Wine training for hospitality
Wine training that improves your profits and service standards
My wine training sessions and courses are created to match the demands of your business. I will combine any areas and elements you feel your staff need support with, including training on how to correctly serve wine.
The examples below will give you an idea of the kinds of courses I deliver, and the core focus of these courses, but every course is different as every hospitality business is individual.
What my clients say
LA BELLA VISTA
ST LEONARDS ON SEA, EAST SUSSEX
Partnering with Owen for our staff training was an excellent decision. We sought to enhance our team’s wine knowledge to elevate the quality of our service, and Owen exceeded our expectations.
His expertise and structured approach provided our team with a deep understanding of our wines, enabling them to engage confidently with guests and make informed recommendations.
The improvement in our service standards is evident, and we are grateful for the valuable impact of Owen's training on our guest experience.
Aldo Esposito
Owner/operator
1 - The essentials of wine
from just £69.00 per person
Beginners wine course, ideal for staff who are new to hospitality
If you have a limited range of wines, have staff who don’t usually drink wine or staff who are new to the hospitality industry, this is the ideal course for your team. Perfect for events venues, with a small wine range and regular use of different staff. Many young staff feel intimidated by wine service, but my course will make your team comfortable and confident when dealing with wine.
This course includes…
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Focus on the key wines on your list, the varying characteristics and the key differences between these wines.
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Beginners food and wine matching guidance based on your wine list and your food menu.
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Training on how to deal with some of the most common wine queries and complaints your team may hear from customers.
2 - Recommend and serve wines with confidence
from £79.00 per person
Intermediate wine course, perfect for all bar staff and restaurant staff taking food orders
Following on from ‘The Essentials of Wine’, this package will go into more detail on the world of wine and how each grape or wine style can combine most effectively with certain dishes. I will also give your team more background on your wines and USPs to help them sell the wine as well as training on the correct way to serve wines. This course includes…
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Detailed training on the key wines on your wine list, their differing characteristics and comparisons between these.
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Food and wine matching guidance for these wines and how certain ingredients can affect this.
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Tasting of key wines from your list, to give your team a complete understanding of the varying styles of wines you list.
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Key USPs and other selling points for your wines, which will help your team educate your customers.
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Training on how to correctly present, open and pour wines, plus how to deal with common wine queries and complaints.
3 - Service, stock and storage
from £79.00 per person
Intermediate wine course, ideal for bar managers, restaurant supervisors and staff placing drinks orders
Particularly useful for bar managers and bar supervisors. However, also a worthwhile course for anybody dealing with wine at any stage whilst working in a hospitality business. How to store and serve wines correctly is essential for both service standards and the quality of flavour your guests will taste from the wine you serve.
This course includes…
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How to present, open and pour wines, plus appropriate glassware and glass cleaning tips.
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Ideal temperatures and storage conditions for each style of wine.
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Stock management and wine ordering. Training on wine stock and ordering efficiency.
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Tips that will improve the speed and efficiency of wine service in your business.
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Training on how to deal with some of the most common wine queries and complaints your team may hear from customers.
4 - Maximise your wine list profits
from £99.00 per person
Advanced wine course, perfect for senior members of both bar and restaurant teams
Whether you have a fine dining restaurant with a high average spend, or a more casual dining establishment or café that generally sells house wines, the right training will massively increase your average wine spend and your guest's experience.
This course will help your team develop many skills required to deliver you a higher average spend on wine from your customers.
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Having identified your average spend in each category (sparkling, white etc) we focus training on wines above this price.
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Tasting of key wines from your list, to give your team the knowledge to confidently recommend suitable wines for each dish.
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Comparisons between the entry level wines every customer has heard of and lesser-known more premium wines on your list.
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Tips on helping customers select more premium and lesser-known wines, including food pairing.
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Gems on your wine list, with interesting stories or USPs. Stories and USPs will all be explained in depth to your team.
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Advice on point of sale strategies to increase your wine spend further, without forceful up-selling.
5 - Your menu and your wine list
from £149.00 per person
Advanced wine course, ideal for aspiring wine waiters and those regularly taking food orders
This course will give your team an in-depth knowledge of how each of the wines on your wine list compliment particular dishes on your menu. If you are offering any kind of taster menu, this course would be ideal for your front of house staff.
Ahead of conducting this course, I will study your wine list and food menu in great detail, building a training package of key facts and details that will allow your staff to deliver top level food and wine recommendations during service.
Many very casual dining establishments produce superb food these days, so staff knowledge and attention to detail can be all that sets award winning restaurants apart from many others. This course includes…
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Details of at least a couple of wine matches for every dish on your menu, and why these pairings work.
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In-depth focus on any wines that will pair well with your top selling dishes.
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Learning the most versatile food wines on your list, especially those that can go with either meat or fish.
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Tasting of a range of wines from your list, alongside key dishes from your list, to establish a clear idea of the best pairings.
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Stories behind the most unusual grapes or regions on your wine list, to enable your staff to educate customers when pairing lesser-known wines like these to dishes.
For groups of outlets, I can create, manage and run your own
BESPOKE WINE TRAINING PROGRAMMES
Help your team develop with certificates and qualifications
from your own wine development courses