A little training goes a long way: wine education programs need not be complicated or costly, but a knowledgeable staff drives the bottom line

Cheers, Sept, 2007 by Lee Biars

American wine sales have grown by 35.1 percent during the last 10 years. While that figure from Adams Beverage Group Research reflects both on- and off-premise sales growth, it should be important to you. If overall wine sales in your bar or restaurant aren't significantly higher than they were 10 years ago, your wine program is falling short of the mark.

Consumers are seeking an inviting atmosphere in which to enjoy a glass or bottle and, consequently, a knowledgeable service staff that functions as a resource to help navigate the wine list. If your wine sales aren't on trend, the latter may be where you are falling short. Can your service staff lead a customer through your wine offerings or accurately recommend a food/wine pairing? If not, the good news is that getting them to that point is a quick and affordable journey. Implementing effective staff wine training is the most direct action if you want to see an increase in your wine sales. Don't delay: Your customers are waiting.

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Most restaurant operators fail to recognize the positive effect a structured wine training program can have on the way their establishment is viewed by the guest. Ideally, a positive guest perception results in higher overall sales. By educating employees on the basics of wine, you are exposing them to knowledge that will directly influence the money they make by enabling them to provide better service and see higher check averages. Your more savvy employees will also see this as an opportunity to further improve their wine knowledge and take the ball and run with it. By creating this type of "wine culture," you are making your establishment more enticing for wine savvy patrons, as well as those who are looking to experiment or learn more about wine.

TRAINING OPTIONS ABOUND

If you don't have the resources to put together a wine training program yourself, be assured that you have many wine training options. Among them:

* Hire a Wine Expert. One option is to hire a wine expert or certified sommelier to present wine training seminars for your staff. This method can be costly and its effectiveness may depend on the quality and mood of the teacher, but an effective wine educator typically can explain complicated wine concepts in a way your employees will understand. This hands-on approach may also allow for group wine tastings, which can further internalize the concepts being covered.

* Bring in Distributor Reps. Many restaurants will bring in wine reps from local distributors to teach the basics to their staff. While this is certainly cost effective--it's usually free--the quality of education may be inconsistent. Make sure you interview the reps to ensure the quality of their curriculum and that they can provide complete information, not just notes on their product portfolio. I have found that many restaurants and bars rely too heavily on their wine reps to train their staffs on wine. This can be a huge mistake because some reps can be singularly driven to educate in a manner that drives sales only of their wine portfolio. When exercising this training option, it is critical that you confirm the information servers and bartenders receive is unbiased and accurate.

* Online Training Programs. One of the more cost effective and efficient choices is an online wine training program. Online training can cost as little as $300 per establishment or $10 to $15 per student, and the online model is flexible enough so that training can occur at the restaurant, an employee's home, an Internet cafe, public library or any place an Internet connection exists. If the course is connected to a Learning Management System (LMS), managers can track the training results for their company, a specific location or an individual student. The biggest advantage of this method is that training can occur whenever and wherever it is convenient, so new hires can be trained immediately after being hired.

Many establishments will experience an almost immediate impact after training staff in wine, but it's up to management to make sure training doesn't begin and end with just the basics. I recommend a "blended learning" strategy, meaning you follow up the basic education with scheduled staff wine tastings and dinners, tests, sales contests and constantly expose them to new information about wine. For example, start by training staff in the basics using an online program, then follow-up by having your wine reps come in regularly to taste specific bottles on your list. This will allow your employees to build upon the general education they received with more bottle-, producer- and region-specific information that directly relates to the products your establishment offers.

A CASE STUDY

Here's an example of how an effective wine training program can improve overall sales. In 2006, after weeks of research, management at GreystoneGrill, a three-unit steakhouse and seafood chain in Maryland, decided to use an online training program to teach staff the basics of wine. After two weeks, the entire front-of-the-house staff completed training. GreystoneGrill management followed up with wine tastings at daily employee shift meetings and a weekly contest rewarding servers with the highest sales.