Just want to rave!

[brappy]

Quick background: I've been in the restaurant business for 23+ yrs now. I work in a restaurant in the Baltimore area. Last summer, I was given a task: Make the wait staff more knowledgeable about wine.

I decided wine tastings were needed. Not the wine tastings performed by distributors before a shift, but real, fun, tastings with wine bought by the tasters.

The first few tastings were with less than 10 people and a few were with less than 5 people. We have a themed tasting once a month.

At our last tasting, more than 35 people showed with 1,2 or 3 bottles per person. We are skipping February but our next tasting is March 5th. Distributors for the restaurant are now offering bottles for our tastings.

The wait staff (majority of) is exited about the tastings. They simply want to try everything there is out there. The amazing part is listening to them talk to tables about wine. Thier enthusiasm is contagious. Our wine sales have gone up which is great, but what impresses me is thier first hand knowledge of the wines we sell and regions and vintages in general, AND thier confidence while talking about it....

Anyway, just proud of my staff and wanted to say so.

mark