Daily Archives: March 30, 2020

Retail Beverage Store Analysis

Posted on by
3

My visit at Astor Wines & Spirits located at Lafayette St., New York was wonderful. I had the pleasure to meet with Bambi Ray, one of the Sales Manager at the store. She was very professional and helpful. She seems to know a lot of wines and to enjoy it at the same time. Ms. Ray gave me a tour of the store. At the entrance, the first section is European wines and then sparkling wines. She also showed me a site in the store where they keep some wines under cool temperature and the reason why it is because some of them are old and it needs to be kept there. She was telling me that every time she takes clients to that area, they think those wines are very expensive since they are in another room, but they are not. You can find all kind of wines from $16 to $300 in that area which is not bad at all.

While doing the tour around the store, Ms. Ray was telling me how happy she is working with the company. She has almost 11 years studying wine and she’s been working in the same store for the past 4 years. She still feels very happy there since the owners treat the employees right and make them feel comfortable at the workplace. They are very engaging, they do not micromanage, and they are always willing to listen to employee’s new ideas. Something that Ms. Ray would like to improve at the store that she will talk about with the owners soon is, to add some additional stacks, so it will keep things more organized. She also added that they keep unpaid orders for two weeks when clients call to order, but she feels that’s unfair since there are other clients who come at the store requesting the same item but she can sell it since it is already hold for someone who has not paid. She would like to eliminate that. She prefers that they all pay in advance in order to keep the items for pick up.

At the store, I had the curiosity to know which is the most sold wine and why? In which Ms. Ray took the time to print me a list of all sold wines and the number one wine is Mia Prosecco from Italy. They sell around 1,969 bottles monthly and it only cost $11.96. She said that one of the reasons why is because it is good quality for a good price. 

Overall, I had a great time at Astor & Wines Spirits. I really enjoyed interviewing Ms. Ray and learning more about wines. She was just awesome and very helpful. She wanted to make sure I had all information I needed before leaving the store which I really appreciated.

This is a red wine from Italy. Romagna Denominazione Di Origine Protetta Cagnina Dolce from 2018. This ruby red wine has sweet berry flavors, and a lingering aftertaste of candied violets.

This is a sparkling wine that is not from the European Union. Jansz Tasmania is from Australia. This sparkling wine has a rich floral bouquet of strawberries with a soft and creamy palate.

This is a dry white wine from Greece. Assyrtiko by Gaia is from 2018, produced in Santorini.

This is a shelf talker written by Heather G, one of the employees at Astor Wines & Spirits. She wrote this to Jean Velut-Lumiere et Craie, a bottle of champagne from France.

 

Wine List Analysis

Posted on by
5

Laura Fung

Wine List Analysis: The River Café and Charlie Bird

New York City has a variety of casual dining restaurants and fine dining restaurants. Many of these restaurants sell alcohol beverages ranging from wine, beer, and cocktails. In most cases, fine dining restaurants will have higher quality alcohol compared to casual dining restaurants. In this analysis, I will be comparing The River Café and Charlie Bird wine lists.

The River Café is an American fine dining restaurant located at the waterfront of Brooklyn. While eating at this restaurant, guests can see the beautiful views of Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge. Their menu has a Michelin star rating and it features American cuisine with innovative cooking techniques and styles. As for their wine list, it is very extensive ranging from wines from France, Italy, California, and other regions. The River Café offers their wine by the glass, half bottle, or full bottle. I noticed how their wine list is very organized and detailed. The wines are categorized by countries and separated into white, red, sparkling, fortified, and rose. For example, for the white wines in France, each section in the list is separated by appellations like Burgundy and Alsace. Each page clearly states the type of wine, vintage, grape variety, price, and region of the wine. I also noticed how in the beginning of the wine list, the wines stated are concise and short, but as you read further the list becomes more organized by location. An attribute to this wine list is being able to offer many different wines. However, a weakness to this list is not being able to know what wine to choose from because of the many wines. Many people who dine at The River Café may not know or understand the different wines listed and what to choose from.

Charlie Bird is a casual dining restaurant located in Soho serving a “Italian-inspired, American-executed menu”. Charlie Bird offers seasonal outdoor seating on a patio and a private dining room for special events or large groups. The wine list is limited to only one page and it lists sparkling, white, and red wines. First, it starts with wines by the glass. Each wine listed has the producer’s name, grape variety, country, vintage, and price. The sparkling, white, and red wines range from $15 to $20 for a glass and most of the wines are from France. I noticed that the sparkling and white wines are combined and separated from the red wine list. On the bottom of the wine list, it shows twelve bottles of wine to drink before 5 o’clock. This is a unique attribute to drawing the consumer’s attention to look at those bottles listed. Since it is a casual dining restaurant, there is not a lot of assortment for wine which may be considered a weakness to the restaurant. Depending on their guests, some may not look at the wine list, but look at the cocktails and beers because it is a casual restaurant.

The River Café’s and Charlie Bird’s wine lists can be similar and different in some aspects. One of the similarities I noticed was the information that is given for each wine. Both wine lists provide the viewer with the type of wine, vintage, price, and country concisely. It can be easily read on the list what kind of wine it is. Another similarity from both wine lists is that they offer wines by the glass, half bottle, and full bottle. This may be common for most restaurants, but specifically seeing this from a fine dining and casual dining restaurant is interesting. The main difference found from the wine lists is how The River Café’s list is wide-ranging while Charlie Bird’s list is limited. We can see a large variety of wines from almost all over the world offered at The River Café. At Charlie Bird, there is about 22 wines in total on their wine list. Another difference is how the wine lists are presented. Based on the online version of each restaurants wine list, the list for The River Café wines are categorized in an orderly manner depending on the country it is originated from. There is not much color and the design is simple. The list for Charlie Bird is bold and bright in yellow and is organized by type of wine and by glass or full bottle. Since River Café’s list is much longer in length, it is expected to have more organization than Charlie Bird’s. Lastly, the wines from The River Café’s list are most likely to be higher in quality because it is coming from a fine dining environment. The quality of the wine from Charlie Bird may not be the same standard as The River Café’s list.

Comparing two different restaurant’s wine lists gives an opportunity to see how wine lists are brought together and what is offered depending on the type of restaurant. Many observations can be made including the attributes and weaknesses of the wine lists. Being able to see these comparisons and differences can expand how we see wine lists in different restaurants now.

References

Charlie Bird. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.charliebirdnyc.com/

Wine Program – Long Term Cellaring – Connoisseurs – Brooklyn, New York. (n.d.).                       Retrieved from https://rivercafe.com/wine-program/

 

Wine List Analysis

Posted on by
2

`Wine List Analysis

Trinity A. Clemente

Profesor Dragorn

New York City College of Technology

 

            For my wine analysis assignment I will be comparing and contrasting the wine lists of the River Cafe and PJ Clark’s. The River cafe has quite a reputation for its expensive and tasteful wine program. I had the pleasure of selecting a wine pairing to accompany my chefs tasting when I dined at the River Cafe last year. Before I begin my comparison it will be beneficial to my readers to share some information about the background of the restaurants. The River CafĂ© opened in June of 1977 by the Brooklyn docks. The owner is currently Michael O’Keeffe. It took twelve years to gain approval in 1974 to even begin building the restaurant because of its unique location. New York Government officials advised Mr. O’Keeffe that putting a restaurant on the Brooklyn waterfront was extremely dangerous due to flooding. The River CafĂ© has been celebrated with numerous awards and achievements including a Michelin Star. 

          PJ Clarks is less widely known for its wine list and is also casual dining. The drink menu online is broken up into much simpler categories than that of The River Cafe. Their categories are White, Rose, Red, and then subcategorized into ordering by the glass and ordering by the bottle. PJ Clarkes has multiple locations in the U.S and I noticed there was little to no variation in the wines available at each location. One thing I do like about their wine menu is that the regions for each wine are emphasized and italicized. 

                 To begin my compare and comparison, I was unable to find any similarities in the wine selections of the two restaurants. I was hoping that because the river cafe has an extensive selection that I would be able to find one wine that they both carry. This can be due to the high standards of the river cafe in comparison to a casual dining restaurant. The River cafe wine program lists the prices of wine and has options for everybody with the price ranges of their wines. PJ Clarks did not have their prices listed on the menu. The river cafe also has their wine broken down in to many categories to count including country, region, and an extensive and pricey madeira list which they are famous for.

               My takeaway from this assignment is that not all good wines have to be so expensive, and that a wine list can be an important part of any restaurant/menu. 

References

Menu: P.J. Clarke’s Restaurant and Bar at Lincoln Square. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2020, from http://pjclarkes.com/menu/lincoln-square/

Wine Program – Long Term Cellaring – Connoisseurs – Brooklyn, New York. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2020, from https://rivercafe.com/wine-program/

 

Wine List Analysis

Posted on by
5

Katy Phan

HMGT 2402

Professor Goodlad

March 30, 2020

Wine List Analysis

Before stepping into the Hospitality Management major, I wondered why most of the restaurants are likely to provide wine lists to customers. However, passing through many courses and taking the W&B Management class, I have discovered wine is not just an alcoholic drink, it enhances the dining experience and enriches food’s flavors. Therefore, wine becomes a significant item for the restaurant industry.

In my paper, I am going to analyze and compare the wine lists from Daniel and Blue Ribbon Brasserie restaurants.

Daniel is well known as a modern French restaurant that has an elegant and luxurious ambiance. The restaurant intelligently accommodates its guests by offering seasonal menus along with an ample wine list from the old-world to the new world of vinification. Daniel presents 25,000 bottles into the wine list that is looked like a book, and it has 81 pages in total. The restaurant is meticulous in putting the table contents for the type of wines to prevent overwhelming from the guests. Wines are categorized into the region and going along with appellations. For example, the Burgundy red wine has two appellations- CĂ´te de Beaune and CĂ´te Chalonnaise. However, the grape variety is not declared so it’s difficult if customers do not comprehend sufficient about wine. Pricing is assigned based on wine’s quality; a 1985 Pinot Noir from La Tache Grand Cru, Burgundy has cost 10,000 dollars.

Opposite to high-quality service like Daniel, Blue Ribbon Brasserie brings to its customers a pleasant, comfortable, and relaxed atmosphere. The place provides a friendly menu at affordable prices, so the simplified wine list is applied. The restaurant’s wine list is enormously shorter; however, it accommodates a variety of choices to customers as well. The list is also classified into sections, it’s seemly easier to the guests because the grape variety is noted in each section. For instance, the white wine section notes champagne, sauvignon blanc, and riesling. Then under each grape variety, there are some choices of region and appellation. Blue Ribbon Brasserie wine list pricing is affordable, even the most expensive bottle like 2014 Chardonnay from 1er Cru, Chablis, Burgundy is only costed 299 dollars. Besides, this place also caters to customers other options such as Vodka, Rum, and Whiskey. This additional is suitable for people who want to have higher alcohol content than wine.

Although both restaurants are different styles of presenting the wine list, I still can see similarities between them. They have the same aim are to satisfy the need and giving the best experience to customers; hence, they attempt to select wines to appropriate the menu and meet customers’ finances.

Reference

About Daniel. (n.d). Daniel NYC. Retrieved March 29, 2020, from https://www.danielnyc.com/about

Blue Ribbon Brasserie- Brooklyn. (n.d). Blue Ribbon Restaurant. Retrieved March 29, 2020, from https://www.blueribbonrestaurants.com/restaurants/blue-ribbon-brasserie-brooklyn

PDF Wine List of Daniel

http://www.worldoffinewine.com/uploads/WineListAwards/PDFs/daniel.pdf

https://www.danielnyc.com/content/pdfs/wine-list1.pdf

PDF Wine List of Blue Ribbon Brasserie

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/52fd7162e4b0d3e64dc29631/t/5d9cfacaff43b44336b79ec8/1570568906303/BR-BK+Wine+List_10.08.2019.pdf