Need resources for selling wine

[dustinyo]

hey all, i just got a new job as a server in a 4 star french restaurant. it's been going well, except my knowledge of wines is pretty limited. what i would like is some reccomendations for any books and/or DVD's that would help me in being able to decribe wine more accuratly, explain the difference between different wines and sell them effectively in the restaurant. i've searched amazon, but there are about 5,000 choices, and every one has great reviews, and bad reviews, so i'm a bit lost. my hope is to be able to try as many of the wines we carry as possible, but i really don't know what to look for. obviously selling wine helps my tips dramatically, and makes my managers very happy, so i'd really like to be able to do it.

thanks!

[This message has been edited by dustinyo (edited 12-18-2004).]

[Kcwhippet]

Welcome to the Wine Board, Dustin. Well, first of all, every 4 star restaurant I've been in has made the wine and food pairing a major part of the total experience. If you read reviews of Thomas Keller's new retaurant Per Se, you hear how half bottles of wine to accompany each of the nine courses on the tasting menu match perfectly because the management has made an effort to make the wine as much a part of the meal as the food. All that said, a true 4 star restaurant would make sure that their servers were trained, at least basically, in their wine list and how the wines went with the food. If they don't, they're doing a disservice to the server, the customer, the menu and their bottom line. Enough of that. Get a copy of Great Wines Made Simple by Andrea Immer. She's written a book that demystifies the entire process and is an easy read, as well. She does know her stuff - she's only one of ten women in the world to qualify as a Master Sommelier, and she was named Best Sommelier in America a few years ago.

[wineguruchgo]

Hi Dustinyo,

I put out a list of short descriptions of wines on this board last month.

While it won't help you explain the difference between two Cabs on your list, it will give you brief descriptions of each grape.

Take a peek!

http://www.wines.com/ubb2/Forum37/HTML/003040.html

[wondersofwine]

I second Andrea Immer's book. Another basic guide is "Wine for Dummies." I still refer to it on occasion although I've been drinking wine for about 30+ years. Also, ask your customers if they have definite preferences in wine--softer, more full-bodied, white wines without wood influence, etc. (Maybe the most experienced sommelier at the restaurant or the beverage manager can describe the wines for you or categorize them as these are more full-bodied and tannic, these are more fruity tasting, etc.)
And keep tasting yourself as you propose to do. It's a fun task to accomplish.