A waiter should know how to sell and recommend, not just present the wine list to a customer. If a guest asks for a glass of water, you can also politely suggest a glass of Prosecco or another wine, and ask what they are planning to eat in order to recommend the best pairing. Helping customers choose the right wine to match their food is essential for a guest who wants to be properly guided.
Only in this way can a restaurant increase its profit; otherwise, it is pointless to have a wine list that is not balanced, with only low-cost wines on one end and high-end options on the other, without a thoughtful middle range. Wine is as important as food, and if you don’t know it well, you should at least take a course to make a better impression than simply saying to a customer, “this wine is good.”
Also, do not let a wine representative design your wine list just to push their own products. Instead, seek proper advice so you can build a list that works in harmony with your menu, allowing food and wine to complement each other.
Unfortunately, in many restaurants today, staff either do not know or only know wine by name alone. This is a shame for guests who come expecting a great evening, only to end up with a mediocre dining experience.
Salute.
