One of my co-workers who shares this view, and has some damn good ideas about wine also, proposed a challenge to me, a mini sales-contest between he and I. We've got something like 22 selections on or off list right now that are down to the last 1 or 2 bottles in house, and his proposal is to see who can move through the most of them. I might have some fun with this one, especially since it's just a friendly wager between friends. The last contest that the *restaurant* put out has left a sour taste in my mouth, and this is hardly the venue for it.
Didn't sell any wine all night long. One table brought in a 1992 Caymus Special Select, the cork was in beautiful shape. Should I rant about corkage fees? I've written notes about them in the past-
I'm all for Corkage fees. I'm sorry if this offends you, but I've a very strong restaurant background, and I firmly believe in corkage fees! (Cake-age fees too, but that's off topic) Further, I think it's appropriate for the restaurant to have a HIGHER corkage fee if you bring in a bottle that the restaurant carries.
Having said that, I must relate the following:
Tonight I waited on a party of four. They were a pair of affluent, well spoken, mid 40s couples. They brought in two bottles of wine- the '07 J. Lohr Seven Oaks Cab, and the '06 Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Cab. I'll not belabor the whole story of their dining experience, suffice it to say that I decanted both of these wines through a Rojaus Vine Decanter, with much explanation and flourish. Now, these people knew what they were drinking, and made no claims as to its' virtues, nor did they bat an eyelash at the corkage fees on the bill.
Here's my question- would you ever bring such a wine into a restaurant? I'm not belittling the wine, I've purchased the same CSM IW Cab for home consumption. I'm VERY familiar w/ the J. Lohr- having worked for a winery not more than a stone's throw from the Lohr vineyards in Paso (East Side baby!) Robles. These wines are great every-day drinking wines (for those enjoy who that particular style). They are NOT wines for memorable events. So again- would you take that type of a wine to a restaurant? Pay a corkage that's more expensive than the wine itself? Really?
So, I obviously don't harbor resentment to this couple for bringing in the '92. Maybe I'm just bummed that the couple didn't pour a taste for me?
I got home to a treat. My girlfriend bought a bottle of red and greeted me with a blind test. Awesome. I haven't been challenging myself on wine tasting lately, just enjoying it and taking it all in. I did okay on the test, nailed varietal, was 1 yr off vintage, and had region just not sub region. I asked my girlfriend to test me more often, as it dovetails nicely with so many of my current ambitions of furthering my Somm certifications.
Ok - test - Josh, is it possible that your customers really do not know wine, maybe do not drink wine except when they go out and someone - maybe a friend + suggested they take their own wine to save $$? Knowing you, they will return to you open to a new appreciation of what you can sell them.
ReplyDeleteA very viable possibility Linda! I discounted that idea early on with the anecdote above, because we discussed the wines I was opening, and they expressed complete knowledge of what they had in the glass.
ReplyDeleteI have a hard time thinking that anyone believes they are *saving* money by taking a cheap bottle to a restaurant, especially when the corkage fee is $20, in some cases double what people are spending on the wine itself. Generally people who don't know wine, or don't know much about wine, dining at our restaurant will make that plain to us, and stick with beer or cocktails.