Sniff. Swirl. Spit.

How has this idea enhanced your club's operation, etc.?

We decided to tackle the topic of wine that we take for granted: wine tasting. Together with my resident sommelier, we hosted a 2 hour training with the servers and bartenders. While many choose to outsource these trainings, we decided it would be best for our staff to be in the most comfortable setting (they know we would never be disappointed in answers different than expected!) for a blind taste practice session.

Because we did this in a larger group setting, we were able to sample bottles that staff had not tasted before, and we were pleasantly surprised when they were able to identify syrah and nebbiolo from a blind test. Future classes will hopefully also include side-by-side comparisons of different years.

It has been said that the most descriptive wine taste testers are those without extensive pre-conceived knowledge and it was fascinating (and accurate!) to hear the feedback of less advanced palates.

How was this idea implemented, and what have been the club members' reactions?

Our membership is very supportive of ongoing training. The staff is able to give a lot more insight into a wine's character with basic understanding of colors, flavors, and viscosity, which has led to much more cohesive pairings as well as better meal progression from course to course. Additionally, the staff has a contagious excitement about new items brought on, which only improves sales.