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Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/725097
www.cheersonline.com 21 September 2016 • meringue tarlets with rhubarb wine. These events also enable the company to seek feedback from their fans on any new foods and wines. "Everything we do is about creating value," explains McMillin. "These clubs and events all keep people connected and make superfans out of guests." Wine club members can also have access to Cooper's Hawk executives. "Rob talks directly with Wine Club members on a regular basis. Some of them travel all over the world and send photos to me," McMillin says. "And they're also inviting their friends into the wine club," he adds. McMillin recalls a particular Wine Club trip that came to infl uence others that followed. He was in Portugal with about 20 members staying on a mountainside hotel. After a group activity, guests had the options of returning to the hotel and then heading out on their own for dinner, or having McMillin and his staff procure local wine and food for an impromptu mountainside picnic. Everyone chose the latter. Word of the resulting dinner circulated through the wine-club membership. Now the trips typically include a similar, spur-of-the-moment group activity. "It speaks to the fabric of what we do," McMillin says. "We create entertaining experiences that people remember and crave." ENCOURAGING EXPERIMENTATION Wine-centric customers today love to explore, McEnery says. Millennials in particular have a world view on international wines, along with an increased openness to different wines and wine education, he notes. Cooper's Hawk plays into this curiosity and experimentation by presenting guests with multiple opportunities to taste different bottles. Servers will pour a sample by request for guests in the restaurant, ensuring that what they order matches their palate's preference. And for the adventurous or curious drinker, Cooper's Hawk offers six different wine fl ights. On the current menu, the sparkling fl ight ($13.99) consists of blanc de blanc, sparkling rosé, almond and raspberry wines (a chardonnay base with fl avoring); the white fl ight ($13.99) is sauvignon blanc, pinot gris, Cooper's Hawk White, and chardonnay; the red fl ight ($14.99) is sangiovese, zinfandel, petite sirah, and cabernet sauvignon; the lux ($18.99) is lux chardonnay, lux pinot noir, lux cabernet sauvignon and lux meritage; and a dessert fl ight ($12.99) comes with rhubarb, sweet red, raspberry and blueberry wines. Guests can also create their own fl ight of four wines for $15.99. "Every time I'm in a restaurant, I always see a few people ordering fl ights," Warren says. "It gives people the opportunity to experiment with wines and food." Which plays into something Warren believes is at the heart of Cooper's Hawk: consumer education. "We try to provide as wonderful a learning experience as possible for people," he says. "And we try to be as unintimidating about it as possible." That means offering as much education as guests want "and providing as many samples as we can," Warren says. "That's something that you can't get at any wine shop." The red wine fl ights ($14.99) at Cooper's Hawk include sangiovese, zinfandel, petite sirah and cabernet sauvignon. The Cooper's Hawk Margarita ($10), made with Cazadores reposado tequila, Triple Sec, sour, passion fruit and spar- kling wine, is a top seller and a good rep- resentation of Cooper's Hawk's balanced approach to cocktails. Educating the Whole Team The servers at Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurants must be well versed with the wines to provide a high level of service and engaging customer experience. Winemaker Rob Warren explains that many staff are Cooper's Hawk superfans themselves, making them profi cient with wines on the menu if guests have questions. Our staffers education goes beyond mere passion: Servers and tasting-room attendants sample Cooper's Hawk wines every day before the lunch and dinner shifts. These "community meetings" take place in each restaurant, and focus on wine-of-the-month offerings, their chef-pairing recommendations and other current specials. "Our staff are always thinking about wine and food pairings," says Matt McMillin, vice president of culinary and beverage innovation. It's not just servers that benefi t from a wine education, however. The Cooper's Hawk offi ces, or "restaurant support center" as its called, also hold community meetings once a month. At some, Warren will lead participants through tastings, working his way through all the departments. "That way, everyone understands a little bit better about what everyone else does here at Cooper's Hawk," Warren explains. —KS