Springtime is like the impatient little kid, buckled in the back seat during a long drive, pulling fruitlessly at the seat belt strap while their feet kick air, repeatedly asking, “Are we there yet?” It’s an anxious season. People are anxious to feel the sun and refill their stock of Vitamin D. Buried seedlings are anxious to flower and bloom. And wine drinkers are anxious to shake off weighty winter reds in favor of light flavors and bright wines. Read more
Like all of us, 2017 was a complicated year for wine. Drought and the tragic wild fires that burned through northern California and its vineyards left a raw edge on an other wise successful year for the wine segment. Shaken, but not defeated, what is on the horizon for 2018 wine trends? Let’s take a look at which trends will open up, breath, and come to maturity in 2018. Read more
As a restaurant or bar owner, you want your drink menu to excite customers, perhaps even to inspire them to order something they’ve never tried before. All of their favorite summer foods deserve delicious wines to match, but not all wine-drinkers know what pairings work well together. Your customer may enjoy their favorite seafood plate ten times more if paired with a wine that’ll make their tastebuds tingle. This summer, these 10 wines are a must have for your menu. Varying in both flavor and price, you can assure your customers that no matter what, you’ve got the best wines for any warm weather occasion.
Do you change your wine menu seasonally? If you change your food menu each season to utilize fresh and timely ingredients, you can really elevate the guest experience at your restaurant by pairing new wines with your new food menu. The most innovative and exciting restaurants always consider how to create a cohesive experience for their guests. Rotating your wine menu is a great way to do this. Here are some of the big wine trends that we are excited for this spring. Read more
At The County Bench Kitchen+Bar, the details are important. The appreciation of each ingredient — the produce grown by local farmers, fresh catches by coastal fishermen, or each element stirred in a cocktail — is what the restaurant calls The County Bench Way. Located in the heart of California’s lush wine country in Sonoma County, The County Bench’s beverage program celebrates their local wine producers while also offering guests a varied selection that draws inspiration from around the world.
We spoke with Chris John, the Wine Director at The County Bench to learn how he balances the abundance of amazing wine produced in Sonoma County with the appreciation he has for Old World wines predate the California wine boom. Read more
Let’s dust off our crystal ball and take a glimpse into the (very) near-future of wine.
To start, I’d like to say that it is a really exciting time for wine right now. And though 2015 saw a -4.1 percent decline in sales volume for wine in bars and restaurant — 2016’s sales numbers are likely to echo 2015’s disappointments — wine is thriving in retail sales.
There is also a lot of excitement over the direction that influential restaurants and sommeliers are taking wine experiences in restaurants. The past couple years have given us some big stories: the revelation of rosé and its insane growth; the coming-out of Spanish wines like Tempranillo, or the continued blossoming of the South American wine industry; and the obsession with millennials impact on wine crystallizing into the overstated maxim that”Millennials are Changing Wine.”
There are factors aside from just millennials that really are changing wine. Let’s take a look at what those might be and see the Wine Trends for 2017.
Every restaurant and bar is looking for a way to stand out from the next restaurant. One of the coolest and simplest ways to add a stellar feature to your beverage program is to sell your own private label selections. From wine to whiskey, private labels are an easy way to increase beverage sales. Learn how the process works and see how you can stamp your restaurant’s label on a hand-selected bottles that are sure to sell. Read more
Many of the world’s best restaurants create menus that are inspired by seasons. Sourcing seasonal ingredients is fast becoming the standard way independent and even national chain restaurants operate. But how should restaurants deal with the seasons when it comes to wine?
Should restaurants adjust their wine lists to match the seasons?
Do wine drinkers’ preferences change on a 4-month cycle?
Let’s find out by digging into Uncorkd’s restaurant data. Read more
Every Friday Uncorkd finds the most interesting restaurant and beverage industry news that had us talking. Here are must-read articles from June 4th – June 10th. Read more
Summer has arrived. Days are long. Nights go longer. And your customer’s long drink should be the longest of all. If you have a patio or beer garden, then your restaurant is primed to offer the best of summertime al fresco drinking. And while a margarita is a seasonal stand-by, you should make a pact with yourself and the drinking gods to offer something new and exciting to your guests this year. We’re here to help. Here are 3 great summer cocktail trends that will inspire you to create a unique and crowd-pleasing drink menu.