| Product freshness is another by
the glass pitfall. Regardless of the quality of a wine,
once a bottle is opened, its contents begin to decline.
This is a natural process that cannot be avoided. In
effect, a wine that was lively and entertaining the night before
may be much less impressive the morning after.
Refrigerating all open bottles of wine can slow down this
decline (remember to bring red wine back up to room temperature
before serving). If at the end of service you have two
open, half-full bottles of the same wine, don't leave them that
way overnight. Pour them together and eliminate as
much exposure to air as possible (check state laws before
emptying one bottle into another). There are many wine
preservation systems that automatically insert a layer of inert
gas into an open bottle, thus forcing out any oxygen and helping
to preserve its contents. Such a system can eliminate the
loss of wine gone bad and may be well worth its purchase
price. But if you do not want to invest in such a system,
you can buy small canisters of gas and spray opened bottles
manually. Below are the most important questions that
should be addressed before making your glass selections.
HOW MANY WINES SHOULD YOU OFFER BY THE
GLASS?
Two factors determine the number of wines offered: space
and demand. Free space behind the bar is a precious
commodity, and refrigerated space is even rarer, so you must
order your priorities. If you offer only a few wines by
the glass (one red and one white), price them reasonably.
Obviously, if you plan to offer many wines, a wide range of
prices is appropriate. Start with a few selections and
gradually increase to meet demand.
HOW MUCH WINE SHOULD YOU POUR?
The proper pour level for wine is one-third to one-half the
glass. When serving wines by the glass, however, a
customer will feel cheated if the glass is not at least
three-quarters full, so price accordingly. Some
establishments use different styles and sizes of wine glasses as
well.
HOW DO OOSE THE TYPES OF WINE TO POUR BY
THE GLASS?
The best wine types to serve by the glass are those that are the
most versatile and popular (see chart below). When
offering many wines by the glass, I suggest adding a dessert
wine, as well as some good but less popular wines. People
tend to experiment more freely when they can order wines by the
glass than when they have to purchase entire bottles. Once
you have decided on a certain wine type (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir,
etc.), contact your local wine supplier and arrange to taste
these types of wines from several different producers and
wineries. When you find one you like, try it for a
week. I suggest offering a small taste to your patrons in
return for their comments and opinions. -- "Drink
Well." |
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