Welcome to the Great Tastes Wine Education program, sponsored by Casillero del Diablo wines. This information was written by Ed Avis, and the illustrations were created by Sonia Corredor.
Do you serve wine in your restaurant? You should! Wine offers good profit opportunities with minimal related labor, and many customers appreciate the option of having a glass of quality wine instead of beer or a margarita. This is especially true if the wine you serve matches your cuisine -- if you serve Latin cuisine, serve wines from Latin America.
Most restaurants mark up wine 100 to 300 percent on the wholesale cost. So if you buy a bottle from your distributor at $15, you will probably charge your customers $30 to $60 for that bottle. That’s a nice profit for something that does not need to be prepared by your kitchen. In general, the mark-up for wine drops as the wholesale price increases, and wine sold by the glass always has a larger mark-up than wine sold by the bottle.
A concept to remember when you are pricing your wine is “time is money.” Unsold bottles sitting on your shelf tie up your money; price them a little lower and sell them quickly and you will ultimately earn more money. Customers expect good wine at a fine restaurant, and they will buy more if they feel the price is fair. You should experiment with your customer base to see what level of quality and price generate the most profit.
Know the Basics
Wines are named after the grapes that produce them. Chardonnay, for example, is made from Chardonnay grapes. The major white wine grapes of Central and South America are Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The predominant red wine grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Malbec and Merlot.
Wine is produced throughout Latin America. Chile, best known for Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, and Argentina, famous for Malbec, are the largest wine exporters to the United States. However, many other Latin American countries, including Mexico, Ecuador, Brazil and Uruguay, make outstanding wines.
Many factors affect the taste, smell and color of wine. The most important factors are the grapes, the fermentation process, and aging. For example, Syrah wine gets much of its spicy, fruity flavor from the Syrah grapes, but where those grapes were grown; what soil and weather conditions existed when the grapes were growing; what type of barrel the wine was aged in; the skill of the winemaker; and how long it aged all affect the wine.
Wine labels are packed with information. The producer’s name is always prominent, often followed by a particular vineyard or brand. The type of grape used is usually listed; sometimes multiple types if the wine is a blend. The country of origin is included, as well as the viticultural area, if the wine is from one of those designated areas. Other details include the alcohol content, the vintage date, and the sugar content of the grapes.
Match Your Wine to Your Menu
One amazing characteristic of wine is that it enhances the food it is paired with. No other beverage is as well suited to accompany food.
Try to match the body of the wine with the type of food. For example, light-body wines (under 12.5% alcohol) such as Riesling or Prosecco pair with light foods, such as salads and rice dishes. Medium-body wines (12.5% to 13.5% alcohol) such as Rosé, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc go well with fish tacos or enchiladas verdes. Full-body wines (more than 13.5% alcohol) including Chardonnay and most red wines pair well with mole dishes and carnitas.
Wine can be a great friend of spicy food. Sweet white wine, such as Riesling, is a classic wine to pair with dishes containing jalapeños or habañeros, because the sweetness and cold counteract the spice. But some people love eating spicy food with a higher alcohol red wine, such as Shiraz, because it stands up well to the boldness of the dish.
Latin dishes are often complex, so finding the right wine to pair with a given dish often involves tasting several wines. Have fun experimenting!
5 Tips to Successful Wine Service
Tip 1: Build a Great Wine List You will sell more wine if your list includes quality wines at multiple price levels and has enough diversity to interest new and experienced wine drinkers. Explore wines yourself, or ask your distributor for recommendations, and choose a mix of whites, reds and sparkling wines that you feel match well with your menu. Familiar wines typically sell better, but add a few smaller labels to your list to intrigue customers.
Tip 2: Make Your Wine List a Sales Tool When you prepare your wine list for the menu, include interesting information about each wine, including its taste characteristics, where it came from, who the winemaker is, and which menu items the wine pairs well with. Add your own impressions of the wine. All of this information will encourage customers to try your wines.
Tip 3: Teach Your Servers Make sure your servers are familiar with all of your wines. If they can knowledgably recommend wines and answer customer questions, they will be your best wine salespeople. Whenever you add a special or change your menu, choose wines that pair well with the new dishes and let your servers taste the pairing. That way when a customer orders a dish, the server can confidently recommend a wine to pair with it.
Tip 4: Use the Right Glass The right wine glass enhances the experience. A quality, all-purpose wine glass is acceptable for all non-sparkling wines, but experienced wine drinkers expect to have different glasses for each style of wine. For example, bold red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon are usually served in tall glasses with wide bowls that allow the wine to “breathe,” whereas Champagne glasses have narrow bowls so the wine keeps its carbonation longer.
Tip 5: Show, Open, Pour Serving wine properly shows your customers that you care about their experience. Your server should first show the bottle, unopened, to the person who ordered it. Once he or she confirms that it is the correct wine, the server should remove the foil around the cork at least a half inch down; insert the corkscrew directly into the center of the cork and pull it straight out, using his or her hand to quietly wiggle it out the last bit; and present the cork to the customer.
Next, the server should pour about a half inch of wine into the customer’s glass so he or she can taste it. Once it is approved, the server should finish serving the taster. The rest of the guests should then be served, women first, in clockwise fashion. Regardless of the type of glass being used, a normal pour is about half full for red wine; one-third full for white; and three-quarters full for sparkling wine. A 750-ml bottle should provide about five pours.
If the wine is white, the server should ask if the guests would like the bottle left on the table or returned to the refrigerator. If they prefer that it be left, the server should provide an ice bucket.
3 Ways to Introduce Wines
Serve Flights Offer flights of wine – three or four 2-ounce pours of different wines served at once – so your guests can try several at one sitting. The most common way to arrange a flight is by varietal; for example, four Chardonnays from different vineyards or countries. A more sophisticated flight is “horizontal.” This type of flight includes three or four wines from the same vintage – such as four 2017 Merlots from Chile.
Wine Dinners Set aside one night a month for a special multi-course menu with a different wine pairing for each course. Customers love special events, and this one will show off your cuisine and wine list. Enhance the fun with a theme – Spring in the Andes, Pacific Beach Night or Mexican Harvest Time.
Wine Wednesday Many restaurants offer special deals on wine, such as half-price bottles, on Wednesday evening. This attracts customers on a night that normally may not be busy and gives them an opportunity to try a wine that may be outside their price range.