Blog Post

5 Ways to Understand Your Customers Wine Preferences

Last Updated: July 19, 2024

Your customers know that the wine selection process can be intimidating, but do you know how to relieve their wine woes? We all know how stressful it can be to order an unknown bottle of wine in a restaurant. Truthfully though, with the right attitude and the right questions, you can ensure your customers order the ideal wines for themselves to sip and enjoy. Here are five ways your servers will understand your customer’s preferences as they peruse your wine list. 

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“Are you a wine connoisseur or professional sommelier?”

This simple yet straightforward question allows your customers to admit how much they know about wine in an instant, without any embarrassment. No matter the guest’s answers, your servers will receive more information than one would expect. And if your guest actually is a Master Sommelier, your staff can back out of those important wine decisions gracefully.

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“What wine have you recently tasted that you enjoyed?”

Once your waiters or servers know your guests’ level of wine knowledge, it’s important for them to determine what they should recommend. For example, if a customer says they enjoyed Sangria last week, your waiter will know to recommend a really sweet wine.

If a table says they’re planning on going with a red wine because they ordered a steak, your server will know to make some special wine pairing combinations. Instead if a customer goes into detail about specific vintages and talks about growing conditions for that year, your server will know to just deliver and serve the wine in the most professional way they know.

“Are you celebrating a special event?”

This will tell your server the price range they should consider when making they’re recommendations while also informing them about the proper sales pitch to make. When people are celebrating a special event, they are more excited to share information and also more willing to drink a higher-priced wine to celebrate the occasion. Also, if your guests are celebrating a special event make sure to offer them a special gift from the restaurant or wine bar such as a free shot or dessert.

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“What’s for dessert?”

By the end of the night, if a table asks for one more glass or bottle of wine but are not exactly sure what, this is the question to ask. If they go for your homemade look for oak-aged white wine. Try Oaked Chardonnay, Viognier, Pinot Blanc, Torrontes (Argentina), Semillon.
If they go for the Lemon Sorbet look for high acid wines. Try German Riesling, Pinot Grigio, Chablis, Gruner Veltliner, Albarino, Sauvignon Blanc, or a Sparkling Wine.

“Sweet or Dry?”

Are you stuck and still don’t know what to serve your customers? This easy question will save your servers in desperate times. If the customer prefers dry wines, try recommending a Cabernet, Shiraz/Syrah, or a Chianti. If they like wines somewhere in between sweet and dry, suggest a Merlot, Grenache, Chardonnay, or Pinot Grigio. And if they do like sweet wines, go for a Riesling or Gewürztraminer.

No matter what knowledge or comfort level your customers arrive with, the amount of wine that you sell depends on how you approach each and every customer. If your staff makes sure to ask about your guests’ wine wisdom, preferences, and the occasion of the night, you can be certain that every table will receive a personalized recommendation and more likely to return to your venue again.

We hope you found this information useful and educational for your establishment. If you did, please share and follow Wineemotion USA on all social media! Enjoy.

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About Wineemotion

Wine dispensers by Wineemotion™ USA are the perfect complement to any wine-by-the-glass program. Wineemotion™ is the creation of Riccardo Gosi, the internationally renowned creator of modern day wine dispensing systems that have transformed how wine is sold and served worldwide since 2003. Our patented wine dispenser technology eliminates cross aromatic contamination, preserves wine for over 30 days and increases profit by optimizing your wine-by-the-glass program.

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