The following article is brought to you by Jacob's Creek.
Training is good for business
Wine training for your team is a simple and cost effective way of ensuring that you deliver the best possible drinking experience to your customer.
A well-served glass of wine will raise the perception that your customer has of both you, and your bar and as a result encourage them to drink wine again, hence increasing profits.
How to ensure excellent wine service
Take a few simple measures to increase the level of 'excellence in wine' in your outlet.
- Make the time to sit down with your staff and taste the range of wines on offer
- Encourage all members of staff to learn at least two descriptions on the style and taste of each wine and this will give staff the confidence to describe the different grape varieties and feel comfortable making recommendations to your customers.
- Being able to recommend wine to go with food is also important. Decide upon the best food and wine pairing suggestions for each dish on your menu and ensure that these are used by your staff when serving customers.
Quality Counts
- Always ensure the wine is at its optimum quality.
- Before the customer pays for the wine, encourage them to try a little taste to check they are happy with their choice, will also increase the chance of increasing sales of new wine styles.
A Step by Step Guide to Improving the Quality of your Wine Offering
- Storage - an open bottle should be kept for no more than 1 day to ensure optimum quality and freshness. Phil Laffer, Jacob's Creek's winemaker, says: "Putting the cork firmly back into the bottle is still one of the best ways of keeping wine fresh." Wines should also be stored at an even temperature, ideally 11 - 12?C. Never serve wine from a bottle that has been displayed under strong lights, for example from the back bar.
Check Before You Serve - one of the best things to do is to check the bottle of wine before you serve it, encourage staff to check that the wine is bright in the glass and smells fresh and fruity.
The Serve - a clean glass can make all the difference in impressing your customers, showing that you care, as well as preventing a bad taste in the wine.
Style of Glass - first impressions count, appearance and the style of glass will immediately signal to the consumer whether you are a wine friendly outlet or not. The most popular style is the Tulip glass.
Serving Temperature - white and rose wines are best served around 7 - 12?C, and red wine is best served between 15 - 18?C (ie room temperature). When serving a chilled bottle of wine, we recommend offering the bottle in a wine cooler so that every glass is as enjoyable as the first.
Remember - always keep your wine fresh and allow customers a little taste before they buy it.
Key Messages
- There is great opportunity to talk about wine and a little knowledge can go a long way in giving your customers advise and reassurance
- Improving your wine knowledge is key allowing you to offer a greater level of service to your customers and ultimately increase wine sales
- There is huge potential to stand out ahead of the competition by just providing a basic level of training for you and your staff.
Reader Offer - Free Wine Guide
To help learn more about wine, Jacob's Creek has developed a simple and user friendly food and wine guide which provides advise and tips on how to improve the quality of your service.
The first 100 callers to our freephone number: 0800 376 5550 (8am-6pm) will receive the Jacob's Creek Guide to 'Excellence in Wine' in pubs and bars!
Pernod Ricard UK is a member of The Portman Group - encouraging responsible drinking. www.jacobscreek.com.au