CREATING A WINNING WINE STRATEGY
Getting a mediocre wine at a fine hotel restaurant or bar can be a major disappointment , says Jessica Bell , an international wine consultant and owner of HaloVino .
“ The main problem is that some people try to perform beyond their capabilities ,” she says . “ It ’ s the equivalent of someone who isn ’ t a chef trying to make a souffle or other complicated dish . Sometimes hotels will create this huge wine list , but there ’ s no solid foundation for it .”
Bell ’ s solution : “ Have a strategy .” It ’ s important that staff can explain the wine list , maintain it so wines don ’ t go bad , and , most important , sell the right wines to the right people .
“ You can have a really good wine program if you know what your own limitations are ,” she says . “ The best lists aren ’ t always the ones that have the well-known names on it . It ’ s a list that the staff can properly sell and satisfy their customers .”
That starts , Bell says , with the right kind of attitude towards wine and other beverages . “ Your drink is the last ingredient in ( a meal ),“ she says . “ You put all these resources to make this amazing food program , and you ruin with the wrong wine or cocktail . It ’ s a tragedy .”
She recommends creating a list that is easy for guests to read and staff to explain . “ Maybe all the wines come from sustainable producers , or maybe they ’ re all made by women , or perhaps they ’ re all family-owned ,” she says . “ Once a hotel figures out its strategy , then it is easier to create and maintain a list to match it .”
What that does , Bell says , is create a memorable list and an equally memorable experience . Otherwise , “ the whole experience falls apart ,” she says .
wines to his list after noticing that they were getting requested frequently . “ It took a lot of time to get them , and the approval process took additional time ( because of factors specific to Maldives ), but we finally got them in , and I ’ m so happy now ,” he says . A stellar wine program also boasts excellent wines by the glass options , and many of them use a system in which the cork remains sealed but the wine is extracted from the bottles . “ It ’ s a great tool and you can more or less serve your entire wine cellar by the glass ,” Donheim says .
No matter what , it ’ s about creating a memorable experience .
“ A wonderful sommelier knows what the wine is going to taste like and is able to understand what the guest is looking for , and that marriage between the two is what decides whether a wine educator or sommelier is great at their job ,” says Patrick Davila , the Meadowood ’ s director of operations .
DOUBLE MAKES SENSE .
THE WORLD ‘ S FIRST TWO-LEVEL-WASHER
INTERNORGA 13 – 17 March 2020 Hall A4 / Booth 209
www . hobart-export . com / tlw