DE-MYSTIFYING
WINE SELECTION Stew Leonard’s Team Members Enroll in Wine 101 Course to Better Serve Customers |
| DANBURY, Conn., August 2, 2002 -- There is no question – to an average consumer, selecting a wine can be daunting. In addition to variety, country, vintages, price and the food it will be served with, there is also the “social stigma” if, heaven forbid, a “wrong” selection is made. |
| “Many customers come in to our Wine Shops and ask for the ‘best bottle’ of wine we have,” comments Rich Beladino, manager of Stew Leonard’s Wine Shop in Danbury. “We truly want to make the customer happy, yet wine selection should be based on a customer’s personal preferences. The ‘Wine 101 For Retail’ course was very beneficial, because it reinforced the types of questions we need to ask our customers to ensure that they are 100 percent satisfied with their selections.” |
| Enter Bill Fore, Director of Education for Eder Bros., Inc. Wine & Spirits, a distributor who supplies Stew Leonard’s with many of their wines. Bill developed the “Wine 101 For Retail” workshop to help retailers and restaurateurs find the perfect wine to meet their customer’s needs. Bill usually teaches this all-day course at off-site meeting locations, where companies send one or two representatives to attend his seminar. However, he recently made an exception – for Stew Leonard’s Wine Shops – with two of the largest wine stores in Connecticut, and a third Wine Shop adjacent to the Stew Leonard’s Yonkers, New York store. |
| “Believe it or not, many people actually select wine based on the design of the label or by a catchy name,” says Bill. “The goal of my course is to help retailers ‘de-mystify’ the wine selection process for consumers.” |
| Bill’s one-day intensive course breaks down the wine selection process into simple steps. The first part covered component tasting – how to identify flavors in the mouth and use descriptive words to identify taste. As a “hands-on” exercise, the group identified more than 30 aromas, and learned descriptive vocabulary associated with wine. This is one of the keys to helping customers identify their wine preferences – by using appropriate descriptive words to determine if they prefer a wine that is “buttery and oaky” or one that has “ripe pear and melon flavors, with subtle oak,” for example. |
| The quickest way to learn to distinguish wine styles is by doing side-by-side tastings, so the next exercise was a blind tasting of 14 different wines from seven varietals – three white wines and four red. To taste wine, one evaluates the color, aroma, and flavor characteristics of fruit concentration, sweet, sour, bitter, and alcohol (what is known as “the burn” in wine.) |
| The purpose of the blind tasting was to identify the different characteristics between “old world” (European) wines and “new world” (U.S., Australian, New Zealand, South African and South American) style wines. The exercise was quite eye-opening for the Stew Leonard’s group, because it underscored how our American palate has conditioned us to prefer “new world” wines, which have been produced to cater to Americans’ preference for fruitier, bolder wines. Bill summarized the major differences between the two: climate and flavor zones, as well as style and tradition of production. |
| The afternoon took the Stew Leonard’s group through how food interacts with wine and how to balance wine selection with the menu. For example, the old rule of “white wines with light colored foods such as fish and chicken, and red wine with meats” isn’t bad, but can be an over-simplification. It really amounts to how well a dish is balanced, that is, adjusting the seasonings so that any wine will be delicious with the meal. Salty or sour food makes wine taste milder, e.g, dry wines seem sweeter, fruitier, and less bitter/tannic. Sweet foods or foods containing a fifth taste known as “umami” -- a Japanese term best translated as savory (e.g., ripe tomatoes, onions, ham, sauces) -- tend to make wines taste stronger; drier, less fruity and more acidic. |
| The secret is to balance the four tastes in the dish. For example, spicy food exaggerates the tannin and bitterness of a wine. Adding salt or sour additions (such as lime juice or cheese) to the food can counteract this effect on the wine. |
| Another useful shortcut is to select wine based on the texture and fat content of food. Wines with lighter body go well with food that has a delicate texture and less fat, while fuller bodied wines are better paired with food that has a chewier texture and more fat. |
| The last tasting of the course involved five other wines representing important concepts. Bill explained the labor-intensive process of producing champagne, and the “traditional method” of hand riddling, one of the features that make champagne a pricier selection. He also discussed wines made from “old vines” and the maturation of a vineyard. The class tasted some “proprietary blends,” including an American version of Bordeaux wine called meritage – a blend of cabernet, merlot, cabernet franc, petit verdot and malbec grapes. The final tasting was a review of fortified wines, including port and dessert wines. |
| “Bill’s ‘Wine 101 for Retail’ class, was extremely enlightening, because it focused on both understanding the complexity of wine selection, as well as tips we can use everyday to make the wine selection process less confusing for our customers,” said Rich Beladino. “It reinforced how we can bring the same level of customer service Stew Leonard’s is known for to our Wine Shop customers – by having a knowledgeable staff combined with a extensive selection of wines available at a great value.” |
| Already the second largest wine store in Connecticut after just two years in business, Stew Leonard’s Wine Shops are fast becoming known for offering great wine at a great value, along with having a knowledgeable staff. As part of educating the customer about the latest trends in wine, Stew Leonard’s Wine Shops have several wine tastings throughout the year, featuring different regions. For more information, visit www.stewleonards.com, or inquire at any of Stew Leonard’s Wine Shops in Norwalk and Danbury, Conn. and Yonkers, NY. |
| Bill’s Picks from the Stew Leonard’s “Wine 101 for Retail” Seminar |
| 2001 Mt. Riley Sauvignon Blanc
(New Zealand) Wow! A zesty mouthful of grapefruit, fresh cut hay and tart apple. Lively and refreshing. |
| 1999 Gloria Ferrer Carneros Chardonnay Intense chardonnay flavors of ripe pear and melon, beautifully balanced with citrussy acidity and subtle oak. |
| 2000 Sebastiani Sonoma Coast Pinot
Noir Deliciously concentrated cherry-red fruit and spice with a finish that reminds me of candied apples at the fair. |
| 1998 Chateau Ste. Michelle Cold
Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Washington) A blockbuster with elegantly pure plum, black currant preserves and vanilla. Firm tannins and judicious use of oak provide the structure for this full-bodied beauty. |
