Wine Focus: Be in the know

Wine research from The Publican in association with:

As wine becomes the choice for more drinkers it is essential that barstaff have the knowledge to offer advice to customers about the range of wines on offer. Ben McFarland looks at some of the training available.​

Britain is becoming a nation of oenophiles! Don't call the police though, it's the official term for a wine enthusiast! More than two billion bottles of plonk are drunk in the UK every year, one bottle per night for every household. Wine drinking is no longer the exclusive domain of glass-swirling, nose-sniffing pompous connoisseurs banging-on about chateaus, vintages and suchlike. Much of the mystique that has previously prevented people from exploring wine further is no longer an obstacle.

Thanks, in no small way, to the arrival of New World wines (with easy-to-pronounce names and marketing nous) you don't have to be a viniculture vulture to be a wine drinker nor do you need to boast an in-depth knowledge of the grape varieties, country of origin or the soil types of south Burgundy to enjoy a glass or two.

This is a mixed blessing for the licensee, however, as while it is heartening to know there's a huge opportunity for wine, it also means that pub staff must be equipped to cater for an increasingly educated wine consumer.

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, there seems to be little confidence in the wine knowledge of those who work behind the bar.

Only 11 per cent of respondents claimed to trust the person serving wine in pubs, while a mere five per cent of those asked thought of publicans as 'experts' in wine. What's more, only 47 per cent of licensees say they have received official training. This should make worrying reading for licensees as, in this instance, knowledge is not only power, it's a fundamental weapon in the fight for the pub-goer's pound.

Compiling a well thought-out wine list, devising some miraculous food and wine combinations and ensuring you stock the right brands is all very well, but if the person behind the bar can't tell or explain the difference between a chardonnay and a chablis all the hard work flies out of the window.

When respondents were asked what factors influenced the choice of wine they drink in pubs, there was a whole assortment of answers including brand name, price per glass, country of origin and the description on the wine list. Recommendations (14 per cent) and advice (eight per cent) were somewhere down the list, however, and cited as secondary factors.

This goes to show that the pub trade is not overly trusted or used for advice, rather than there being a reluctance among pub-goers to be recommended a particular wine by those serving them.

"Knowledge in the on-trade is far more important than in the off-trade as there's more contact between the person selling the wine and the person buying," said Tim North, UK director of Les Grands Chais de France, purveyor of the well-known JP Chenet range. "People are simply reassured if those selling the wine know what they're talking about."

Far from insisting that in-depth discussions about soil varieties, vineyards and memorable vintages should take place at the bar, however, wine companies are united in the message that simplicity is best.

"I don't think people should expect the barperson to know absolutely everything about wine," said Tim. "But they should at least know what it tastes like if not which side of the hill the grapes are grown."

Chris Seale, head of marketing for wines at Pernod Ricard, owner of Jacob's Creek, added: "You can see from the research that one of the first points that pub-goers look for in the wine category is for guidance and assurance and barstaff need to play an important role in this.

"They're not looking for a sommelier, they're looking for barstaff who know about the wines on offer and can provide the degree of knowledge suitable for that outlet.

"There are certain things that everyone should be able to talk about such as the style, whether a wine's sweet, fruity or dry and the country of origin and it shouldn't be beyond staff to explain the difference between two particular wines on the list or to tell if a wine is corked."

With wine's role becoming increasingly influential, there is no shortage of training opportunities available to publicans aiming to improve their own or their staff¹s wine knowledge. Jacob's Creek, for instance, provides training through its sales force and is trialing an all-encompassing training scheme in conjunction with bars in the estate formerly known as Scottish & Newcastle.

Nearly all wine companies and drinks companies will offer in-house training packages or even CD-ROM based initiatives. Staff training is an integral part of Waverley's support package and it is designed to give staff the knowledge and enthusiasm to recommend wines and help consumers choose what they¹re drinking.

For those who source their wine from the cash and carry, however, there's little reason why DIY training can't be run. Hew Dalrymple, marketing director for Waverley Wines and Spirits, insisted that the first step in all wine training should be the opening of a bottle and not a flipchart!

"The on-trade generally has a really high turnover of staff and therefore it¹s best to keep the training simple" he said. "Most important, though, is to ensure that licensees and their staff have tried and tasted the wines. You can¹t sell something that you¹ve not tasted."

The emphasis should be on pleasure and profitability rather than pretension and the training should be matched to the level of knowledge required.

"It's all about obtaining the level of knowledge relevant to your outlet," said Hew. "The greater the sophistication, the better the knowledge needed. Regardless of the level of training, it should be made fun with the use of incentives and competition between members of staff."

For those who want to really showboat, however, and extend their oenophilic skills beyond the basics, help is at hand in the shape of the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET).

The WSET is the leading training body offering vocational qualifications in product knowledge of wines and is aimed at all branches of the drinks industry.

The qualifications are part of the national qualifications framework set up by the Department for Employment and Skills and are currently offered at a number of levels.

With pubs and bars especially in mind, the WSET has recently launched the Level 1 Foundation Course in Wines (Hospitality) designed specifically as an ideal starting point for licensees and barstaff.

David Hunter, principal of the WSET School, said: "The course offers a great opportunity for bar managers and their staff to better understand the wines they are selling. Introducing a dimension of food and wine matching is of particular benefit. Staff are able to give the customer more informed recommendations thanks to the increased awareness that the Foundation Course gives them, and that has a positive impact on the overall revenue."

To meet the specific needs of employers, WSET can also offer custom courses where required.

Top tips for training​

• A little knowledge can go along way to improving customer service.
• Make time to sit down with your staff and taste the range of wines on offer. Your supplier might be able to he