Need some help! Marketing wine to guests in the dining room? Your thoughts please!

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Permalink Reply by Justin and Everett on November 9, 2009 at 10:14pm

Feel free to encourage others to participate in these surveys. The more results collected, the stronger the results will be!

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Permalink Reply by Dan Smith on November 12, 2009 at 6:31am

Hi Gentlemen,
This response is huge, but you asked for some tools, here are three. The first is a spread sheet that pairs the wine with food, the second is an egaging attitude process about selling wine and the third is a list of varietal descriptions. I hope it helps and feel free to call me or e-mail me directly with any questions. dsmith@indians.com

1.Create a spread sheet with the following hedings on the columns and your varietals by wine on each row: Get the maker's/taster's notes from the wineries and fill in the columns.
Wine Style Fruits Nose Body Finish Paired w/ (Menu Items)
Chardonnay
"Wine Name"
Merlot
"Wine Name"
Burgundy
Bordeaux
Cabernet Sauvignon

Etc. until you have described each of the wines on your list. A wonderful tool for teaching.


The following is a simple overview to be taught.
Eight Ways to Maximize Wine Sales
1. Speed counts. Once the order is taken (and this goes for cocktail orders, as well), get the bottle to the table as fast as you can.

2. Make the word “wine” slip into every single first approach to a table, whether it’s a single diner or a crowd. Practice this approach on friends and family. “We have several new wines on the list, my favorite is…,” or “I’ll be right back with your cocktails, and I will leave the wine list with you to select something for your dinner.”

3. Always assume that your guests want wine. It’s only a matter of which one they want. “Would you like a red or a white this evening?” Or how about “…wine for this evening? I love this Sauvignon Blanc with our mussels,” or “the veggie pizza is great with this Zinfandel — would you like to try a bottle?”

4. Up sell the two glasses to a bottle. “We offer the wines by the glass by the bottle as well, and they are a great value when you’re both having the same thing — shall I bring a bottle?”

5. When emptying a bottle, (always to the host) ask “would you like another bottle of the same or would you like to see the list again?”

6. Don’t spend too much time worrying about what goes with what. Everyone has their own taste, and while there are good choices and great choices, screwing it up entirely is rare.

7. Be aware of any wines that may be unavailable, so that you may inform the guest at the moment they order it, and suggest an alternative. Again, avoid delays; they cripple your sales.

8. Even if you don’t drink wine, you can sell it. Find some wines with which you are familiar. Selling is storytelling, and remarking to a guest that the owner loves a certain wine or that the winemaker recently visited the restaurant for dinner can sell a bottle. Don’t be afraid to be creative.

***Aperitifs - Aperitifs, or appetizer wines, are generally served before meals. Champagne and sherries are traditional aperitifs, and light white wine is also appropriate.
Barbera - Barbera is a red wine grape found primarily in Italy's Piedmont region. It produces bright, crisp wines with deep ruby colors, full body and low tannin levels.
***Blush Wines (Rosés) - Blush wines, also called rosés, are light pink wines made from several red wine grapes. They get their color from a very short period of contact with the grape skins during the wine-making process. Blush wines are light and usually have some sweetness.
Brunello (Sangiovese Grosso) - This is one of two strains of the red, Sangiovese grape. It's bigger and much more rare than its cousin, Sangiovese Piccolo. Brunello is the grape behind Brunello di Montalcino, a luscious and long-aging red wine from Italy's Tuscany region.
***Cabernet Sauvignon - Cabernet Sauvignon is a red wine known for its depth of flavor, aroma and ability to age. It is full-bodied and intense, with cherry- currant and sometimes herbal flavors. Cabernet Sauvignon may have noticeable tannins.
***Champagne/Sparkling Wine - These wines are made effervescent in the wine-making process. Champagnes and sparkling wines range in style from very dry (Natural), dry (brut) and slightly sweet (extra Dry) to sweet (sec and Demi-Sec). Many sparkling wines are also identified as Blanc de Blancs (wines made from white grapes) or Blanc de Noirs (wines produced from red grapes).
***Chardonnay - Chardonnay is a white wine which can range from clean and crisp with a hint of varietal flavor to rich and complex oak-aged wines. Chardonnay typically balances fruit, acidity and texture.
Chenin Blanc -- Chenin Blanc is a white wine with fresh, delicate floral characteristics. It grows well in warmer climates and produces light, well- balanced wines ranging from dry to off-dry (slightly sweet) styles.
Dolcetto - This red wine grape is found almost exclusively in Italy's Piedmont region. It produces soft, purple and fruity wines with fragrances resembling licorice and almonds. Dolcetto is best enjoyed one to three years after harvest.
Dessert Wines - Dessert wines are usually served with or in place of dessert, and can be sweet or dry. Dessert wines are officially classified as having an alcohol content of between 17 and 21 percent. Sherry, wines made from the Muscat grape family, Tokay and Port (available in a range of styles based on sweetness and time aged in wood). Late-harvest varietals are not officially termed dessert wines, but are increasingly popular in this role.
French Colombard - French Colombard is a white wine which is generally light and off-dry (slightly sweet). It is the most widely planted varietal in California.
Fume Blanc - Fume Blanc is a white wine best known for its grassy, herbal flavors. Fume Blanc is also called Sauvignon Blanc, and is a popular choice for fish and shellfish dishes.
***Gewurztraminer - Gewurztraminer is a white wine that produces distinctive wines rich in spicy aromas and full flavors, ranging from dry to sweet. This varietal is a popular choice for Asian cuisines and pork-based sausages.
Grenache - Grenache is a red wine grape that produces fruity, spicy wines with medium body and tannins. It also can show a lighter side when it's turned into Rose.
Marsanne - This grape can produce rich white wines with flavors resembling pears, citrus and nuts.
***Merlot - Merlot is a red wine with medium to full body and herbaceous flavors. Merlot is typically softer in taste than Cabernet Sauvignon.
Mourvedre (Mataro) - This warm-weather, red wine grape can turn into pleasant medium-weight wines with cherry and berry flavors. It goes by the name Mourvedre in France. In California and Australia, it's often called Mataro.
Muscat - The white Muscat grape produces spicy, floral wines that often do something most other wines don't: they actually taste like grapes. Muscats can range from very dry and fresh to sweet and syrupy.
Nebbiolo - This is the great red variety of Italy's Piedmont region. At its best, Nebbiolo produces strong, long-aging wines with depth and character.
***Petite Sirah - Petite Sirahs are red wines with firm, robust tannic tastes, often with peppery flavors. Petite Sirahs may complement meals with rich meats.
Pinot Blanc (Pinot Bianco) - Some people call Pinot Blanc the poor man's Chardonnay because both grapes produce similar flavors and textures. Pinot Blancs are often clear and intense with hints of fruit and honey.
***Pinot Gris (Pinot Grigio) - The low acidity of this white grape helps produce rich, lightly perfumed wines that are often more colorful than other whites.
***Pinot Noir - Pinot Noir is a red wine of light to medium body and delicate, smooth, rich complexity. The Pinot Noir grape is one of the most challenging wine grapes to bring to full potential.
Pinotage - Pinotage is a red hybrid grape that's gained its greatest acclaim in South Africa. At its best it produces big, plummy wines with a lot of character.
***Red Wines - Red wines are usually dry and have some tannic astringency. They gain their color during the wine-making process, through the extraction of pigments from the skins of red wine grapes. Reds may be aged in wood for depth and complexity, or produced in light, fruity styles. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel and blush wines (roses) are red wines.
***Riesling - Rieslings are white wines known for their floral perfume. Depending on where they're made, they can be crisp and bone-dry, full-bodied and spicy or luscious and sweet.
Roses (Blush Wines) - Roses, also called blush wines, are light pink wines made from several red wine grapes. They get their color from a very short period of contact with the grape skins during the wine-making process. Roses are light and usually have some sweetness.
***Sangiovese (Sangiovese Piccolo) - Sangiovese is best known as the grape behind the Italian red wine, Chianti. It often boasts a distinctively smooth texture topped with spice, raspberry and licorice flavors.
***Sauvignon Blanc - Sauvignon Blanc is a white wine best known for its grassy, herbal flavors. Sauvignon Blanc is also called Fume Blanc, and is a popular choice for fish and shellfish dishes.
Semillon - The white Semillon grape reaches its pinnacle in sweet, honeyed wines such as the Sauternes of southwest France. Semillon is often blended with Sauvignon Blanc and sometimes with Chardonnay.
***Syrah (Shiraz) - Syrah can produce monumental red wines with strong tannins and complex combinations of flavors including berry, plum and smoke. It's known as Shiraz mainly in Australia and South Africa.
***Table Wines - Table wines include red, white, blush (rose) wines containing from seven to foutreen percent alcohol and are still, rather than effervescent. Table wines can be made from any grape or combination of grapes in any style a vintner chooses. Table wines may carry varietal names or names describing the color (for example, blush) or region (such as Chablis) or a name coined by the winery.
***White Wines - White wines can range in style from bone dry to sweet. Some are aged in oak, while others are kept out of wood. Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, French Colombard, Gewurztraminer, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc are all white wines.
Viognier - Viognier is a rare white grape that's difficult to grow. Fans of this variety enjoy its peachy, apricotty and sometimes spicy flavors.
***Zinfandel - Zinfandel is a red wine with light to full body and berry-like or spicy flavors. The Zinfandel grape is also widely used in the popular off-dry blush wine known as White Zinfandel.


Funzy Definitions

Chardonnay -- Marilyn Monroe -- voluptuous, round
Sauvignon Blanc -- Jamie Lee Curtis -- taut, sleek, a little high strung
Riesling -- Michelle Pfieffer - nice, blond, pretty
Gewurztraminer -- Madonna -- a wonderful white variety that's a bit off the wall, wild and unpredictable. You either like it or you don't.
Cabernet sauvignon -- a U.N. ambassador -- extremely distinguished, tall, conservative, wears good suits
Zinfandel -- Richard Dreyfuss -- the guy next door; friendly, open, not quite so tight and pulled together
Pinot Noir -- Ingrid Bergman -- very sensual, graceful
Gamay (the grape that makes beaujolais) -- Peewee Herman (pre-arrest) -- a silly little grape, kind of funny, kind of dorky

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Permalink Reply by Brandon Berman on December 6, 2009 at 2:18am

If you want to use promote wine sales you should spend your advertising dollars where customers are looking. Bring your message to customers who are looking for a wine restaurant in your area but don't yet know about you instead of spending money and resources trying reformulate a new wine sales strategy. If anyone has any questions about how to do this please feel free to contact me.

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Permalink Reply by Dorothy Frisch on December 28, 2009 at 5:34pm

Gentlemen,
I did not take your survey, as I don't fit into either catagory. However, I am a wine educator and customer service trainer for restaurants and I can tell you that 'selling' isn't anywhere near as effective as 'education'. A confident, informed staff member will help the guest relax and follow his/her recommendations. (an informed recommendation tailored to the guest, not "I like the merlot")Make sure you have a 'cheat book' with alphabetized tech sheets and winery info close to hand so the server can have answers at a moment's notice. Have regular tastings and quizzes so everyone is current on the offerings. And finally, every wine has a story, and see to it that your staff can pull out a few, interesting facts about winemaker, winery, or grape varietal to 'romance' the guest if need be. Contests targeting a certain wine or price point is a disservice to the guest and reduces them to 'marks' in the eyes of the server.
That's my two cents. Best of luck!

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Permalink Reply by Michael Biesemeyer on January 4, 2010 at 12:19pm

Dorothy, I'm on your team!

I completely agree that wine selling contests create the wrong vibe. A guest can smell a 'sales pitch' like a sommelier can detect a corked bottle. Both are unappealing.

Wine education in this industry is poised to make a huge leap forward. I predict that within the next year or so, some web startup will crack the code on social media that targets wine education. We will see an online formatted, fully interactive learning tool that enable servers to view wines on their smartphones and on a PC.

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Permalink Reply by Kelly on January 11, 2010 at 2:10pm

I think it helps to educate the servers on the wine. When I was a server I took several classes on wine giving me the confidence to sell the wine to anyone. We also did Friday tastings before a shift to highlight a particular wine and dish that pair well together. It is always best when the server knows what they are talking about and can make a solid recommendation.

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Permalink Reply by Fortitudinal on January 12, 2010 at 10:05am

There is no such thing as a free ride. If you want to sell it, you are gonna have to sacrifice a bottle or two in staff training. Maybe not Chateau Margaux 1961, but you should consider always having a training program for the FOH.
One of the best ways to learn about wine, is to taste it. I can wax all I want about this or that wine, but if the staff doesnt taste it, doesnt see it, its useless. Its like speaking about music, and tones, but never playing it.
An informed staff is a staff that sells.

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