In NYC bar: 16 taste flights build by-the-glass wine biz

Nation's Restaurant News, Nov 23, 1987

IN NYC BAR: 16 TASTE FLIGHTS BUILD BY-THE-GLASS WINE BIZ

With a 96-bottle wine dispenser, Soho Kitchen & Bar woos the novice with an array of under-$10 glasses that account for a third of its $1.5 million sales.

Jay Wolmer, general manager of the Soho Kitchen & Bar in New York City, calls it the largest on-premise wine-dispensing system in the world.

Three 32-bottle dispensers strung end-to-end run the entire length of the 50-stool bar to create an eye-opening battery of 96 bottles of wine on tap that now account for more than a third of the outlet's $1.5 million annual volume.

The trio of wine machines is the focal point and center core of its tonnage approach to by-the-glass sales of some of the "best' wines and vintages available anywhere, Wolmer says.

Wine currently accounts for 60 percent of all alcoholic beverage business, and beverages rack up half of total sales.

But the force that really drives the wine program at the three-year-old Soho unit is a working philosophy aimed at bringing wine appreciation to New York's masses. "We feet the Cruvinet technique allows us to cater more fairly to the non-wine drinker or novice who is our core customer,' Wolmer explains. "By being able to serve fine wines by the glass, we can keep our bottle prices at reasonable, reachable standards, too.'

He sees wine as product the public is wary of because "they're afraid of vintages and names they can't pronounce. So we conscientiously offer wines anybody can learn to recognize and buy in local stores after they try them here.'

His goal is to "make our customers better wine drinkers, no matter what the latest trend or fad. We're not trying to build our check averages, but to promote different wine tastes. When the guys are watching the football game, we'd rather see them drinking a good red port wine than guzzling beer, I guess.'

The Soho bar makes its philosophy work by combining its huge selection of 96 wines by the glass, 14 champagnes and sparkling wines with a tonnage approach to wine selling. The key is to keep prices under $10 a glass, Wolmer says. "About half our sales now are $6 to $8 and the rest under $5.'

By selling in high volume, bottle turnover in the wine-dispensing machines is also high, he points out. "After four or five days, if a bottle isn't selling, we take it out because we want our customers to be drinking fresh, quality wines at all times.'

As a result, the system runs through 300 to 400 different bottle wines a year, he estimates. That creates a by-the-glass sales gusher that flows at the rate of 70 cases of bottles each week. Taste flights account for more than half of their dollar volume.

The wine list changes weekly and typically carries eight Chardonnay selections and daily tastings of 16 different "flights.'

An 8-glass "flight' of French Chardonnay features 2 1/2-ounce tastings of at least three $40 vintages, three more at $30-$35 and two in the $25 a bottle range, is priced at $24, for instance. For $7.25 customers get tastings of four Australian wines in the $15 to $30 class. The tasting and by-the-glass lineup also includes dessert wines, German Riesling, Italian, Pinot Noirs, California and French Cabernet, Sauvignons, Rhones and a selection of special reds and whites, from $3.50 to $6 a glass.

By-the-glass selections overall run from a low of $3 to a high of $22 for and German Rhein dessert wine, which tops the list at $110 a bottle.

To make ordering and selection easier, the Soho Kitchen & Bar menu lists each wine and grouping by vintage and price for half-size, full glasses and bottles. "This allows the customer to compare the relative value of each selection. But our primary goal is to promote tastings and encourage "flights,' Wolmer says.

Because of its huge volume and the size of its nitrogen-fed tap system, the unit has become an on-line test kitchen for Cruvinet, Wolmer says. They've worked together to make improvements on the machines that benefit new and existing operators. Among them:

"We had them install vents to help circulation, also defrost timers and new locking devices . . . plus thermostats and valves to detect leaks. Another major innovation we helped develop is a pop-out window so they can be cleaned easily.'

Next year, Wolmer expects to introduce wine on tap in Miami Beach with the opening of Lucky's Restaurant, an old gambling ship turned "destination restaurant' that will sport a 30-bottle Cruvinet. "This unit will be entirely stainless steel to ease cleaning and maintenance,' he says. "And, we'll be experimenting with gasses other than nitrogen to see if we can't improve the efficiency even more.'

Photo: Customers test half-glasses of French Chardonnay for $24.