Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/670021
2 6 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | M a y - J u n e 2 016 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m they might drink a bit more volume if they order a bottle," he says. Does the restaurant have a real profit motive in favoring BTG sales over bottle sales, or vice-versa? "We don't look at it from that angle, but I know some do, includ- ing some that I've worked for. For us, it's more about the overall experience," Alexander says, add- ing that the margins of the wine program are figured into the overall prix fixe meal cost along with food and labor costs. At The Progress, there are often two sommeliers on the floor on any given night, and they set the tone of service from the start. "When we seat customers, we open up the wine list so they aren't just looking at cocktails. At The Progress, there are about 400 selections and it's all, well, not esoteric, but there's a ton of Chenin [Blanc], lots of Riesling," says Alexander. "I feel we need to start that conversation early. There are boxes where we call out things that we're excited about, like Ries- ling and Chenin Blanc, and let them know early on that there's not just a lot of Chardonnay. We're trying to make it a friendly experience so they don't open it up and go, 'Arin- to? What's that?'" I also spoke with David Rounds, w i n e d i r e c t o r f o r C h e f N a o m i Pomeroy's Beast restaurant in Portland, Ore. Beast offers a fixed- price, six-course, seasonal menu that changes weekly, but unlike The Progress, diners aren't passing plates and the courses are served in a standard progression. The wine list isn't as long as that of The Prog- ress, and the restaurant has less space for inventory. The BTG sales at Beast account for about 70% of all wine sales, a figure that seems to be becoming almost standard. Also unlike The Progress, a pair- ing menu is encouraged. "Naomi has some stipulations as to what she'd like presented with the cours- es. Understanding that we're in the Jason Alexander, general manager and wine director for The Progress and State Bird Provisions in San Francisco, likes to make choosing wine a friendly experience for customers. 707 938-1300 WWW.ACROLON.COM ® • Wire-less Tank Temperature Control • Fermentation Status From Anywhere • Brix/Temp/Pump-over Tracking • E-mail Alarm Notifications • Production Software Integration • Temp, Humidity, CO2, Night Air • Energy Saving Functions E NG INEERI N G G ERMA N PA Trellising Systems Inc. 74 Woodlake Dr · Charlottesville, VA 22901 Tel. 404 992 6236 · www.wv-care.com WWW.PATRELLISING.COM PICKING We've been producing one of the most reliable and long-lasting Trellising Systems for more than 50 years to make our client's growing and processing more profi table and a lot easier. THE RIGHT TRELLISING SYSTEM C AN MAKE A WORLD OF A DIFFERENCE TO YOUR BUSINESS MARKET WATCH TIM TEICHGRAEBER