Banfi Vintners

Getting the First Bottle on the Table

Getting the beverage order is not a diffi--cult proposition, but how you get the order very often results in what gets ordered.

“May I get you something to drink?” —opens you up to sodas and ice tea.

“Have you made your wine selection?” or “Have you decided upon a bottle of wine to enjoy with your meal?” —plants a subliminal seed: wine is a natural here; everybody orders wine here; wine is an expected part of the meal.

When you get the wine order, get the wine. This is benchmark good beverage service.

Then, watch your table. Statistics show that the first drink is consumed in fifteen minutes. They might be ready for that second bottle sooner than you expect!

Getting the Second Bottle on the Table

When is it appropriate to ask for the order for the second bottle?

As soon as the first bottle empties.

Look to the host and say, “Shall I bring you another bottle?” AND while you ask the question, nod your head slowly.

This nod, subliminally says “yes”. 

You will find, across the board, that you will get many more positive responses to your queries when you employ this technique.

“Did you save room for that mud pie?” Nod your head, yes.

“How about that fried calamari appetizer?” Nod your head, yes.

“Shall I bring you another glass of wine?” Nod your head, yes.

Nod…and you’ll get the nod!

This is called the “Sullivan Nod”

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At an Italian restaurant in Washington, D.C., a party of four ordered a bottle of wine on a busy Friday evening. Twenty minutes later, the server returned with the bottle and inquired, “Shall I open this for you now?”—a completely appropriate question to ask, had they been enjoying cocktails, but they were only sipping on bottled water.

A gentleman at the table spoke up, “Yes, please, open the bottle.”

“Wouldn’t you rather wait for the food?” asked the waiter.

“No, please open the wine,” said another at the table.

The moral of the story?  When you get the wine order, get the wine. Pop and pour—then top up as the glasses empty.  Don’t question your customers’ request. You may even sell a second bottle!

The Sullivan Nod is named after the restaurant consultant, Tom Sullivan, who first observed the unconscious nodding of individuals who sought a “yes” response from another. Most “natural-born salespeople” employ this sales technique without even consciously recognizing that they use it.

What if… a wine smells like vinegar?
This wine definitely has a problem.  Acetobacter (the bacteria responsible for vinegar formation) has gotten into the wine. Although it is not harmful, it does not make for good drinking. Pour on salad.

How should a wine breathe? Popping the cork and letting the wine stand in the bottle is not a very effective way of aerating the product because only a very small portion of the wine is actually in contact with the air. Better to decant the wine or pour the wine into glassware.