Provence rosé from southern France. It’s dry, pale, crisp, light-bodied, delicate, with subtle red berries, citrus, and a clean refreshing finish. Rosés from Provence are generally pale, dry, elegant, crisp, delicate, and refreshing — not sweet or heavy.

“It’s a classic Provence rosé — pale, dry, crisp, and very refreshing.”

Pairs well with: Salads, seafood, grilled vegetables, carrot-beetroot millefeuille, langoustines, chicken, sunny aperitif drinking.

What type of wine is Pinot Grigio “Blancjat”? PEE-noh GREE-joh blahn-kyat

A dry orange wine / skin-contact white made from Pinot Grigio. It is dry, medium-bodied, textured, with stone fruit, citrus peel, light spice, and a gentle tea-like grip. Friuli in northeastern Italy is known for textured, aromatic, food-friendly whites and orange wines.

“It’s dry and textured, more structured than a normal white, with stone fruit, citrus peel, and a gentle tea-like grip.”

Pairs well with: Artichoke, earthy vegetables, cheese, charcuterie, mushrooms, herbs, spiced dishes, grilled fish.

Skin Contact

It’s a white wine made more like a red, with grape skins left in contact. That gives more texture, grip, color, and savory complexity.

What type of wine is Côtes du Rhône Rouge? (koht dew rohn roozh)

A dry red Rhône blend, usually Grenache/Syrah-based. It’s dry, medium-bodied, smooth, with dark red fruit, soft spice, pepper, gentle tannins, and a warm finish. Rhône reds are often juicy, spicy, medium-to-full bodied, smooth, and great with grilled meats or hearty dishes.

“It’s a smooth medium-bodied red — dark-fruited, lightly spicy, and very food-friendly.”

Pairs well with: Steak frites, T-bone, lamb, roast chicken, stews, ratatouille, hard cheeses.

What type of wine is Montepulciano? mon-teh-pool-CHAH-noh

A dry Italian red from Abruzzo, made from the Montepulciano grape. It is dry, medium-to-full bodied, dark and rich, with black cherry, plum, earth, savory notes, and firmer tannins. Abruzzo often gives dark, fruit-forward, rustic, savory Italian reds that work well with meat and tomato-based dishes.

“It’s the richest red on the list — dark, smooth, plummy, a little earthy, and good with steak.”

Pairs well with: T-bone, steak frites, red meat, tomato pasta, pizza-style flavors, rich stews, aged cheese, dark chocolate if they insist on wine.

What type of wine is Beaujolais Rouge? boh-zhuh-LAY roozh

A dry red wine from Beaujolais, made from Gamay. It’s dry, light-bodied, juicy, very fresh, low-tannin, with cherry, raspberry, and soft fruitiness.

“It’s the lightest red — juicy, fresh, low-tannin, with cherry and raspberry. Great slightly chilled.”

Pairs well with: Steak tartare, charcuterie, roast chicken, lighter meat dishes, tuna, cheese, bistro food.

Compare the three red wines.

Beaujolais = lightest, freshest, juiciest
Côtes du Rhône = medium-bodied, smooth, spicy
Montepulciano = darkest, richest, most structured

Guest asks for the crispest white. What do you recommend?

Chablis.
Line: “It’s the freshest and most mineral white — crisp, citrusy, and dry.”

Guest wants crisp white but says no Chardonnay.

Verdicchio.
Line: “It’s crisp, zesty, slightly savory, and great with seafood.”

Guest wants a softer, rounder white.

Mâcon-Villages or Côtes du Rhône Blanc.
Line: “The Mâcon is round and Chardonnay-like; the Rhône Blanc is fuller and more floral.”

Guest wants a more interesting wine.

Orange Pinot Grigio or Loire Méthode Ancestrale sparkling.
Line: “The orange wine is textured and food-friendly; the Loire sparkling is dry and artisanal.”

Guest wants a light red.

Beaujolais Rouge.
Line: “It’s light, juicy, fresh, and low in tannin.”

Guest wants a medium-bodied red.

Côtes du Rhône Rouge.
Line: “It’s smooth, spicy, dark-fruited, and works with lots of dishes.”

Guest wants the biggest/richest red.

Montepulciano.
Line: “It’s the darkest and richest red on the list.”

Guest wants alcohol-free wine.

Kolonne Null sparkling for bubbles; Dr. Loosen Riesling for white.
Line: “The sparkling is crisp and festive; the Riesling is fruitier and lightly sweet.”

Guest orders steak frites or T-bone. What wine?

Côtes du Rhône Rouge for smooth and spicy; Montepulciano for richer and bolder.

Guest orders grilled seabass. What wine?

Chablis first choice; Champagne if they want sparkling; Verdicchio as another crisp option.

Guest orders BBQ langoustines. What wine?

Champagne, Côtes du Rhône Blanc, or Provence rosé.
Line: “They need freshness, but also enough body for the butter and spice.”

Guest orders carrot & beetroot millefeuille. What wine?

Provence rosé, Verdicchio, or orange wine.
Line: “Freshness works best, but orange wine is great if they like texture.”

Guest orders dark chocolate terrine. What wine?

Wine is tricky with chocolate. Montepulciano is the best wine option because it’s the darkest and richest, but coffee or a sweeter digestif may work better.

Guest orders cheese. What wine?

Champagne for creamy cheeses, Mâcon for soft/nutty cheeses, Côtes du Rhône red for firmer cheeses, NA Riesling for blue cheese.