selling and serving wines © 2007 thomson delmar learning. all rights reserved. chapter 16

Selling and Serving Wines

© 2007 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Chapter 16


Objectives

• After reading this chapter, you should be able to– describe some techniques to drive wine sales in

the restaurant.– identify different methods of selling wine in the

operation.– list the key steps in tableside wine service.– explain what steps to take if a guest refuses a

bottle of wine.– identify the key decisions when choosing

glassware for your wine program.– design a basic staff training program.


Introduction

• The business of selling and serving wine is distinctly different from enjoying wine at home or with friends.

• The sale of wine is influenced by the restaurant management and how the wine program is presented to guests.

• The sale is further supported by the service staff who ensure seamless delivery of product to the customers.

• The proper execution of restaurant wine sales and service depends on– preparation and planning– staff training – an investment in time and resources


Wine Service and the Role of the Sommelier

• Throughout history, the role of promoting wine sales and ensuring appropriate wine service has often been the job of the sommelier.

• Historically the sommelier was responsible for stocking and maintaining the provisions.

• Today the sommelier focuses on supporting the guest in the restaurant wine experience.

• This can involve – design of the wine list – acquiring and maintaining inventory– selling and serving the wine tableside – suggesting appropriate wine and food pairings


Wine Service and the Role of the Sommelier

(continued)

• The role of sommelier is occasionally undertaken by a full-time staff member whose focus is solely on the wine, but not every operation can afford this level of investment.– Most establishments divide the duties of a sommelier

between the manager, service staff and bar manager. – In these operations, the role of selling and

representing wine sales falls on the servers, managers, and bartenders.

– All staff must be prepared to discuss and sell wine with the guests and should be comfortable doing so in order to fully support the wine program.


Starting Early

• A potential wine sale in the restaurant begins before the guest even walks through the door. – Many restaurants have a sign board or kiosk outside

the door where their food and wine menus are posted to make their selections clear to potential guests.

– A well-organized and diverse wine list is as important as the selection of food offered by the chef.

– Guests should be reminded that wine is an enjoyable aspect of dining, and we plan to provide this service for them.


Promoting Successful Wine Sales (continued)

• Why would restaurant guests spend two to three times more for a bottle of wine in a restaurant than they would in a store?

• The answer lies in the level of service provided and the ability to deliver added value to their purchase.

• Added value means that although guests may pay more, the delivery of that wine enables them to get more out of it.– Value is added by having appropriate, polished glassware. – Value is added by having attentive, knowledgeable servers

who open and pour the wine.– Value is added by professional service throughout the meal.


Promoting Successful Wine Sales

• From the time the wine is chosen to the time the bottle is empty, the guests should be supported by the service staff. – This allows the guests a complete experience that

cannot be replicated at home. – Our job is as much to build value into the guests’

experience as it is to meet their needs. – The more we work to build value into the guests’

experience, the more likely they are to enjoy their time and to return to the establishment.


Driving On-Premise Sales

• Wine sales that take place on the site of the restaurant are called on-premise sales.– It is not uncommon to encounter a prominent

display of bottles of wine that are served by the glass, usually on a table near the host stand.

– Many restaurants make use of large format promotional bottles called “dummy bottles” because they are not filled with wine.

– These display bottles draw attention to, and reinforce, the restaurant’s commitment to its wine program.


Featured Wines

• Once the guest is seated, the wine selling can really take place. One option that is commonly employed is to have a featured selection of wine on the table. – Once the server greets the table and relays the

specials to the group, it is easy to transition to the wine sales by drawing attention to the featured wine.

– This allows the guests to learn about the wine without having to ask, and to guide them in their selections.

– A drawback to this approach is that targeting a specific wine could increase sales of that wine, but also deter guests from ordering other wines.


Setup for Sales

• Another way to promote a wine sale is by including a wine glass in the standard setup of the tables.

• This also makes the server’s job easier because they do not have to set glassware if a party orders wine.

• If they order a wine by the glass, the server could either remove the preset glass and return with the requested glass of wine or they could bring a bottle of house wine to pour. – There must be enough clean, polished wine stems to

allow setting one at each spot on every table. – The servers should remove stemware from any setting

where the guest has chosen not to order wine.


Setup for Sales (continued)

• Another common way to promote featured wines is by using a table tent or other tabletop display. – This is usually a simple A-frame device that

stands up on the tabletop and is included as part of the standard table setting.

– This allows the guest to see product information, prices, tasting notes, and pairing suggestions at their leisure and throughout the meal.


Food and Wine Suggestions

• The impact that servers have on promoting wine sales should not be underestimated. – The servers have the most personal contact with

the table, and once a rapport has been created, it can be parlayed into a meaningful wine experience for the guest.

– Proper training of staff is a critical precursor to successful tableside wine sales.

– One easy way to get servers involved in wine sales is to conduct regular and focused tastings of selections from the wine list.


Food and Wine Suggestions (continued)

• As part of preservice lineup, the management should suggest an appropriate wine pairing for each special.– As the server shares the specials with the table, the

wine should be mentioned. – On the menu it is possible to offer a stock pairing

suggestion for each entrée item and have each server suggest the same wines for each dish.

– This takes the guesswork out of the experience, and it helps to prevent unsuccessful pairings that might decrease the guests’ enjoyment of the meal or wine.


Food and Wine Suggestions (continued)

• This focus on safe or predetermined pairing suggestions has drawbacks, – Having stock suggestions can limit creativity on

the part of the server who looks to offer each table a unique experience.

– Also, it can be uncomfortable for a server who suggests Sauvignon Blanc and is promptly informed that the guest dislikes Sauvignon Blanc!

– This server is caught off guard, especially if management has not properly trained the staff in the basics of pairing wine with food.


Visible Storage and Special Seating

• When designing restaurants, many operators choose a highly visible spot for their wine racking.

• This may manifest itself as a specially designated wine room or be as simple as visible racking that is part of the overall design of the dining room.

• Either situation has its challenges.– The majority of dining rooms are much warmer

than the ideal temperature for wine storage.– If the wine is not easily accessible by the service

staff, delivery of wine to a table could be delayed.


Offer Options

• Part of the reason that guests dine out is that they like choices, and the wine list is no exception. – By offering guests a broad selection of wines to

choose from, we are able to appeal to many different taste preferences.

– But the quest to offer options should not stop with representing different varietals and regions on the wine list, it should also include different pour sizes and possibly even different bottle sizes.


Offer Options (continued)

• A wine flight is a selection of wines that are offered together as a type of package.

• Most restaurant operations will offer guests samples of wine, a ½ to 1 ounce taste of a specific wine that the guest has questions about at no charge.

• Another way to offer the guests choices is to offer wine in several different bottle sizes. – Half bottles are half the volume of a traditional

bottle. – Large format bottles are those that are larger than

the traditional 750 ml.


Bringing Their Own

• Some restaurants allow guests to bring their own bottle of wine from home to enjoy with their meal. – Some restaurants allow this because they do not

have a license that allows them to sell wine. – Restaurants with a wine list may allow guests to

bring their own wine but charge the guests a fee. – This fee that is charged to guests who bring their

own bottle of wine is called a corkage fee. • This is not allowed by all states, and each operation

should ensure that they are in compliance with state law.


Tableside Wine Service

• Glasses First• The first consideration when preparing to serve

wine to a table is the glassware that the wine will be served in. – The idea with any wine glass is that is should be large

enough to accommodate the amount of wine being poured without the glass being filled to the rim.

– In any size glass, the amount of wine should never be more than about two-thirds of the space in the glass, although an ideal amount would probably be one-half.


Glasses First

• An exception to this standard fill level would be with those glasses used for a restaurant’s house wines served by the glass. – Here perceived value to the guest is as important

as the ability to appreciate the wine’s aroma. – Wines offered by the glass in a small glass that is

filled almost to the rim may make the guest feel like they are getting good value, but the ability to swirl the wine and fully appreciate the aroma is diminished.


Glasses First (continued)

• The size and shape of the bowl on the wineglass is as much a matter of preference as it is practicality. – Although there are specific types of glasses for

almost every type of wine, few restaurants have the money to invest in more than a couple styles of glass.

– In some cases, restaurants may simply have one multipurpose glass that is used for every situation.

– A wine glass with a bowl that tapers in at the top will be much more effective at trapping a wine’s aromas than one that flares outward at the top.



• At the very least, the operation should have two different glass styles, chosen to complement the wines offered on the wine list. – For example, having a large glass for red wines and

a slightly smaller glass for whites would suffice. – Or, one glass may be used for the restaurant’s

by-the-glass wines and another more elegant glass for bottled wines.

– Durability of the glasses is also important. • Fine glasses should ALWAYS be washed by hand at the bar

and not put through the washing machine.



• Regardless of the style and size of the glassware, they must be served clean and polished. – Glassware with water spots is unsightly and a

sure sign of lack of attention to detail. – Polishing glassware is an easy activity, although

completing this task in the heat of a busy service period can be a challenge.

– Service staff should be properly trained to be gentle with the glass to reducing the incidences of breakage.


Proper Serving Temperatures

• Any wine is at its best when it is served at the appropriate temperature. – This can be a challenging situation in a

restaurant setting mainly due to the storage situation of the operation.

– If wine is served at modern room temperature, it is often served too warm to be fully enjoyed.

– When wines are served at the incorrect temperature, their profile surely suffers and ultimately they are not as enjoyable as their potential suggests.


Proper Serving Temperatures

(continued)

• Red wines are traditionally served at room temperature—61° to 68°F (16° to 20°C).

• White wines are usually served at a lower temperature—50° to 59°F (10° to 15°C).

• Sparkling wines are served at the coolest temperature—around 41°F (5°C), which helps to slow the evolution of bubbles, prolonging the effervescence in the glass (see Chapter 4, Tasting Wines).


Opening the Wine

• The selected wine should arrive at the table as promptly as possible after it has been ordered.

• A clear, organized system of storage for bottles is critical to prompt delivery of wines.

• The wine list must also be kept accurate to reflect the current inventory.


Opening the Wine (continued)

• The server should approach the host of the table or whoever ordered the bottle of wine. – Show the bottle to the guest to confirm

that it is the correct bottle while also allowing them to see the label.

– To verify that it is the correct bottle, the server should show the label to the guests, telling them the 3 v’s.



• The 3 v’s: – the vintner or producer of the wine– the varietal (the grape used to make the

wine) – the vintage (the year the grapes for the

wine were harvested)

• At this point, the guest’s job is to confirm the bottle being presented is indeed the one that was ordered.


Wine Keys

• The tool used to open a bottle of wine is called a wine key or corkscrew. – The tool is used to cut the foil and

efficiently remove the cork from the bottle. – There are many styles to choose from, and

the choice of style is partly a matter of personal preference.

– Regardless of the style chosen, all service staff and bartenders should have one on hand at all times.


Opening the Wine

• Regardless of how the wine is presented, the process of opening should be consistent between staff members. – Service staff should all be trained on the

proper method of opening wine tableside. – Servers should always open bottles of

wine in front of the table; bottles should never be opened in the back station.



• There are several techniques used to cut the foil: – Some wine opener sets come with a foil

cutter which is a crescent-shaped device with rollers that is rotated around the neck of the bottle.

– The blade on the wine key is very effective at removing the foil.

– Cutting below the lip is preferred; by securing the knife under the lip, it is easy to make a clean cut.



• Some bottles of wine are sealed with a wax coating instead of the traditional foil capsule. – This wax coating may be a small disc of

wax that simply covers the top of the cork or it could cover the top of the bottle.

– Insert the worm of their wine key into the wax as if it isn’t even there.

– This is usually less messy than trying to remove the wax.



• Once the foil or wax is removed, the spiral or worm of the corkscrew can then be used to remove the cork. – Place the point of the worm in the center of the cork

to ensure that it will enter the cork in the middle and allow easier extraction of the cork.

– Once the worm is started, it is simply twisted into the cork until about half a turn remains.

– It is important to insert the worm far enough into the cork to ensure proper leverage to extract the cork.

– It should not go all the way through the cork because it can dislodge pieces of cork that get into the wine.



• After the cork is taken out from the bottle, the cork should be removed from the worm and presented on the guest’s right side.

• The guest does not need to do anything with the cork except possibly inspect it. – The cork should be firm but pliable, and the end

that was closest to the wine should be moist, which indicates the wine was properly stored on its side.

– If the sides of the cork show streaking that extends to the top end of the cork, this could indicate that the cork did not seal the bottle securely.


Taste Test

• After removing and presenting the cork, the server should pour a sample of the wine for the host to evaluate.– The amount being poured should be

about 1 ounce, just enough to taste the wine and evaluate the aromas for flaws, but not much more than a taste.

– The server should then wait patiently for the guest to approve of the wine before offering to pour for the other guests.


Corks and Cork Taint

• As guests smell and taste the wine sample, they are looking to determine whether the wine is flawed in some way.

• The two most common bottle flaws that may be encountered are:– oxidation from a cork that has allowed air

to enter the bottle– cork taint from a cork that has been

exposed to mold


Corks and Cork Taint (continued)

• Cork taint is a musty smell that is the most common problem associated with natural corks, affecting approximately 3 to 5 percent of wines. – It occurs when the cork has been exposed in the

forest, or during processing, to mold growth and the corks absorb a compound called 2,4,6-trichloroanisole or TCA from the mold.

– To combat this, cork manufacturers are changing their processing methods to reduce the chance for mold growth performing more laboratory analysis to monitor corks for TCA levels.


Synthetic Closures

• An increasing number of wineries are also using synthetic closures such as corks made of plastic or screw caps to seal their bottles. – Screw cap or twist top closures are made of

aluminum and are similar in appearance to the capsule that goes over the top of a cork finished bottle.

– The caps have a food grade liner under the cap so that the wine in the bottle does not come into contact with the aluminum of the cap.


Serving Wine from a Twist Top Bottle

• Opening a bottle of wine with a synthetic cork is the same as for a bottle with a traditional cork seal, but twist tops are a little different. – The twist top bottle can be presented in the same

manner as a bottle with a cork– Because servers have a linen over their arm during

wine presentation, they may simply use the linen to grasp the twist top and subtly remove it.

– Although wines from these bottles will not have cork taint, other types of spoilage are possible; the wine should always be tasted before it is served.


Sending Back the Wine

• If the guest chooses to send the wine back, this situation should be taken seriously.

• A situation where the guest simply doesn’t find the style enjoyable will need to be resolved very differently from a guest who feels that a particular wine is flawed. – If the guest is disappointed by the style of wine, a

knowledgeable staff member should make an effort to help the guest choose a another bottle.

– If the guest feels the wine is faulty, however, then the bar or service manager should evaluate the faulty bottle and provide a replacement bottle immediately.


Serving the Wine

• Once the host has approved, the server should proceed to pour the wine for the guests, in the order of: ladies first, then the gentlemen, and lastly the host.

• The server should pour from the guests’ right side unless otherwise restricted. – Each 750ml bottle of wine contains between four and

six glasses of wine, depending on the size of the pour. – With larger sized groups, the server should be sure

to pour enough so that each guest gets an appropriate amount, but not so much so that the bottle is empty by the time the server is pouring for the host.


Decanting the Wine

• Decanting a wine involves separating the wine from the bottle sediment through pouring of the wine into a carafe. – Older wines may have accumulated a significant

amount of sediment as they aged.– A server should remove the entire foil capsule from

the bottle of wine to allow a full view of the neck. – A light source is placed on the table, and the wine

bottle is held above the light as the server pours the wine into the decanter.

– As the sediment approaches the neck of the bottle, the server stops pouring so that the sediment does not enter the decanter.


Staff Training

• A staff training program should be set up to allow the staff to increase their knowledge of wine, but also to help ensure that guests are getting the best level of service possible. – One of the easiest times to have training is when

the chef is going over the specials before the shift.

– Many wine producers or local distributors are very willing to visit the establishment and help with tastings and training events.


Staff Training (continued)

• Training during staff meetings is convenient because most of the service staff is present, and they can be addressed as a group. – A specific wine might be discussed because it is the

featured wine or because it will work well with the evening’s special.

– Staff training is not simply an investment from the staff but one that management makes as well.

– The costs include the wine used for staff tastings and the cost of labor.

– The additional wine sales generated by a well-trained service staff make the investment well worth it.



• Training can cover many subjects:– what wine is and how it is made– a specific winery or wine region from

a featured wine– how to evaluate a guests needs and

aid in selection– how to sell wine effectively



• The unique selling point (USP) of the wine is part of what draws a guest to a specific bottle.– It may be the specific region of origin, a

story about the winemaker or the winery, or simply some information about the label design.

– Knowing a little of this history makes for interesting discussion tableside and further add value to the guest experience.



• USP (continued)– An easy entry point to understanding a wine’s

history or USP is to identify some of the best-selling wines on the list.

– Once a week, a specific server is asked to research some data on a given wine to be reported to the team next week during staff meal.

– The server should research the winery history and vineyard terroir and share it with the other servers at the next staff meeting.


Summary

• The business of wine sales and service relies on a commitment from the service staff and management of a restaurant operation.

• A properly designed and executed sales plan coupled with well-trained service staff is the cornerstone to successful restaurant wine sales.


Summary (continued)

• All members of the service staff should be comfortable recommending wines from the wine list, discussing wines, and opening wine tableside.

• Focused and professional wine service is necessary to maintain a solid and well-rounded restaurant operation.

selling and serving wines © 2007 thomson delmar learning. all rights reserved. chapter 16

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