As seen in Santé magazine, September ‘04 

Why Not Wine By The Glass!
By Evan Goldstein, MS
 

Like consumers’ tastes, wine-by-the-glass programs have evolved a great deal over the past few years.  Even if you believe that you have a solid selection of popular varietals at attractive price points, it is essential not to rest on your labels.  A look at how small plates are influencing the dining experience provides a very good reason to re-evaluate your by-the-glass program. 

THE NEW TASTING MENU

Around the country, grazing menus are extremely hip, whether the snack-size items are billed as “mezze,” “tapas,” “antipasti,” or simply “small plates.”  This global tapas movement, which, in essence, allows diners to create their own personal tasting menus, is not so much a fad or trend as a major shift in the dining paradigm. 

Innovative restaurateurs have advanced the notion that it’s fun for guests to try lots of different tastes.  By ordering and sharing many small plates, guests can sample a panoply of culinary treats and, without over-ordering, satisfy their desire for taste exploration.  This new dining concept is swiftly spreading, from diners enjoying a global tapas experience to entrée swapping around the table à la lazy Susan or simply designing their own small-plate medley from the appetizer menu and enjoying it before their likely-to-be-shared entrées.

 GLASS ACTS

Historically, diners would order one or maybe two glasses of wine with a meal.  Many restaurant owners felt that they satisfied these guests with a concise glass selection of familiar varietals at mostly value process. 

Today’s small-plate or shared-dish dining trend practically begs for a dedicated complementary wine program.  It presents a tremendous opportunity to enhance wine-by-the-glass programs and entice diners with far more dynamic food-and-wine-pairing experiences.  Here are some ideas for creating a compelling by-the-glass list. 

Add more ultra premium selections.  A segment of today’s restaurant clientele is seeking a culinary adventure and demanding higher quality wine.  These diners are also willing to spend more for special wine – and paying a few extra dollars by the glass is a lot easier to swallow than jumping to higher price points by the bottle. 

Expand your choices.  No longer are diners merely asking for the Chardonnay or the house red.  Many are becoming more familiar and comfortable with exploring wines from around the world, which makes it easier for you to offer unique and diverse selections.  The boom in Syrah and Pinot Grigio sales is an example of this quest for choice. 

Offer different pour-size options.  This is what I call “contemporary incremental trade-ups.”  Carafes of different sizes (for example, 250, 400, and 500 millilitres) allow guests to truly customize their wine experience.  Wine flights, by-the-ounce pours, and half-glasses also give diners fare more flexibility in their selection and allow floor staff the opportunity to customize wine programs for each table.  Wine sales are likely to increase.  And there’s an intrinsic value in simply offering the service: it gives your restaurant a solid point of difference. 

Make by-the-glass ordering easy.  Use the menu to help market the selections.  Include pairing suggestions beneath each of the dishes on the menu.  Conversely, let diners know what food pairs well with each wine by penning complementary food items under the description of each wine on the wine list.  A visible specials board is another effective place to market food-and-wine pairing suggestions.

POUR IT ON 

When I’m dining out around the country, I see a lot of missed opportunities in by-the-glass wine programs.  Many businesses are undershooting the potential for sales by ignoring diverse or premium options.  A great list offers variety and capitalizes on any and all opportunities for increases in revenue and diner satisfaction.  So take a look at your list, re-evaluate it, and remember the old adage: variety is the spice of life.

Evan Goldstein is the director of wine and hospitality education for Allied Domecq Wines, USA, and serves a director of the Allied Domecq Academy of Wine & Service Excellence.  He served two terms as chairman of the American Chapter of the Court of Master Sommeliers and was a finalist three times for the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional of the Year award.