Pouring Abundance
A Revitalized Time for Wine
Editorial calendars are recommended when building a business around written and online work - they keep you organized to hopefully scramble less. In keeping with the theme of paid newsletters having a business focus - today we get into pouring from a more full cup and finding abundance in less.
What has been referred to as adult grape juice is seeing tough times as of late, or so that seems to be the story we’re sold in articles of varying sentiment on all things vino. Even if wine isn’t your jam (get it, grapes … jam? ok, moving on) if you own a restaurant or bar, what’s covered in the paid portion of today’s newsletter will benefit you too. So, pour yourself a glass or cup of whatever is striking your fancy these days and let’s settle in to chat about a time for revitalization.
The second Saturday in June is National Rosé Day, and yes we all know these food and beverage “holidays” are a gimmick and made up, however in light of what restaurant and beverage folks have been seeing and hearing for a number of months - wine could apparently use a little help to move back into the spotlight, and rosé colored glasses. Leading up to the day, there were articles, media segments and social media posts with selections a plenty of the pink stuff - and what’s encouraging were the options for dealcoholized wine. Both media and retail have been quick to cover and offer dealcoholized wine and proxies, and if you’ve seen any of the trend numbers, that is a tide lifting all zero proof boats, as the category continues to grow. Yet, restaurants still appear hesitant on embracing more than a couple of spirit free cocktails and a non-alcoholic beer on their menus - if they even offer that much.
A large portion of folks not drinking these days, do still drink, they simply aren’t drinking right now.
While the zero proof sector has taken off in recent years, I’ve been passionate about inclusive hospitality when it comes to beverage programs since 2015 - when we offered four selections, in it’s own section titled ‘Spirit Free’ at a our wine bar. In 2017, I had the opportunity to lead a beverage team at a Michelin starred restaurant where we worked on three offerings that would be known today, as proxies - a riff on a New Zealand, Sauvignon Blanc, Australian Shiraz and a sparkling rosé. So, why give part of my resume when it comes to early adoption of zero proof and implementation to beverage programs? Because I understand the challenges of bringing in multiple products and training staff, in order to make sure those products sell.
The biggest feedback I hear from restaurants that dipped their toe into offering dealcoholized wine or proxies is that they didn’t, in fact sell - which often translates to being an unneeded option on menus. Because I like to sit at bars, I can tell you a large part of the reason they don’t sell is not due to lack of demand, but rather the opportunity in training. A large portion of folks not drinking these days, do still drink, they simply aren’t drinking right now. Those folks still want a glass of wine or beer or cocktail sans alcohol - and if restaurant owners, leaders and staff don’t know the ins and outs of substituters, pacers, zebra striping and book ending - then there’s an opportunity for more - both in training and dollars in the pockets of folks trying to make a living wage, and to the restaurant’s bottom line.
Today’s paid portion will get into the terms above, as well as offer insight on menu development and training. Before getting into those nuggets, a note …
I have a lot of people I care for and love that sell wine, of the alcoholic nature and one friend shared with me about a year ago that dealcoholized wine was taking money out of their pocket. Respectfully, that’s a zoomed in view and not entirely true. While writers and beverage pros find a way to bring us the news of zero proof, the statistics and language paint a picture of ‘either -or’, when it’s actually an ‘and’. Cutting back and drinking less, does mean folks are still drinking - sometimes in the same sitting of when they alternate in a zero proof beverage. There’s a saying: sell Malbec so we can drink Burgundy - and that premise works similarly with dealcoholized wine. It’s still wine being chosen and purchased over beer and spirits. The additional revenue, allows the restaurants and retail shops to remain open to keep buying Malbec and Burgundy - that’s sustainability and it makes the pie bigger. Dealcoholized wine, specifically, is the tea to coffee or the sprite to coke option in continuing to evolve our industry. Yes, this is a zoomed out view and we all have bills to pay - however, if the entire community is to move from surviving to thriving, then we must stand back to see the bigger picture and deal with a bit of discomfort and change in order to develop sustainability for all folks in the food and wine ecosystem.
In this paid installment of On Cue, we’re talking about an agricultural product that helped shape my career for close to twenty years, so it’s near and dear to my heart. As a reminder, to read further on this topic - subscriptions are $60 per year or $6 a month; read more about what comes with paid posts here. Also, as a thank you for supporting my written work in the early stages of On Cue - the first fifty folks to invest in a yearly subscription, will lock in $60 as a lifetime rate.
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