FSR August 2023

LIQUID INTELLIGENCE

(many of them paid) for team members to experience high-quality wines as they add more body to their knowledge base, create better sales opportunities and mar gins, and form richer guest experiences. “It’s essential to invest time and energy into education and training because the most important thing is your team can walk up to the table, read the guests accurately and skillfully, and use information from the rst 15 to 20 seconds of talking to build a full experi ence,” explains Mia Van de Water, mas ter sommelier and director of education at Gracious Hospitality Management. Gracious owns COTE Korean Steak house, COTE Miami, and Undercote in New York City and Miami. COTE blends the dining experience of Korean barbe cue with the hallmarks of a classic steak house, and the New York location has earned a star from the Michelin Guide each year since opening in 2017.

“If you don’t have an understanding as a server or sommelier on how to read someone or craft more complete experi ences…you’re not creating relationships that lead to long-term repeat guests,” she adds. Training has to be a consistent part of the everyday restaurant life, advises Serena Harkey, wine and spirits direc tor at San Francisco’s Vine Hospitality. at includes “daily lineups allowing sta to taste wines and making it incredibly immersive; having tech sheets available is one thing, but truly creating oppor tunities to experience and talk through wines on a daily basis is absolutely essen tial,” she says. As full-service restaurants sharpen the next generation of sommeliers, their hospitality education seeks to nd the right balance of complexity. “When you’re teaching, sometimes you need to lecture, but it’s better if you discuss.

Team members learn better when they have a conversation and talk about what the wine is way more than if they just lis ten to what you’re saying or read what you wrote down,” Van de Water explains. Gracious Hospitality’s innovative wine intensives span from a six-month sommelier internship to 13-week COTE College to Wine Wednesday. “It’s three different levels of commitment and engagement,” explains Van de Water; all are no-cost opportunities where employ ees are paid for their time. COTE’s Wine Wednesday o ers “bite sized, digestible wine education” on Wednesday pre-shifts with an emailed detailed doc while 13-week COTE College mirrors a CMS introductory course or WSET Level 2 with 90-minute bi-weekly classes surrounding 4-5 regional wines with tastings, quizzes, and a nal exam. And the hands-on Sommelier Intern ship is an eight-hour day per week plus

“When your staff drive that revenue because they’re so empowered and passionate about what they’re talking about, [the investment will] come back to you easily.”

SERENA HARKEY

MAKING WINE ANALYSIS

IMMERSIVE FOR STAFF INFUSES DEEPER KNOWLEDGE.

PCHANG / LEILA SEPPA

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FSRMAGAZINE.COM

AUGUST 2023