National Culinary Review

n these challenging economic times, restaurateurs often
need more than a good menu to bring diners into their
restaurants. They need a hook, an additional drawing
card that accents and highlights their food. I

For some, wine is the perfect answer, and they are building their reputations as wine destinations, driving food and beverage sales by the pairing of superb cuisine and a stellar wine list.

WINE-THEMED

For Jean Tally, co-owner of the Wine Country Inn in Palisade, Colo., a wine-themed restaurant was an afterthought. Tally and her husband Richard opened the doors to their 80-room inn in August 2008, convinced that their location, within walking distance of two local wineries, would lead to bookings. They were right, but they hadn’t considered that their guests would want to dine on property, too.

Prompted by demand, they opened the Tapestry Lounge in 2010, a 30-seat bar offering foodservice and a complimentary wine reception each afternoon. “Many guests prefer to eat on property, because we have very good food and wine,” Tally says. With two certified sommeliers on staff, she’s trying to build an extensive, exclusively Colorado wine list that includes the inn’s own label, 10 Acre.

“We offer fresh, local produce, game and fish,” says Tally. “We capture a significant percentage of our hotel guests for in-house dining and have become a favorite among local residents when celebrating a special event, entertaining clients, or just to relax and have an inspired and house-prepared meal graced with warm and attentive service.”

PHOTO CREDIT: opposite, Jean Tally; top, Chad Mahlum

Staff members are savvy and well-versed in the offerings of local wineries, she adds. “Most of our staff are on a first-name basis with all of the Grand Valley producers. We are always looking to promote new wines from the local vintners, and the enthusiasm from our waitstaff for these wines is genuine and contagious.” A key factor in the success of a wine-themed restaurant is banishing wine snobbery, Tally says. “It’s really important that your sommelier and wine staff don’t try to over-impress clientele with their knowledge of wine, because unless they’re wine connoisseurs, most people get intimidated. Put guests at ease, offer guidance, and make suggestions about the pairing of wine and food, remembering that it’s all subjective.”

If you’re going to offer complimentary
wine tasting, be careful about
maintaining control, advises Jean
Tally, co-owner of Wine Country
Inn, Palisade, Colo. “You have to
manage your volume and sampling
quantities, including the size
glass you use. Pay attention about
not giving away too much wine.
For example, if guests want more
than one glass, let them know
they can buy another.”
WINE TASTING

Done well, a complimentary wine reception can help drive your wine sales. But without tight controls, it can quickly end up costing more than it’s worth.

Educate your servers, says Suzan
Boyce, wine director at Cotton
Row Restaurant in Huntsville, Ala.
“Get your bartender really involved
in your wine program, and ensure
you have a lead server who can
answer people’s questions about
wine, help them pair wine with
food, and provide knowledge to
other staff members so they can
sell more wine. Remember that
the more wine tasting your staff
do, the more educated their
palates will become.”
“Make sure that you have
employees who are confident in
their knowledge of wines, but are
also approachable and welcoming
to the guest,” Tally says. “Often, a
diner can be intimidated by a wine
list or an aggressive sommelier,
and ordering wine becomes an
intellectual exercise.

“We have found that recounting the simple history of a particular local winery and expressing our fondness for the people who make the wine will entice the guest to try their product far more than reciting the specific winemaking techniques or scores from trade publications. Make the experience exciting for your employees. Get them out among the vines, have them meet the winemakers, taste and learn, and the zeal will translate directly to your guests tableside.”