Leaving Money on the Table

Restaurants have a goal, same as any other business, profits. What I will never understand is why a restaurant creates wine lists without not their customer. Let’s have a look at what not to do.

This is a small snippet from a restaurant drink menu. It is 88 pages long. Yes, 88 pages. I will save this rant for another day, who needs 88 pages of drinks? I have read books that are shorter.

I chose the USA & Canada section because it is easy to say “well it’s France or Italy, different language = increased complexity”.

If you are not a wine geek you would look at this list and go hmmmn, no idea what any of this is on this page… you flip and then page after page you would do the same until guess what?

Now, (acting as your customer) I need to make a decision. I know I want a drink, a nice glass of dry white would be nice. I have not decided on food. I have been told (and I believe) that pairing wine and food is important. [Friction]

I glance at the wine menu, and I have no idea what any (or few) of the names actually mean. [Friction] Now I have to decide what to eat, what wine to drink, ask what the wines are, understand what that means when they tell me and then learn what the wine goes with. [FRICTION] ITS TOO MUCH WORK TO DRINK WINE. So, what to do? I will look for something easier to understand.

I will pick anything but wine and I won’t go back to it.. Why? Because wine made me feel stupid, so I went down a different path. Who offers frictionless fun? Cocktails my friend. Cocktails. (No lie, even I after a week of endless decisions, want 0 more decisions an overwhelming wine menu and terrible by the glass selection and I move on to cocktails)

Lets break down this list through the eyes of your customers. Let’s assume this is true:

1. People go to restaurants, and travel for experiences that take them away from their everyday lives.
2. Restaurants are like mini-vacations, where one goes to be taken care of, eat good food, have good conversation and a drink. (The data shows that people chose restaurants decisions based on service, brand and recommendations – a good drink list is one factor)
3. Most of your customers will not feel comfortable asking for wine assistance, they can’t be bothered.
4. The first question the customer is asked is: “Do you know what you would like to drink?” and not “Can I help you with anything on the drink list?”

Why is the younger generation is not drinking wine? It is simple. Amazon is at your door the same day, uber eats in an hour. Instant gratification. Ever say “awe man I gotta wait how long to get it (more than a day)”? Yup, I have. Yet, we expect that this generation is going to invest the eons of time it takes to understand wine. No one is teaching this around the kitchen table anymore. It used to be part of etiquette training and now, go fend for yourselves you animals!

Let’s try an experiment. Choose a wine from the list below.

1. Nuit Blanche
2. La Crescent ‘Aura’
3. La Crescent ‘ Vinu Jancu’
4. Gewurztraminer
5. Marsanne / Roussanne

What did you choose? I am guessing it was NOT #2, 3, or 5? Did you pick something familiar or did you say “none”?

Now, Look at the same options written with the customer in mind.

1. Nuit Blanche : First there is an error on the menu (it should read “Riesling” not “Rieling” – want to confuse someone? this is a small but important detail and will quickly have people hit “skip” in their mind, it is also a blend not just Riesling) Nuit Blanche means ‘white night’ in French. It is a white wine blend of Riesling (Think – Crisp, Lime, Peach, Apple, Floral) and Chardonnay (Think – Apple, Pear, Butter, Hazelnut). It is dry. It pairs well with salads, fruit, fish, chicken and creamy sauces.
2. La Crescent ‘Aura’: La Crescent is a light skinned white grape. It has a hint of sweet with flavours of apricot, grapefruit, apple and sometimes pineapple. It pairs well with spicy food. This wine is a natural wine. It is unfiltered and organic.
3. La Crescent (Vinu Jancu): ‘Vinu Jancu’ is an old Sicilian term for a white wine made like a red, also known as ‘orange wine’. It has peach blossom, burnt hazelnut praline, home-made raisins & earthy. It is a natural wine (aka made with few interventions, allowed to be ‘natural’). It is dry.
4. Gewürztraminer: Is a white wine grape variety known for its high natural sugar content and distinctive aromas, including lychee, rose petal, and spice. ( I always think of those fruit cup in a can with the red cherry) It pairs well with spicy dishes, Thai food, fruit, blue cheese and smoked foods.
5. Marsanne / Roussanne: These are two important white grapes from the Northern Rhône Valley in France. They are often blended together to produce rich, aromatic wines, with Marsanne providing body and Roussanne adding elegance and acidity. It has flavours of dried fruit (apricot), lemon, peach and salt. It is dry. It pairs well with fish, chicken, pasta with tomato sauce, vegetarian and creamy sauces.

I am guessing it was easier to make a choice. Was there something that caught your eye? With a clear list it is also easier for your server to fill in the blanks of all the little details, if you are interested.

We go to professionals because they learnt what they needed to do the job at an expert level. That is what I have done, I have invested years and countless hours to learn the minutia of wine. I would say I have a good grasp of the subject. When I go to the doctor I do not want her to explain each little detail with medical terms in Latin, expecting I already understand what she is saying. Why do we do this to our wine friends?

Mantra of the day? Be nice to wine friends. We need them.

Small changes means you won’t be leaving money on the restaurant table.