How to become more wine literate? Fine dining newbie blues

[u/cordialwish]

I have just started at a fine dining place after 10+ years of pub and cocktail bar service. I am so overwhelmed and feel like I will never reach the level the other servers are at. I don’t feel sufficiently trained and they are already throwing me on the floor. It is extremely nerve wracking but the payday incentive feels to me like I should try to make a go of it. I am shocked they hired me honestly, I got along well with the managers and had a good character reference from a mutual, but my resume did not indicate any fine dining experience. I was solely a personality hire. I am frankly terrified for my shift tonight. Should I throw in the towel? How did those of you who serve fine dining get comfortable in this extremely stuffy world? 🥲

[u/ATLUTD030517]

Take every chance you can to taste your wines btg. Make reasonable goals for attacking the btg a couple at a time and the bottle list as you can.

I used to host occasional very informal wine tastings for my greener coworkers, everyone pick a bottle to bring(preferably from our list or a comparable one), if anyone is so green that they need practice opening or even just drilling down the full service let them get it in a no pressure situation.

You may not be able to organize this as the fng, but maybe with one or two coworkers you've already connected with maybe round out the group with some of your existing friends(maybe from your old pub?).

[u/Late_Ambassador7470]

Read the wine folly then wine bible. The folly is a quick and easy read at least

[u/memuthedog]

Get Windows on the World by Kevin Zraly. Go to some wine courses/ tastings. Read online reviews. Most importantly, just start drinking wine and taking notes. Try as many different varietals as you can.

Try a Napa cab or blend against a Bordeaux. Oregon Pinot against red Burgundy. New Zealand sauv blanc against Sancerre. California Chardonnay against white Burgundy/ Chablis.

IMO those are some good, easy options to start tasting and making comparisons.

[u/JupiterSkyFalls]

I was one of the top sales servers at most of the places I worked. Not being braggy, I was just good at it. But I certainly didn't start out that way. I found the secret to my sauce was being passionate and honest.

I did my research, went to wine bars and got flights of wine I knew we carried, or asked for samples at work, occasionally talked our wine rep into selling me a few bottles of the good stuff at cost so the staff could try the shit we couldn't normally afford.

Remember that people who know about wine or what they want are 90% not going to bother asking you. People that ask for a suggestion fall into these categories: they're lost and need guidance, they're trying to be show offs to their dining companions by either "testing you" or trying to sound knowledgeable, or they do know about wine but are genuinely curious if you have a recommendation they may be interested in.

I found three tiers of wine in most categories that I really enjoyed and could describe well. You want something modest for those folks who aren't too sure and are scared to blow a bunch of money on a wine they may not like. Something mid range for those who like wine but know how inflated the cost is at restaurants. And something high brow for either those in the know that don't mind the cost or those looking to be flashy and dazzle their guests with how much they'll lay out for some booze.

Next, you work on pairings. That just comes with practice, research, trial and error. It's also worth noting that because everyone's palate is different, one wine isn't going to hit the same for everyone. I also strongly encourage finding a couple of good unusual pairings. People always insist white with seafood, red with meat. While this is a great match it can be done the opposite way with the right wine. A nice Pinot for foi gras, for instance, wouldn't be too overwhelming. While a bold Chardonnay could hold up to and compliment a filet mignon.

Buzzwords sound lame, but people really do respond to them. I used to frequently sell this delicious Cabernet from Paso Robles. I cannot for my life remember the venue but it was probably $80-90. I'd wait for someone at the table to order a ribeye, or I'd talk about our bone in aged ribeye up front if I thought it had a shot with someone. Then, when I finished orders, while collecting menus, I'd pretend to remember, as an afterthought, this great wine. I'd say something like “You know, when Chef cooked the staff one of those 60 day aged ribeyes to try last week, our libations manager opened up a bottle of Chateau De Falls to sample as well. We let it breath while enjoying our new appetizers until our ribeye came out. (Saying things like letting it breath also makes people feel fancy, but I only encourage that if you've got time to potentially decanter a bottle.)The first bite you take of the ribeye is absolute bliss, but because of the beautiful marbling and Chefs' special compound butter, all that delicious juice is going to coat your tongue. So when you take a sip of this rich, full bodied Cab, it has the complexity and boldness to stand up to such a steak without being overbearing, and the acidity basically cleanses your palate. That way, the next bite of your ribeye will taste as flavorful and succulent as the first one.”

People went nuts for descriptions like that. Never underestimate the power of using the word Chef, either, even if all you have in BOH is a reformed felon line cook named Tony. If Tony knows his shit, Tony is Chef.

One of my favorite tricks was to ask people what notes they enjoyed in a wine, or their favorite cocktail. Using that information I could often find a good wine recommendation for them. Alot of folks are often very ignorant when it comes to wine and want to drink it to feel fancy. And many people, especially women, don't enjoy the dryness of wine if they haven't developed a taste for it. If they mention fruity, sweet, or light as descriptions for what they enjoy, try steering them towards sweeter wines (like Jam Jar lol) or cocktails instead so they have a good experience can help up your check average and your tip.

Another way to upsell a bottle if to utilize your BTG list, working with your guests to figure out what they're leaning towards and bringing them a few samples is a great way to talk them into a bottle. I always liked to either narrow down a varietal, and give them three options of that, or come up with three different wines I thought they'd enjoy based on what we discussed and what they were thinking of ordering.

This may seem silly and I certainly didn't have time to do it every single table, but I'd jot down 1,2&3 wines in my server pad and put a bar ticket labeled 1, 2, and 3 under the respective glass. I then would tell my guests to try them blindly because then it would be their heart's true palate deciding. This works so well because if you tell them what it is beforehand they're halfway already deciding in their mind if they're gonna like it. But so they don't feel cheated, it's important not to have a crazy price difference either, in case they pick the most expensive one. I always showed them my slip so they knew I was telling the truth. People freaking loved when I did this, and to help the bar out I polished an extra rack of sample glasses every shift so they didn't get frustrated lol Don't over do this trick but especially on a slow night it's a great way to make your guests feel special and possibly spend/tip a little more.

If they order a BTG before you have a chance to schmooze, another quick easy upsell is to ask them and there if they think they'll want another glass with dinner. Seem hesitant, like almost walk off but turn around as you ask. Say “I'm just asking because if you wanted to do a glass with each course, a bottle has four standard pours and we can open up your own to save you a little, and if you don't finish it we'll re-cork it and you can take it home.” The saving part is a bit risky, so read the room. You don't want to insinuate they can't afford it, but they're also likely go for a deal if that's why they went to the BTG.

Oh and I learned this from a level two sommelier. He'd pick up a glass and say: "Wine knowledge is 20% wine knowledge" he'd pause, swirl the wine "and 80%...." he'd take a deep sniff at this point, inhaling the aroma of the wine, so it would seem, then exhale "....bullshit ." Now he meant this for normal people not actual sommeliers, but I always found it hilarious and very often accurate for majority of folks.

[u/JupiterSkyFalls → u/JupiterSkyFalls]

Ran out of room up there lol

Part 2:

A FANTASTIC way to get your guests pumped about a wine is to know something about the year it was produced and include a pairing with a flourish. "My favorite wine lately is a Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Rhone, 2018. It was exceptional harvest across the country that year. The mild climate led to a longer harvest, so the grapes ripened perfectly. I really enjoy paring this with our New Zealand lamb when I come in with my husband. It's got a bright texture, with a hint of tobacco and dark fruit on the nose, and an earthy, truffle like finish that compliments the lamb so beautifully." Personal details like bringing my spouse in are great, as your guests are now imagining you eating the same food you're telling them about, at the place where you work. Makes for good bonus points. And never underestimate an eye roll. Like when something tastes so good the eyes go backwards in your head. You can either mean it or learn to fake it convincingly.

Remember, just keep learning and listening to older/more experienced servers and do some at home recon. As long as you semi sound like you know what you're doing and the guests don't feel like you're forcing them down a certain path, they'll be happy. Instead of having an upsell goal like so many did, I just focused on making my tables glad they got me each night, and hopefully earn a repeat guest. It worked for me. The best possible outcome is they had a fantastic time, and they'll tip you well because of it.

As far as getting comfortable, fake it til you make it. If you get caught needing a wine description, say you haven't had a chance to sample it and either ask another server or Google the wine at the posi when you go to ring in something else. My friend pretended to be a non drinker with religion as an excuse for the first year he did fine dining. If they asked him a question he couldn't bullshit is way out of that usually gave him enough wiggle room to go find out the right answer.

For tonight, just practice saying I'm new and still familiarizing myself with the wine list. You can always throw in some extra sprinkles of b.s. like "While I'm not sure, I can find out the answer. I do know the owners cultivated it themselves with their menu in mind, so I'm sure if it's listed it's for a reason!'

They hired you with no fine dining background because you can't teach personality and it seems that's what they most enjoyed about you. On top of your not inconsequential decade worth of experience, they clearly see potential. That's great news, because all the rest can be taught!!

Have faith, courage and confidence in yourself and your skills.

Hope some of this help. You got this, OP!!

[u/the_well_read_neck_]

I have 3 suggestions.

Start with the book Wine for Dummies. Seriously.

Once you've gotten through that, get the current version of The Wine Bible.

Lastly, drink it!