Published on October 9, 2023.
Our guide to the perfect pour!
You want to make sure that the customer is getting the most out of their wine and order more. So, it is of the utmost importance to ensure you are delivering the perfect serve every single time. Although it is a good rule of thumb to recommend white wine with white meats and fish and red wine with red meat dishes, after a little training, your staff will be able to be more precise i.e., Picpul De Pinet goes extremely well with Lemon Sole, whereas chardonnay works better with creamy chicken dishes.
Most entry point wines can just be opened and poured but if the wine has age, then either allow this wine to breathe (uncork and leave for an hour or 2) or if in the more likely scenario you don’t have time then decant aggressively into a carafe. Please always remember to do this in front of the customer so they can be assured that they are drinking the wine they have ordered. Either way aerating the wine will release the flavour. The only time this is not advised is if you are serving a very old wine which should be drunk as soon as it is opened.
Red Wine
Old school thinking is that red wine should be served at ‘room temperature’ but this goes back centuries when rooms were a lot cooler. The ideal temperature range is around 18 degrees.
White Wine
Lighter whites such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc should be served at around 8 degrees, the heavier wines such as oaked chardonnay should be more like 12 degrees. Don’t be tempted to over chill or you will mask the flavour. Do take time to take a wine bucket to the table or if you have fridge space then offer to keep it behind the bar for them. It’s of the utmost importance that your customer enjoys every drop.
Rose Wine
It’s not often that people will order a rise to go with food, but sweeter rose will go well with Asian cuisine and dryer rose pairs will with salads and grilled seafood. Serve them at around 8 degrees and, as with the whites, don’t forget to keep it chilled.
Sparkling Wine
Sparkling wine is best served at around 6 degrees and is usually drunk as an aperitif. This offers a great upsell if your staff are trained to suggest a drink while choosing a meal. Many people thing that the Prosecco revolution is over, however it is very much alive and kicking.
Dessert Wine
Often forgotten about but a luxury that those in the know will thoroughly revel in. During your working day, you will observe how customers often stop drinking their dry wine once dessert is served. Who can blame them? When you’re eating sweet food, you will exaggerate the dryness of the wine. Red, white or rose pudding wine is best served at 6 degrees and is usually made from botrytised late harvested grapes which are high in natural sugars and taste amazing. Because of this, they can be opened for a good few weeks without going off, allowing you to serve by the glass. Dry wine takes around 700 grapes per bottle – dessert wine takes 3,000 grapes per bottle. Typically, a small sherry glass of dessert wine can be upsold easily for over £10.
Drink Warehouse UK offer complimentary training to your staff so that they are able to recommend the right wine choice to accompany your menu. Afterall, if the wine compliments the food, then your customers are more likely to order even more. Book your training with our Wine Development and Training Manager, Scott Malyon, today!
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About the author
Chloe Lewis
Chloe looks after all copywriting and proof-reading for Drink Warehouse UK, working with the Marketing team to deliver educational content to all our customers. She has spent many years in the hospitality sector, moving from behind the bar to now helping venues to stock their own. You can find more from Chloe about beer, cider, spirits, wine, non-alcoholic, soft drinks and RTDs all over our blogs, website, social media and Set The Bar magazine.
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