A day in the life of a wine service advisor

 I am already at my computer checking emails at 6am. Mostly they consist of information, especially from abroad, and orders. But there is also some correspondence from local on-trade and off-trade wine-sellers and other correspondence regarding up-coming promotional events and educational activities both locally and abroad.

I acknowledge or reply as necessary. As a wine advisor, I serve as the middle-person between the wine producer, the importer, the outlet and the consumer, easing the flow of information between them while keeping a good working relationship with all.

It is part of my responsibility to communicate relevant information from abroad to the local market, whether importers, sellers or consumers. I am subscribed to several newsletters which keep me up to date on the latest developments. One newsletter from a wining website informs me about an award won by a foreign winery and it also provides some interesting information regarding the production rates of the living product from the earth. I take note that I need to write a press release.

Another email catches my interest particularly. It is about the Vinitaly fair that I will attend in Verona, Italy, before Easter. I regularly attend overseas international wine fairs, where I touch base with all the suppliers that I work with, while I use the opportunity to meet new ones and strike new deals since they all hold their own wine-tasting events. Apart from this annual event, every other year I go to Vinexpo in Bordeaux, France, since I do not attend during the alternate year when it is held in Asia.

After my emailing session I take the time to walk the dog and go to the gym for an hour. This is my free time in a long and unpredictable working day. I am home by 8.30am to prepare for the day’s meetings.

Depending on the nature of the business, there are particularly suitable times for visits. For example, I do hotels and off-trade – businesses that sell wines without a permit for onsite consumption – in the early morning, while I must visit wine-bars in the late afternoon or even after 7pm. My typical day revolves around the industry so it is unusual for me to knock off before 8.30pm. I must fit time for my loved ones in between appointments, therefore their support is essential.

My work does not only consist of promoting the products of the company I represent, but actual wine culture. This ultimately benefits everybody in the industry. During wine-tasting I will obviously use my company’s wines not others, but if I teach wine-service it is for the benefit of all. Finally the company benefits because the sellers’ loyalty tends to remain towards those who have taught them something.

In Malta we are in the phase of generally promoting wine culture, therefore education needs to be all-round. For example, I educate the importers and sellers about which type of wine is better of which particular brand and why, depending on price, quality and region. Actually we want to encourage all people to appreciate what is in the bottle and to develop a better palate.

I do not put as much emphasis on the final product in the bottle as on how it came to be, because education breeds appreciation. I may go as far as explaining the viticulture process – the farming part – and the vinification process – the making of the wine. The whole process determines what type of wine will result. I feel like a spokesman for the qualities of wine that have their own worth.

I have an appointment with a client at 11am. Part of my work is to source out suppliers, and I give him recommendations regarding which wines to select according to price, taste, existing market trends and predictable new ones according to overseas trends.

Afterwards I have a lunch meeting in order to discuss a new wine-list for an up-market restaurant. I usually visit restaurants in the late morning and early afternoon, grabbing a bite on the run or, at the other extreme, for a business lunch lasting into the later afternoon, with wine included.

My life may appear romantic, with all the eating in the best restaurants and wine drinking, but actually it is very stressful. While the social aspect is very nice, meeting people from all walks of life and developing loyal relationships, the pressure on the physical system, due to the alcohol and rich food, is much to deal with. Meanwhile I have to cope with other commitments which I do not have enough time for, and I have lost taste for intricate wining and dining with friends!

Furthermore I must always remain sober amidst all that eating and drinking, as just from one meeting a substantial workload can transpire. Thus another constant companion is coffee – I would drink up to 15 cups daily but I have now reduced to five and, due to too many sleepless nights in the past, I have set a rule that after 3pm I do not drink any more. . . coffee, that is!

During the lunch meeting I inform the food and beverage manager that I would like to design a balanced wine list that offers a good quality/price ratio. It is essential to have a balanced list from different suppliers because it is unrealistic to have all your wines provided by one supplier.

We have a long discussion about how the wines will be selected. I tell him that it will greatly depend on the cuisine and the customers’ average spend, while the list’s length will depend on the number of covers in the restaurant and the storage space available.

I always recommend that 80 per cent of the bottles in the new wine list should be familiar names, 10 per cent according to the particular taste of the owner or manager who can be passionate about serving them, while the rest can be novelty wines that are new on the market or have very particular characteristics. We will review the list after a year and may add to it, or include fewer wines, and replace non-performing wines.

It is already after 4pm when I leave the business lunch, which gives me just enough time to reach my next appointment at another restaurant and prepare for the staff training session, which is set for one hour before dinner service commences.

Apart from providing education and advice on the choice of wines for a list, I also give advice on how to store and serve the wine. I may even go as far as suggesting where to obtain the best wine glasses and explaining the correct method for washing them!

I emphasise aspects of service and handling because there is a ritual on how to serve wine. I also lay emphasis on the information provided on each bottle label, which also appears on the wine list. Wine tasting enables the staff to become more acquainted with the wines.

As a result, consumers indirectly have the opportunity to become more educated about wine culture through contact with trained staff and channels that are confident in promoting our products. The Institute for Tourism Studies also plays an important role, on the one part by educating its students so that they come into the industry ready-trained, while it also provides official courses so the average person can learn about qualities of wines.

Today there are means for those who are interested. Wine magazines and reviews that were previously unavailable in Malta are now available. Courses are open to all and wine clubs have emerged. Meanwhile local producers do their bit through branding, opening their cellars to the public and by organising events such as wine festivals.

The shift started 15 years ago, when local producers began to focus on vine types rather than blends. Slowly, foreign investment came to Malta. Eventually the wine bar culture began. When the import levy per bottle was removed in 2004, as a result of joining the EU, many foreign wines suddenly became affordable and there was a huge surge in experimentation. Today we are seeing the positive results of all this by the higher level of appreciation of wines in the average consumer.

Indeed, restaurant operators now realise what a positive contribution wine promotion has on revenue, which no longer depends solely on food quality.

When I return home I am greeted by my loyal dog, which deserves my tender loving care and also a long walk. Then again I find myself at the computer. In the quest for promoting wine culture, it is important to organise events, and I am planning to invite a prominent wine maker on a market visit.

I will organise some event in which we give people an opportunity to appreciate wines in a pleasurable atmosphere. Events may include tasting, a formal presentation, or an opportunity to taste wines with food. But hosting suppliers during a visit is a full-time occupation so I need to time the visit well.

I believe that wine is something that deserves its culture promoted not only among enthusiasts but on a wide scale. Abroad, more and more people are even planning holidays around wining and dining – a new section of agri-tourism. They stay in lodges attached to a winery which offers its guests tours of the vineyards and wine tasting.

Wine really should not be seen as a drink in order to get drunk, but as a social tool and for the pure pleasure of consuming it with certain types of food.

This is the 17th in Melanie Drury’s, “A Day in the Life of...” series. The next one is due on 22 December.