Joel Abreu

October 18^th 2018

Wine and Beverage Management

As a student taking this class I had to visit a wine retail store where I had to ask a few questions based on the what they have in stock and how the wines are stored. From what I noticed when visiting this wine shop many different people go in and ask for specific wines of their choice which shows that people know what they want when they go in and ask for what they are looking for specifically. The most popular wines that they carry are Pinot Project or Pinot Noir from California and Underwood Pinot Noir which is Oregon Grown. Some wines are kept in barrels of wood, are oaky and have a specific grape process which reminds the local customers where they came from. The manager mentioned to me that they prefer a wine that they once tried in their hometown and has a specific taste. This specific wine company by the name of G&I Wine Spirits has days when they host for wine tasting or they market the new merchandise by placing it in a specific area where the customer would take notice of what is being marketed to the buyer. The way this retail shop stores the wine is by keeping them in the basement, but one specific way the red wine is kept in in refrigerators as oppose to white wine that isn’t. the most popular wine that is carried by this company is Caymus Vineyards which come from Napa Valley and Stags Leap Wine Cellars which also comes from Napa Valley. Eddie mentioned to me that he studied and received his wine certification here in New York City. Besides the customers he says that his biggest challenge is maintaining the wine so that it doesn’t go bad. he said to me he makes sure that each and every single wine is able to be sold and has not gone bad. he makes it his responsibility to make sure that the cork hasn’t gone bad because it can affect the wine as the aging continues.

This is an American sparkling wine named Gruet Methode Champenoise.

this is a wine from a region I didn’t know made wine which is Australia.

This one here is a shelf talker and product from Spain.

Few weeks ago, I went to a wine store with my two friends and our assignment. We went to the one that located at 146 W 38th St, New York, NY, 10018 and name Midtown 38 Wines. It is near the herald square station. We went there on the Columbus day, but the store was not busy at that day. When we step in the store, the owner and staff was very welcoming. They were willing to help us and answer our questions. The owner introduced his staff to us to answer our question. The staff told us a little bit background and the history of the store.

The store was open five years ago, and the higher sell amount is selling around 200 bottles on a day. The target of this store is people who work around Herald square. The staff told us that the worker doesn’t need to wine certification to work there, but they have to have some wine knowledge. Also, they develop their wine knowledge by read the label of the wine and taste the wine when they have free time.

After finished talk to the staff, we talked around and take some pictures. The wines were organized either by countries or grapes variety. I took a photo of Spain red wine which call 2015 Juan Gil. It costs $13.99. This wine has been aged in French oak barrels. It has black color. It has berries and smoked flavor. This wine is good to pair with meat and smoked seafood. And then I pick a sparking wine that from California which call 1882 Korbel. It is a California Champagne and has 12% of alcohol. It is $12.99. it is mix with orange, lime, and strawberry. It is medium dry. This wine is good to pair with fruit, cheese or light appetized. The third wine I picked is call Recanati 2016 Shiraz which from Israel. This red wine costs $17. This wine has a noted of black plum, dark berry and coffee bean. It also has smoked and espresso flavor. This wine has 13.5% alcohol. This wine is good to pair with smoked meat or seafood.

Overall, the price of wines in the store are reasonable and they have different kinds countries wine. The staffs also are very nice.

Sparkling wine not from France

1882 Korbel California Champagne which contains 12% of alcohol

Red wine from Spain

Juan Gil 2015 Spain Red wine

Red wine from a region I didn’t know

Recanati Shiraz Israel, 2016

Shelf Talker

Wines are storage by grapes variety

I went to the New York City’s largest wine and spirit store, Astor Wines and Spirits on September 27 around 11:40 am with my 2 classmates, Mei and Preeya. Astor is on the corner of Fourth and Lafayette Streets in Manhattan. Astor Wines and Spirits has been a Greenwich Village fixture since 1946. The retail store offers a variety of liquors and wines.

When we walked in the store, there were not many customers at that time. There were a lot of workers. Most workers seemed busy. We met the sales manager Doug Yacka. We explained why we were visiting the store, and he readily helped us for our interview. My three questions were: “Which is the most popular wine in the store? How much does the average consumer spend in the store? What is the most expensive wine?” The most popular wine was Vezzo, Pinot Grigio 2016 Italian white wine. The original price was $6.96, but it was on sale $4.96 at that time. He said Italian wines are the most popular wine. Actually, I bought and tried it. It was a dry white wine with ripe and mixed citrus flavors. I liked it. I will definitely buy it again. The average customer spends an average of $40 with 2 or 3 bottles in the store. The most expensive wine was the Petrus, Pomerol 2009 red wine. Petrus is a Bordeaux, France red wine and costs $3,499.90 at the store. He did not show us the bottle. He said the wine is stored in a chiller in the basement. Their storage facilities ensure that all temperature sensitive items are held at the correct temperature so that they are not damaged before they arrive to the consumer. He showed us the cool room that also ensures that wines are stored at the correct temperature on the sales floor. Anything requiring gentler handling is stored at 57 F in the cool room. The cool room was very impressive.

Astor Wines and Sprit is well lit, clean, and well stocked. The staff is very well trained, friendly, and fairly knowledgeable. Prices are not cheap, but selection and quality make up for it. They have free wine tasting events on the weekdays at nighttime. I highly recommend this store. It will not disappoint.

(Self–talker)

This self-talker is about the most expensive wine at the store. It is Petrus, Pomerol 2009. The self-talker explains about the wine description, which includes region, price, and vintage. Petrus is always an impressive Bordeaux and certainly the type of bottle that will impress collectors.

(Red wine from Spain)

Vina Bosconia Reserva, Lopez de Heredia 2005, Rioha, Spain red wine is from traditional, family-run Lopez de Heredia. This wine is practicing organic. This wine exhibits nuances of strawberry, blood orange, pomegranate, coconut, and exotic spices. This wine is aged for three years in American oak barrels.

(Sparkling wine from Hungary)

This dry white sparkling wine is from Hungary. This wine is frothing with subtle notes of honey-drizzled pear, juicy white peach, and fresh brioche aroma. When served with a heavy chill, this wine is perfect for any meal.

(Red wine from Lebanon)

These two red wines are from Lebanon. Lebanon is next to Syria and Israel. I did not know about Lebanon wines. Chateau Kafrays is the most popular wine from Lebanon.

(Cool room in Astor)

The cool room ensures that wines are stored at the correct temperature on the sales floor. Anything requiring gentler handling is stored at 57 F in the cool room.

For the Retail Beverage Shop Analysis, I decided to go to Grand Wine and Liquor. It is located at 30-05 31^st Street Astoria, NY 11102. On Monday-Saturday they are opened from 9AM to 10PM and on Sundays they are opened from 12PM to 8PM. The retail shop is family-owned for over 85 years since 1993. They have a slogan Life is Grand… drink it up. It was the first time I ever visited this beverage shop. The place from the outside looked big so I think inside the store would be a lot wider then it was. The employee that helped me answered all the questions I had for this report and other questions I had. The store was very well organized they had banners up on the sealing, so we knew where the wines were from. Also, they had posters up of the map of every country wine was located. They have wines that start at as low as $8.99 and range to $1300. If you have their mobile app you can even place orders on your phone and they deliver the wine to your house.

Questions

1. What temperature do you store your wine in? Do you have certain storage area for different wines? Temperature control. temperature control is 50-55. Some of their wines they store at a little lower then room temperature. But the ones that need to have a temperature control they leave in the fridge.
2. How would you recommend wine to a person who barely know about wine? The employee told me he would first ask what they will be using the wine for. If it’s with food what they will be eating, or if they wanted something sweet, or dry.
3. Are your clients looking for hard to find wine? Are you looking for rare wines? High Profile? He mentioned that they do have hard to find wines that other retail store doesn’t have. That they do have some clients that look for hard to find wines.
4. What happens if you get a case of wine that goes bad? How do you handle that? He mentioned that if the case of wine goes bad they usually send it back to the vendor.
5. Do you study wine? Do you have certification? The employee actually didn’t study wine. He learned about wine while working that this retail shop. No the employee doesn’t have a certification for wine. He has been working their for 3 years and learned about wine while helping clients out.
6. What’s the most difficult challenge you have working here? When a customer asks for a wine that they tried at another place and doesn’t even know the name of the wine or what brand it is. Or if they try to describe the taste of the wine but they aren’t even sure if the taste is the same or not.
7. Do you guys do wine tasting for a specific wine for clients if they wanted to try the wine out before buying the wine? They do not do random wine tasting but they usually have a schedules wine tasting on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

“Shelf Talker”

Red from Spain,

Sparkling wine not from France,

Red wine from a region you did not know made wine

These are the pictures of how the store looked inside and the banners on the sealing.

Astor Wine & Spirits – Retail Store Assignment

For my retail wine project, I have chosen to visit Astor wine and spirits which is located in 399 Lafayette St, New York. The reason I chose this place is because of the positive reviews online through Yelp.

Astor Wine and Spirits was established in 1946. I was not able to speak with manager as he was not available but he was kind enough to let one of his staff members give me a small tour of the place and answer some of my questions.

At first sight, the store looks intimidating as it is large and sort of overwhelming with so many wines placed in wooden shelves that you don’t know where to start from. The place is very spacious compare to some other wine stores where most of the time is Once you let your first impressions through you realize that the store layout is attractively decorated and is set up to where wines can easily be found by country, region and grape varieties. When you first walk into a country section you will see signs on the shelves with the name of the different regions that produced wine. For each region the sign gives a small description of the region its representing. Then you will notice shelf talkers below each wine. The shelf talkers give a small description of the wine. The person guiding me told me that some wine stores decide not to use shelf talkers because they want to interact more with the customer but Astor Wine and Spirits decided to keep them because some customers find them very helpful.

My first question was how and where do they store the wines. One of the workers was kind enough to let me view the cellar where they store the expensive and other wines at the right temperature, 55F. I expected to go into a basement where they had some sort of fridge but instead it was a beautiful room with glass doors and wines in either wooden shelves or boxes.

My second question was if there is a new existing wine how do they introduce it to the public. He told me that they have a shelf at the front where people get to see new wines.He also informed me about their free wine tasting they offer during the week from 5pm to 8pm and Saturdays from 3pm to 6pm. They sometimes use this to introduce new wines to people as well.

My third question and 4th question was more towards their sales. I asked what country sells more and how do they keep track of it. He answered by stating that most people buy from the region of France. He also mentioned that they have a best selling shelf where they place all the wines that are the most popular which helps them keep track of what is producing the most sales.

In conclusion it was a fun and enjoyable experience to visit Astor Wine and Spirits.

“Shelf Talker” displays the name, vintage, price, and a description of the characteristics of the wine.

Red Wine: Bozeto de Exopto, Rioja is a red wine from spain from the region of Rioja.

Sparkling Wine not from France: Prosecco Treviso, is a beautiful sparkling wine from Italy, that contains pineapple, pear, and apple flavors.

Vlahiko is a red dry wine from Greece. It is from one of the coolest regions called Zitsa. The climate from this town is continental than Mediterranean.

I had to opportunity of visiting “Greenwood grape and still” located at 723 4th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11232. Recently open in 2017 this retail shop is a mix of wine and hard liquor. Every Thursday evening there is “wine tasting”, on Fridays there is “spirit tasting” and on Saturdays there is “whiskey, gin and agave tasting”. The prices to their wines are fair. After I left I did some research on the same wine in other stores and did not see a big price difference. The manager at the time Leonardo was very polite and very welcoming. Leonardo has been studying wine for over 15 years. We spoke about pricing and his advantage was that not many wine stores in his area (2 mile radius) so he feels that his prices are not based on competition but on value/quality.

Red Wine From Spain 

 Granija Remelluri Rioja Reserva

Country: Spain

Region: Remelluri

Vintage: 2010

Grape: 75% Tempranillo, 20% Granija, 5% Graciano

The wine has hints of hazelnut, dried flowers. It is a full-bodied wine with a strong finish.

Sparkling Wine Not From France

Collalbrigio Presecco NV

Country: Italy

Region: Veneto

Vintage: 2017

Grape: Presecco/Glera

This DOCG wine is perfect for mimosas, it has a yellow straw color with hints of pear, peach and honeysuckle flower.

As I was looking around the store I saw this one red wine from Argentina that interest me because I was unaware of how popular it was at the time. Mendoza accounts for 70% of Argentina’s vineyard acreage

Carmelo Patti, Melbec

Country: Argentina

Region: Mendoza

Vintage: 2013

Grape: Melbec

This red wine has hints of strawberry, tilled soil, cherries. medium bodied with a soft finish.

The wine shop I went to was Caesars Wines at 6715 Bay Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11204. The reason I chose this shop because it is close to my house. The day I went to the store are a random day that I passed by the store, because of that I had not contacted the store in advance to arrange an appointment.  

The store is not really small but not big too. When I walked into the store, I was kind of shock by the way they put their wines. I expected to see an orderly place but the store is full of wine everywhere.  It is really mean “everywhere”. The wines are around the wall and in the racks, and the racks are all over the store. It really looks disorderly to me.

The employee was very welcome and friendly. When I walked around the store to take some pictures, one employee came to help. After I told her about my situation. She shows me around and explains to me the how they put the wine. According to the employee, their wine is separate by country name. The wines that are on the wall, they will have the label of it the country name and the one on the racks, on top of racks, they will have the flag of its country. Also, in each section for the country wine, you can find they also separate their wine by red, white and spirits. I can tell the store really have a lot of variety of wine from a different country. The most common price over there are around 10 to 20. Some wine may be more than that but only a few sections.

Country: French

Region:Rhone

Grape varietal: Grenache blanc

Winemaker Notes: “Garnet red in color, this wine emits aromas of red fruits such as Morello cherries and spices of licorice and grey pepper. In the mouth, this wine has a great structure with firm and silky tannins.”

Country: Chile   

Region: Maule Valley    

Grape Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon     

Red wine

For my retail beverage analysis I visited Astor Wine and Spirits. The store is located 1020 2^ndAvenue in Manhattan.  The store carries a very large selection of wine and liquor. I would assume that approximately 80-90 percent of store is filled with wines (both new and vintage) from all over the world. Throughout

the store, there are three main sections for wine, including imported, domestic, and a special temperature-controlled wine roo

m. In the imported wine section, there are varieties of wine mainly from Europe. For their selection of French wines, Astor displays bottles by region, such as Burgundy and Loire. In the back of the store there is also a section for domestic wines. Astor’s domestic selection includes bottles from both West Coast and East Coast vineyards throughout the United States. Valuable and vintage wines are stored in the temperature-controlled room.

I have been to the store a few times in the past, and I have always wondered how they store vintage wines, so I asked one of the employees how they keep these wines in good condition. The employee told me that they keep the store room temperature at 65℉, and 55℉ for the temperature controlled room. He also mentioned that wines need to be kept in the right temperature in order to keep wines fresh, though it is almost impossible to keep all the wine fresh. In my own past experience, I drank some wines that were corked and had gone bad. I asked the same employee, if a customer buys a bottle of wine and finds out that their wine is no longer good and wants to return it, is it possible to return the item? He explained that the customer can exchange the wine, but it needs to be exchanged within 30 days. He explained that the customer needs to exchange the wine within 30 days because the store cannot control how customers store the wine.

Riesling Feinherb” from Müller-Catoir 2016

Before leaving, I asked for his recommendation for a bottle of Riesling. He asked me what kind of taste. I told him I usually like on the drier side, but not too dry, and something around $30. I also requested a German wine since we were studying German wine at the time. He recommended a bottle of “Riesling Feinherb” from Müller-Catoir, a 2016 vintage from the Pfalz region. I purchased the wine and tasted at home. The wine was fantastic. It has a fruity aroma with notes of peach and lemon with a dry finish. The wine is still water, but when you sip the wine, you feel a bubbly feeling on the tip of tongue. The wine he recommended to me was one of the best Riesling wines I have ever tasted.

I highly recommend going to Astor Wine and Spirits for every bottle. The staff is welcoming, friendly and very knowledgeable. If you are looking for a wine, you should definitely ask for their recommendation. They carry a large variety of wines, from reasonable bottles to expensive and rare wine. They will undoubtedly help you find what you’re looking for.

Lenz Cuvee, Methode Traditionelle 2012: Sparkling wine from New York

Saperavi, Babaneuris Marani 2016, from Georgia

Saperavi, Babaneuris Marani 2016, from Georgia

Priorat “Clos Fonta,”Mas den Gil 2012

Priorat “Clos Fonta,”Mas den Gil 2012

I decided to visit Astor Wine and Spirits. It is located on Lafayette Street, Manhattan. This is not my first time when to this store. My aunt took me there to buy whiskey sometimes. All the stuff there are very knowledgeable. This time of visiting Mr. Yacka was nice for us to walk us through the store and answered our questions. Doug Yacka, who is the sale manager went through all the questions that my friends and I had and explained in detail as much as he could. The questions that I asked are very basic questions for a wine beginner.
1. What type of wine that easy to drink for the beginner?
Mr. Yacka suggested that start with single grape variety wines. first, because of it less complex that blended wines. Blending will improve the aromas, color, texture, body, and finish of the wine.
2. What is the best way to store wine bottle?
For a customer who does not have a wine storage which is most of us, Mr. Yacka suggested keeping wine bottle in the dark, cool place would do. The ideal way to store wine is keeping wine in dark and temperature control. He walked us to the temperature-controlled room which was a room that stored vintage wine bottles. Some of the wine bottles were tilted and some were placed in horizontal. He said that to prevent wine from contact with air.
3. What type of white wine that has a fruity favor the most?
Since I like fruity flavor wines, this question is a personal question. Mr. Yacka recommended a wine from Rhone Valley if I like fruity flavor.

It is a room with temperature controlled. They set the temperature at 60 Fahrenheit. In the picture, it how they store wine bottles with shelf takers on the side.

This is a sparkling wine from Lombardy, Italy. On the Shelf talker describes its flavorful of citrus fruit from lemon zest and fresh cut pineapple.

Red wine comes from Valencia, a southern part of Spain. It is a full body wine, good pairing with meaty dishes.

A white sparkling wine from Piedmont, Italy. Before this wine class, I have not had a wine from this region before. It is a sparkling wine made from Nebbiolo with aromatic of flowers and the palate of strawberry.

As a wine connoisseur and current Hospitality Management student, it’s important to comprehend the strengths and weaknesses of a retail beverage shop. 54 Wines and Spirits, located at 408 West 55^th Street, carries a plethora of alcoholic beverages to choose from. Roger, the store manager, was extremely helpful and his patience made the overall experience run seamlessly. In addition, he was able to answer all questions without hesitation since he has studied wine for over fourteen years. 54 Wines and Spirits made an everlasting impression because of its ability to organize hundreds of wines from over fifteen different countries in a way that is easy for a customer to understand.

Compared to other wine stores visited in the past, 54 Wines and Spirits arranged their inventory along the walls and in the center of the store, which is typical for a beverage shop. However, Roger disclosed that they wanted to create more of an open-concept when designing the layout, so they implemented rows. This makes it easier for several consumers to browse wines at once, without a certain area getting overcrowded. Each area of the store is designated to a particular country. From there, each country is broken down into appellations, grape varieties, and the style of wine. Along the back of the store are spirits and the most expensive wines. Roger explained that the priciest wine they were carrying is a red wine from Bordeaux, France for $525. This 1963 Mouton Rothschild is a Premier Grand Cru and is extremely rare. The most expensive item they ever carried was a $1,500 bottle of whiskey.

Along with the exceptional customer service and organization, 54 Wine and Spirits had great natural lighting, which is essential in a retail beverage shop. Reading fine print and finding the perfect bottle would be impractical in a dimly lit store. Additionally, the location of this establishment is a great benefit. Because it’s located further West, Roger and his employees are able to dedicate genuine time to each customer who walks in. Although they do not get a lot of foot traffic, each customer leaves with at least one bottle of wine and a smile on their face. “We have a lot of regulars. It’s what keeps ou business alive” he explained.

Unfortunately, a drawback of the store was the fact that they didn’t have any “Shelf Talkers”. Roger affirmed that they do not do this because he wants customers to engage and ask them questions about the products in the store. Having a “Shelf Talker” can sometimes lead a consumer to purchase a wine they do not necessarily end up enjoying. Roger appreciates being involved in the customer’s buying experience by helping them explore all options, instead of buying the first product they see. It is imperative for a store to maintain customer loyalty in order to survive.

This mini bottle is La Marca Prosecco from Veneto, Italy. D.O.C. This wine is crisp and light. It contains 11% alcohol.

Enate is a red Somotano Wine from Salas Bajas, Spain. The grape variety is Tempranillo.

The only “Shelf Talker” in the store was the grey goose bottles displayed on a stand that read “World’s Best Tasting Vodka”.

This Zacharias Cabernet Sauvignon is from Peloponnese, Greece. It has hints of red fruits, tobacco, and spices. It’s a full-bodied wine, balanced with tannins. I was surprised to see a Cabernet Sauvignon grown in Peloponnese, considering it’s an island off of Athens.