CIA at Greystone helps operators uncork higher wine sales

Nation's Restaurant News, April 11, 2005

ST. HELENA, CALIF. -- The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone here introduced a course in January aimed at teaching restaurateurs how to generate higher profits from wine sales.

The course, which is the latest addition to the CIA's selection of wine-focused classes in its Professional Wine Studies Program, is called "Maximizing Your Wine List." The CIA faculty teaching the class covers a variety of topics, including wine-by-the-glass programs, pricing, how to keep wines fresh, glassware choices, and how to sell different types of wines.

Two-thirds of all wine drinkers wish that restaurants would provide more guidance in choosing wines to go with their meals, according to a study by Russell Research, a New York-based market research firm. In addition, half of wine drinkers would drink more often if restaurants provided recommendations, and 44 percent often feel intimidated by wine lists at restaurants, the study added.

"The findings of this study indicate that for many restaurants, a clear opportunity exists to attract new customers and stimulate wine sales," said John De Biasio, a Russell Research partner.

The study was conducted online with 869 wine drinkers age 21 and older in the United States in July 2004.

"Restaurateurs don't always understand that there's a big difference between a wine list and a wine program," said Debbie Zachareas, adjunct faculty member at the CIA and one of the instructors of the courses. "It's not just about the list you put together. People need to think about the size of restaurant, the neighborhood, [whether] the restaurant [is] a tourist destination or a resort town. The goal of the course is to get the students to begin to formulate these factors."

Zachareas has been in the restaurant business, working as a sommelier for 15 years. She also owns a restaurant in San Francisco.

"I've spent a lot of time just talking about what it's like to operate a wine program in a restaurant," she said. "I don't want people to imitate my success; I want them to find their passions. I try to get people to be very realistic and to determine what will work for their clientele. We're in the service industry. We need to make people feel comfortable."

Zachareas added that variety is essential and that if a restaurant is going to have 10 Chardonnay selections, it must have different styles in different price ranges.

"This [class] is one of the few organized wine programs out there," Zachareas said. "It's very comprehensive."

The CIA initiated the Professional Wine Studies program in early 2003. Courses are held in the campus' new Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies. The center features state-of-the-art tasting classrooms designed for the sensory evaluation of wine.

Some of the courses in the wine program include the Business of Wine, the Bordeaux Intensive, and Wine and Food Pairings 101.

The classes can have anywhere from eight to 70 students and run in two- to five-day segments. "Our classes are aimed for people in the food, wine and hospitality industries," said Karen MacNeil, chairman of Professional Wine Studies. "We'll teach you in two days what it would take you years to learn on your own."

MacNeil is the author of "The Wine Bible" and host of the PBS television series "Wine, Food and Friends with Karen MacNeil." In 2004 she was presented the Wine and Spirits Professional of the YearAward by the James Beard Foundation.