Restaurant Wine, Issue 94 (March/April 2003)

Multi-Unit Wine Program Issue

Operation Profile: How does a growing, successful multi-unit company sustain an equally successful wine program? That challenge is being met by the wine director at this Detroit-area company, which operates five restaurants. Her focus on customer service, server wine training, wine merchandising, and wine events has earned this company a reputation for excellence in its wine program, and customer loyalty.

Notebook: "Get The Word Out About Wine Events At Your Restaurant." There is an excellent free Internet site that can help restaurants attract more customers to their wine dinners, classes, tastings, and special events.

Notebook: "Wine Lists Enter The 'Cork-Free' Zone." As more and more screw cap stoppered premium wines are released, these wines are beginning to find themselves listed on wine lists as being "cork free". One restaurant in St. Helena, California recently launched its "Cork-Free Wines" page in its wine list.

Wine Reviews: 175 recommended wines. Highlights include top-rated Portos; excellent moderately priced California Chardonnays; great red wine values from California (Merlot, Cabernet, Zinfandel, Syrah, etc.); leading wines from Australia; wonderful white and red wines from Italy; and several selections from New Zealand.