Wine Focus: Staff knowledge

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In association with:Don't be intimidated - the people asking don't know, writes Ben McFarland.That the UK has embraced wine with such enthusiasm has...

In association with:

Don't be intimidated - the people asking don't know, writes Ben McFarland.

That the UK has embraced wine with such enthusiasm has more to do with what's merely in the glass. Where wine has succeeded, and arguably beer and spirits have struggled, is in cunningly creating a clever clogs image. You don't have to be a brainy boffin to drink wine, but the implication is that it probably helps. No other drink boasts the same level of mystique or is as scholarly as wine and therein, it seems, lies its allure.

Wine embraces a whole host of subjects ranging from geography and history to botany, chemistry, agriculture and even carpentry. It has long been seen as the tipple that wears the thinking cap. Aristophanes, the 5th century Athenian comic dramatist, once said: "Quickly bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may whet my mind and say something clever."

But never mind this academic aura that surrounds it, wine is essentially there to be drunk and enjoyed and not intellectually probed.

The barriers of intimidation have been gradually eroded in recent years thanks largely to the arrival of New World wines such as Jacob's Creek and 'no nonsense' ranges such as Oliver & Greg's Intro2.

With more than two billion bottles of wine drunk in the UK every year - one bottle per night for every household - consumers are clearly no longer intimidated by wine nor are they lacking in a basic understanding of it.

However, the same cannot be said for the pub trade. The Publican's Wine Research, conducted by Taylor Nelson Soffres and in association with Jacob's Creek and Waverley TBS, suggests that among consumers there is little faith in the wine knowledge of those who work on the other side of the bar.

When respondents were asked what factors influenced the choice of wine they drink in pubs, recommendations and advice were only cited by 14 and eight per cent respectively. It seems, unfortunately, that there are still far too many in the trade who believe that Chardonnay is a footballer's wife and not a grape variety.

"There isn't the wealth of wine qualifications in pubs that you'd find in top hotels or restaurants but generally there doesn't need to be," says Helen MacKenzie, account development manager for Jacob's Creek.

"You don't need a first class degree from Oxford to sell wine effectively; all you need to know is something about each of the wines on the list. Staff shouldn't be intimidated, because most of the customers who will be asking questions about the wines will be those who don't know anything about wine at all. Wine buffs don't need advice!"

Due to the level of contact between barstaff selling wine and the consumer it is very important for pubs to be able to help the customer make an informed choice from the wine range they offer.

A lack of confidence among barstaff is capable of undoing even the best wine offering, according to Waverley TBS's wine development manager Paul Quy. Staff training is an essential part of Waverley TBS's support package.

"The idea is designed to give staff the knowledge and passion to recommend wines and help consumers choose what they're drinking," says Paul.

"The staff won't engage or enthuse people if they don't know anything about the wines they sell and they will not be able to upgrade customers to better and more profitable wines that are further up the list."

In order to prompt some passion, Paul's training advocates the opening of a bottle and not a textbook.

"When they know what the wines taste like, they can sell them better," he explains. "In food-led outlets, the staff know everything about the food menu. They've usually tried most of the dishes and are keen to recommend their favourite or most margin-friendly dish. But it's amazing how few members of staff haven't tasted the wines they sell."

Paul's aim is to move staff away from recommending the house wine just because 'it's very popular and everyone buys it'.

"We don't expect them to know everything about all the wines," he points out. "But as long as they can recommend two or three wines they like then that gives the consumer confidence and puts them at ease."

While most pub-goers will undoubtedly welcome personal recommendations, some may want to know a little more about the wines on the list. Keeping advice simple and as concise as possible is key, warns Paul.

"It depends on the style of the outlet and the level of knowledge of both the staff and the customer," he says.

If you would like further advice on your wine list please contact Jacob's Creek on 020 8538 4499 or Waverley TBS on 08705 737823.

What different outlets need to know

"Everyone should be able to describe the wine in basic terms, that it's dry or fruity or that it's a certain variety from a certain country," says Paul.

Wine bar

With a more wine-knowledgeable client base, recommending wines by country of origin may be more appropriate. The more sophisticated customer will already have sufficient knowledge to know what styles come from which country.

Community pub

For the large proportion of outlets, Paul suggests basing recommendations on grape style rather than country of origin or, worst still, price.

"Grape varieties are good to use as they cover all countries and both the new and the old world categories," he explains. "You need to keep it about grape style as that's what a lot of people understand and it provides a framework on which you can easily build knowledge. This is where a range like Oliver & Greg's Intro 2 works well as it's sold on varietal rather than country of origin."

Food-led pub

"Combine food and wines and you get a hook," advises Paul. "If you can match a wine with a dish on the menu and be able to explain why they go together then the customer will feel reassured and you'll be able to upgrade them to a better wine higher up the list."

The rule that red wine goes with red meat and white wine is best with fish and poultry is a good basis for wine and food matching.

Young person's venue

In city centre pubs where volume and rate-of-sale is high and where there's no time to talk endlessly about the excellent harvest in Southern Chile, staff can rely on well-established brands.

Need a guide?

The Jacob's Creek guide Excellence in Wine in pubs and bars, a pocket-sized manual available from Jacob's Creek, covers all you need to know about pub wine.

It offers a friendly approach to learning all you need to know about storing, tasting, recommending and serving wines.As part of its efforts to improve the understanding of the UK's most popular wines, Jacob's Creek encourages staff to get acquainted with the grapes.

Here is a whistle-stop tour of the main grape varietals:

White Wine