Buyer Beware ! - Is your wine-by-the-glass service sending that signal

Really? Is that really the attitude you want any of your guests to take? That they should be wary of what you say and what you offer and what you promise?

When you consider the fact that the 2 biggest-barriers-to-consumption, as reported by the Wine Market Council are; 1) How fresh is the wine, how long has it been open, and 2) Why is the price inflated, why is the glass price near the retail bottle price, it is clear to see what many guests are thinking.

How about “buyer trust”?
How about “buyer confidence” induced by a clear commitment to wine service excellence.

How do you deal with customer disappointment or buyer remorse? How do you deal with today’s more wine savvy guest? When you consider the fact that the majority of guests’ dissatisfaction regarding wine service rarely result in a complaint; you are in a hospitality setting after all. It’s the difference between “tough luck, you should have read the fine print” and “oh no! How can we help?” If people know you will always make it right, they will beware less and trust more.

What do you have to do to create trust in your wine-by-the-glass service ? How much would it cost and how often can you produce it? The investment needed is small, and implementing the “trust inducing” service is easier than you think.

Whatever it costs, it’s a bargain.
Check out www.BermarAmerica.com for more information

Wine by the glass- Upscale your service before Up Selling - If you don't you run the risk of overselling, under delivering and loosing that hospitable feeling

Upscale your service before Up selling – If you don’t, you run the risk of overselling, under delivering, and loosing that hospitality spirit.

We all know the concept of the all important ‘up sell’- Growing our businesses requires us to sell to more customer or sell more to the customers we have, or sell the same quantity but more profitably.  However the customer must have a desire and wants to feel comfortable before he is prepared to spend more. When it comes to wine by the glass, the desire is unquestionably there, a great  2012 wine by the glass program will help you delivery that Up scaled service, which will comfort the guest, meet and exceed their expectations and invite the more profitable Up sell. .

Let’s start with the guests expectation when it comes up-selling wine by the glass. Wine by the glass has become a critical part of the dining experience. Guest expectations are much higher with the basic requirements of choice, quality and value being elevated to unprecedented levels. The guest is ready and yearning to experiment, but he does not want to be sold, he wants to be comforted. He may appreciate suggestions, but he would like to choose from an enticing range of wines that he TRUSTS will be served in perfect condition at a fair price. Your wine by the glass service must exhibit that it will meet or exceed his expectations for him to feel comfortable. He is a guest, he has choices, and that is why the recent trends have been for him to drink better quality wine at home, than when he visits restaurants.

So if you try to up sell without upgrading your offer to meet your guests rising expectations, you will be seen to be over selling a mediocre service, not an ideal way to make your guest feel, and surely not a way to sell more.

So what are the expectations of today’s more wine savvy guest? What comforts and assures the guest so that he may be enticed to trade up.

1)      Wine must be served guaranteed fresh from the bottle.

2)      Wine must be served at the correct serving temperature, for both Red and White.

3)      Wine must be served in an appropriate stem (enough swirl room).

4)      Wine List / Marketing materials, must be readily available for the guest to easily choose. Promote your upgraded service and invite the up-sell, don’t hide your new service and have to push the upsell.

5)      Special Features within the service that promote your new service, comfort the guest and encourage experimentation – Tastes, Wine Flights, Food& Wine Pairings, tasting notes, wine socials, wine dinners, choice of sizes (3oz pours, 5 oz pours, 250ml carafes, 500ml carafes).

6)   Wine must be served with care and diligence to add to the experience.

If you have to sell the up-sell then there is something wrong with you service, gentle suggestive selling is all that should be necessary. Your service should invite the up-sell ! Upgrade your service, promote and suggest your new improved offer and the Up-sell will come.

To find out more about the equipment and ideas needed to upscale your wine by the glass service please visit www.BermarAmerica.com . 

Le Verre de Vin TOWER - Still & Sparkling wine preservation systems

NEW - Le Verre de Vin TOWER - the latest version of the world leading Le Verre de Vin wine preservation technology. A stunning new design that presents the preservation technology in an easy to locate and use configuration, ready to fit into almost any bar. The Le Verre de Vin TOWER has the added advantage of being flexible and upgradeable to a POD BAR by adding and attractive POD countertop refrigerator . More information can be obtained at www.PodBar.co and www. BermarAmerica.com

Worlds Largest Wine Bar - 500 Wines by the glass presented with the new POD BAR

The World's Largest Wine Bar - 500 wines by the glass presented and ready to serve in perfect condition using the stunning new POD BAR wine preservation / wine cabinets. All white wines, red wines and champagnes are presented fresh and at the perfect serving temperature, ready to be proudly poured fresh from the bottle, just as the discerning wine drinker expects.
More information can be seen at www.PodBar.co . Visit and see how easy it is to implement a professional Wine Bar offering from 10 to 500 wines by the glass with the flexible, modular POD BAR.

Simply Elegant – A ‘wine by the glass’ weekend in New York

Even Manhattan longed for a piece of the Royal Wedding pomp and circumstance last month.  While traveling in New York, I stopped in at the Jumeirah Essex House, a Le Verre de Vin user, for a glass of my go-to Malbec, but once inside, I changed my order to a ‘Middleton Mimosa’ from their London Calling specialty menu.  In celebration of the blessed union of Kate & William and the 50^th Anniversary of the Carlton Tower in London, the well known NYC hotel hosted a viewing of the nuptials with a British inspired bill of fare.  

During the ceremony, Kate Middleton exuded royalty in every facet of the event, yet somehow she makes the elite Royal Family accessible and even inviting.  In much the same fashion, Le Verre de Vin, the UK based, patented wine preservation systems, bridges the average wine consumer to an affordable luxury – a glass of wine, served in perfect condition.  Le Verre de Vin is elegant in its simplicity, precisely and effectively preserving an opened bottle of wine for up to 3 weeks in a matter of seconds – under 6 to be exact.  And with the wine perfectly preserved, bars, clubs, and restaurants are able to offer a wider selection of wines by the glass without the risk of ever wasting wine or serving a subpar glass to a guest.  

Another NY icon, Morrell Wine Bar in Rockefeller Center does over 100 wines by the glass with Le Verre de Vin, and their selection is truly remarkable.  They’re constantly updating their wine by the glass offerings and their informed and savvy staff is eager to discuss the characteristics of each of the selections in great detail if you’re struggling with decisions.  I was astounded when Susan, my server, sang the lyrics to a 1994 Weezer song and then rattled off the names, regions, and notes of each of the Rosés that Morrell was offering during my visit.  Talk about making the wine experience approachable.  Morrell Wine Bar embodies the Kate Middleton style of refined charm with its modern stainless steel bar and warm décor.  And with the fabulous people on staff, including sommelier Darren Scott, Morrell Wine Bar is the ultimate destination for wines by the glass served exceptionally well in all aspects.  

My next part of the adventure took me through the Four Seasons hotel, which uses the Le Verre de Vin Barclay Bars in their famous restaurant, The Garden, to keep their wines in impeccable condition for every guest in search of the perfect glass of wine.  With three (3) thirty two (32) bottle capacity Barclay Bars, the Four Seasons New York is able to offer at least 96 wines by the glass, epitomizing hospitality of the finest quality. 

Accessibility is the key to an outstanding wine by the glass program and with increased demand for wines served perfectly, by the glass, no bar, club, or restaurant wants to be left behind the curve.  On Saturday, I took a drive to North Hempstead Country Club in Port Washington, New York.  Gerard Conway, the General Manager had this to say about his recently acquired Le Verre de Vin Pod Bar, “We are now able to move some inventory that we had, because of the display capabilities. Now that members know what we have and that they can try it by the glass, they’re eager to enjoy some higher end wines and we don’t risk wasting any since it can be preserved with Le Verre de Vin.” 

With the recession, we’ve limited the luxurious experiences, but with Le Verre de Vin, guests are able to try that higher end bottle of wine, thereby satisfying their need for a luxury, while remaining within financial reason.  Affordable luxury is the future of wine by the glass service and with 16 new Le Verre de Vin products coming to market in America this month, the United Kingdom is giving us much to talk about these days.  

Le Verre de Vin, invented in the U.K. in 1992, is the only wine preservation system capable of effectively preserving an unlimited number of still, sparkling, and fortified wines. With more than 34,000 installations in 70 countries and numerous accolades, including fully granted patents around the world, Bermar is the recognized industry leader in wine preservation. 

For additional information, contact Victoria Griffis

Bermar America

610.889.4900

victoria.griffis@bermaramerica.com

http://podbar.co/

www.bermaramerica.com

Pod Bar wine by the glass cabinet launch at CMAA 2011 - Resounding Success - Thank you!

With over 80 Pod Bars shipped since the CMAA Club Show in February, the Pod Bar launch in Orlando was a resounding success.  I’d like to extend a sincere thank you to those who have made the investment in their ‘wine by the glass’ service. The feedback from Club Managers who have implemented Le Verre de Vin technology into their clubs, has been outstanding. 

Here’s a taste of the ‘wine by the glass’ best practices, as mentioned by the Club Managers:

• Heightened demand for sparkling wine, served fresh with Le Verre de Vin
• Elimination of waste, therefore control on profits, and the ability to value price premium wines
• Control of oxidation on all opened bottles during slower periods (i.e. Sunday evening through Wednesday)
• Addition of a Bottle Keep service, whereby you’re able to sell a high end bottle to a member and keep the re-sealed bottle for up to 3 weeks, ready for the member to consume as needed
• 10 to 20% increase in sales and profitability, with a larger selection of 'Trade-up' wines available
• Simplicity of use, low maintenance, and high performance preservation in a concise, elegant package designed to merchandise
• Increased membership satisfaction, due to the special service

The Pod Bar as seen at the Club Foundation Auction

In line with the steady advances in Club ‘wine by the glass’ services, Bermar America was invited to the  Club Foundation Auction and was honored to donate a Pod Bar to the event.  The system achieved a generous contribution to the record takings in support of the Club Foundation’s mission of providing educational grants and scholarships that promote the best interests of the club industry. 


Please stay tuned for pictures of some Pod Bar installations and other updates about the dynamic ‘wine by the glass’ service trends. 

If you need more information regarding the New Pod Bar or would like to be referred to Club Managers who have already integrated Le Verre de Vin, please contact me or Victoria at 610.889.4900.  We’d love to discuss which Bermar wine preservation solution best suits your needs and the preferences of your membership. 
 
Victoria Griffis, Bermar America's Marketing Coordinator, demonstrating the Pod Bar at the CMAA Club Foundation Auction in Orlando, Florida

Exciting New Wine by the Glass Service at Boulevard Steakhouse & Fox Hill Country Club, thanks to Le Verre de Vin's Pod Bar

Bermar America today announced release of the Pod Bar, “a wine by the glass cabinet for every business.” The Pod Bar incorporates the very latest version of the ‘Industry Standard’ Le Verre de Vin wine & Champagne preservation technology, enabling operators to offer a truly professional, 21st century ‘wine by the glass’ service.  Richard Hewitt, President of Bermar America explains why the Pod Bar is proving to be so popular with wine service professionals, “the growing demand for higher quality wine by the glass, raises some challenges for today’s restaurants. A 2011 service requires that you not only guarantee freshness, but also serve both your reds and whites at the appropriate serving temperatures.” 

Shane Bradley, General Manager of Fox Hill Country Club in Exeter, Pennsylvania, credits the Pod Bar with increasing the wine by the glass selection and upgrading the quality of wine service at his club.  He states, “With the integration of the Pod Bar, we have been able to launch our new program, whereby any bottle is available by the glass. Our members’ response has been tremendous and our offered number of wines by the glass has grown from 12 to over 40, all served in perfect condition. The increased interest from our members has driven up sales, and proven their desire to trade up to higher priced selections, as long as the quality is guaranteed. The exceptional Le Verre de Vin /  Pod Bar has enabled us do that.” 

Peter Holloway, Owner of Boulevard Steakhouse and Café 501 in Edmond, Oklahoma, recently upgraded to a Pod Bar and had this to report, “With the attractive showcase, it allows the guest to see all the still wines, champagnes, and sparkling wines that we offer in a concise, chic package. We endorse the Le Verre de Vin wine preservation system that is part of the new Pod Bar Package. Our wine by the glass sales have increased by 300% since the system has been in place!"

The Le Verre de Vin patented precision technology controls oxidation for still wines, and re-pressurizes sparkling wines, keeping them fresh for up to 21 days. The system is elegant in its simplicity, allowing restaurateurs time to focus on their guest, and other aspects of the dining experience.  Patrons will appreciate an establishment’s ability to serve wine the way it was intended to be served – hand poured, fresh from the bottle, and with craft.  

Le Verre de Vin, invented in the U.K. in 1992, is the only wine preservation system capable of effectively preserving an unlimited number of still, sparkling, and fortified wines. With more than 34,000 installations in 70 countries and numerous accolades, including fully granted patents around the world, Bermar is the recognized industry leader in wine preservation. 

For additional information, contact Victoria Griffis

Bermar America

610.889.4900

victoria.griffis@bermaramerica.com

http://podbar.co/