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Importers of Fine Wines Since 1919 | Resources for the Trade |
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Why do people eat out?Your customers have bypassed the grocery store to dine in your restaurant. They could have picked up carry-out or something at any ready-to-go food counter, but they didn’t. Obviously, food and food prepared by someone else is quite appetizing to them, but why are they dining out vs. eating in? You are a restaurant, of course they are there for the food—but, what they really want is more than that. Many people dine out because they are in the mood to treat themselves to a social and culinary experience. Use this motivation to sell and to upsell! Sell: “Sir, if you are in the mood to treat yourself, I highly recommend the Rosa Regale.It is a unique red sparkler with just a touch of sweetness. It tastes like fresh raspberries in a glass and is perfect as an aperitif, with spicy foods, with dessert or AS dessert!” Upsell: “If you are in the mood to treat yourself, I highly recommend trying the Centine Rosso by the glass. It costs just a little bit more than our house red, but it is well worth it!” Descriptions, descriptions, descriptionsTrading someone up from house wine to a premium wine-by-the-glass is relatively simple if you can justify your recommendation. Describing a wine as “good” is not good enough.
Use this five-step method to paint a picture of a wine’s flavor profile: 1. Describe the way it smells. Pick an adjective or two. Put it all together: This wine is deeply aromatic with wild-berry fruit and a touch of oak. It is full-bodied and soft with supple tannins and a long, lingering finish—reminds me of Pavarotti, tender but powerful. Master the formula and you will present your wines with polish and professionalism!
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Here’s the scenario: A server was attempting to sell a bottle of Banfi Chianti in Baltimore’s Little Italy.
The ladies at the table looked at him incredulously. “Rambo?” “Well, you know what I mean,” he said with an awkward smile. No, they did not. The server’s intentions were good, but his verbiage was lacking. Better to describe the wine as “full-bodied” and “robust”. The moral of the story? The appropriate adjective can make or break a sale. Here another scenario:
A fellow server came up to him and offered some whispered advice. The desperate server nodded, then politely approached the table, all smiles, and announced that they were a terrific table, that he enjoyed serving them and that he hoped to have them back real soon. His words worked magic. They were donning their coats in less than a minute’s time. 
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He told a table of female guests that it was one of his favorite reds, then proceeded to explain that this wine was “Rambo-in-a-glass’” and that “it was quite manly”. 
At a busy café in New York, a server was agonizing over a group of patrons who were lingering long after paying their check. He wanted to turn the table but didn’t know what to do.