Wine Focus: Going it alone

Wine research from The Publican in association with:

Wine without food always seems to do better in the off-trade but, with the right kind of focus, there are certainly consumers ready to enjoy a bottle on its own. Ben McFarland continues our series on boosting profits from wine.​

The late wine connoisseur, historian and writer Andre Simon once said that "food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost; united and well matched they are as body and soul, living partners".

Wise words indeed, but as eloquent as Andre's musings may be, what the deceased Frenchman neglects to mention is that while wine's close kinship with food has been an undeniable help in its rise to prominence, it is proving a hindrance in its quest to become a more accessible, everyday drink.

According to The Publican's wine research, conducted by Taylor Nelson Soffres and in association with Jacob's Creek, JP Chenet and Waverley Wines and Spirits, the vast majority of wine consumed in pubs is done so as an accompaniment to food with only 37 per cent of wine being drunk on its own.

When one considers that only a third of wine drunk in the home is done so with food, the opportunity to promote wine as a standalone tipple in pubs is one that has remained shamefully untapped by pubs - especially those for which wet sales are a clear priority.

There is no reason why licensees should lock themselves into a rigid wine-goes-with-food mentality. After all, if customers drink wine to wind down after a hard day at the office when they get home, it doesn't take a huge leap of imagination to assume they're willing to do the same in the pub.

Chris Seale, head of marketing for wines at Pernod Ricard, owner of Jacob's Creek, said: "Pubs are missing an opportunity for wine in general, but especially when it comes to wine without food. Here the potential is huge.

"The principles remain the same, ensuring the wine is fresh, served in the right glass and displayed prominently and breaking down the barriers that have prevented people drinking wine in pubs in the past."

There is a general consensus that if wine is to sustain its current rate of growth it needs to take on beer and spirits in their own backyard and a transition from the dinner table of a gastropub to the back-bar of a young person's venue or local needs to take place.

Tim North, UK director of Les Grands Chais de France, purveyor of well-known JP Chenet, said: "There's a remarkably small number of people who drink wine on its own in pubs compared to those who drink it at home. Licensees are simply not maximising the opportunity.

"The vast majority of pub-based drinking occasions are without food and the message needs to be communicated by the trade to pub-goers that wine is a mainstream drink, otherwise it's not doing itself justice."

According to the wine research, it is the pub-going female that is at the forefront of drinking wine without food in pubs. The questionnaire revealed that 41 per cent of females drink wine on its own in pubs compared to just 30 per cent of males.

As part of its own study of wine in the on-trade, Waverley has dubbed her "chardonnay girl" - a young woman that, unimpressed with dodging darts and dullards in dreary, dark boozers, likes nothing more than sharing a bottle of white wine in a new breed of airy, lighter pub with friends.

"Chardonnay girls and young people are much more prone to drink wine on its own," said Hew Dalrymple, Waverley marketing director. "They also prefer early evening wine drinking after work when they can share a bottle or two."

Hew added that white wine rather than red was better suited to drinking without food and chardonnay was by far the most popular white among female respondents with a 44 per cent share.

"If you want to offer wine for these occasions it has to be a light wine such as pinot grigio or a light German wine," added Hew.

The fairer sex may be happy to drink wine without food, but licensees have a battle on their hands if they are going to convince male drinkers to follow suit and trade in a swift half for a shiraz.

More than half of all males questioned as part of The Publican wine research said that they only drink wine with a pub meal and even fewer admitted to drinking wine while socialising.

Some may point to the fact that red wine doesn't lend itself quite as well to drinking solo but the bigger obstacle is one of image and wine companies are realistic that it may be some time before male drinkers are seen sipping merlot in front of the big screen gawping at the live football.

"I'm not sure we need to be overly concerned about this," said Hew. "It would be better for licensees to really concentrate on areas where the door is already open."

So what can publicans do to sell wine to those who don't necessarily want to dine?

First and foremost, say the wine companies, licensees must get to grips with the display issue and ensure people entering their pub know that wine is an option.

The age-old mantra, not to mention cheesy cliché, of "eye level is buy level" applies no less to wine, says Chris Seale.

"We drink wine at home but we don't replicate our behaviour in the pubs and this is because customers don't think about wine when they go to the pub," he says.

"We know that people do not have wine at the forefront of their minds when they walk in so visibility is key. By displaying wine prominently on the back-bar it shows that the outlet takes wine seriously."

Having sown the seeds with an eye-catching display, licensees can then close the deal with a tempting promotion. Unfortunately, the wine research unearthed a huge discrepancy between what the pub-goer is after and what the publican is offering.

Among female drinkers, the priority target market, the "buy two large glasses, get a bottle" mechanic was a clear favourite with more than a third of all respondents citing it as the most influential promotion for wines in pubs.

It is worrying to discover, therefore, that among the mere 60 per cent of licensees who run promotions, "buy two glasses" was only used by a meagre seven per cent. Slapped wrists distributed all round.

Single-serve wines have also yet to achieve the desired cut-through in the on-trade especially in those pubs where wine is, at best, a peripheral concern and a no-go area at worst, exactly the kind of places single-serve can have an impact.

If wine is to make a successful breakthrough into the mainstream pub-goer's repertoire when not eating, the mini bottles are ideal, believes Tim North.

"There's an important role for single-serve wine," he said. "By displaying them on the back-bar or the fridge, licensees will not only easily deliver freshness, quality and well-known brands, but will encourage drinkers to think about wine in the same way they do about premium packaged spirits and premium packaged lagers."

Tips for wine without food​

• Display your range of wines clearly - visibility is the key to sales
• Show wine as a mainstream alternative to beer and spirits which can also be drunk without food
• Create a female-friendly atmosphere. Women are more likely to choose wine for a social occasion, for example when they are out with the girls or as an after-work drink
• Offer light wines that are easy to drink, ie a chardonnay or pinot grigio
• Stock mini bottles to attract consumers wanting a guaranteed fresh glass of wine