Meet your match

WE EXPLORE HOW PROVIDING WINE AND FOOD PAIRING SUGGESTIONS CAN ENHANCE THE GUEST EXPERIENCE AND HELP WITH THE SUCCESS OF YOUR VENUE.

2023 is going to be a very exciting year for the on trade, starting with many initiatives that will be taking off as the months go by, to up-and-coming trends that are here to stay for a while.

Food and wine pairing has always been a rich subject to analyse; each year we see more expressions come to life, meaning that consumers are also exploring their options. What’s most important, as always, is to ensure good quality – but how can you provide the best match for a guest’s dish of choice?

We are here to help you figure out what to expect in the upcoming months in terms of wine and food pairing, ranging from featuring suggestions on your menu to keeping an eye on consumer preferences, alongside some precious tips to get you started!

Rudina Arapi, Head Sommelier at Galvin at Windows, starts us off by sharing a very simple truth: “A good or bad pairing can make or break a dish; understanding the intensity of aromas and the flavour profile of a wine is key to creating the perfect pairings and elevate each dish for guests.”

However, it is equally important to ensure that customers understand why you have suggested certain pairings and how the components complement each other.

Rudina continues: “A good sommelier walks guests through the history of a wine, where it comes from, how it is made and why it marries so well with that particular food. The wines our guests enjoy go through a long process before they reach their glasses, being handcrafted by winemakers from around the world, which is part of the experience itself.”

Owen Morgan, Co-Owner and Director at Bar 44, joins the discussion to explain how providing wine pairings really engages guests to think about what they may drink with their meal or bar snack.

“It creates engagement between the staff and the guest,” says Owen, “sparks conversation and educates in a fun way that doesn’t overload the customer with too much information, instead stimulating their curiosity. People want this more and more; the team can briefly explain the wine’s region of origin, a little about its production process, its characteristics and flavour profile.”

By regularly sharing simple and fun facts about your wine offering with your guests, they’ll realise that it’s not ‘just another bottle from the shelf’ and will feel looked after, leaving them excited to return.

Owen continues: “A promotion we do is ‘cava y croquetas’, which includes homemade croquettes of a chosen flavour paired with a certain glass of Cava – Spanish sparkling wine – we want people to try.

“Of course, you can plan elaborate wine-orientated dinners featuring a tasting menu, which are also wonderful, but simpler wine pairing experiences like ours are a great way to start the conversation, educate, and engage.”

The team at Bar 44 expects consumers to be experimenting with new flavours, drifting away from classic oaked and aged reds. Owen thinks that people will be opting for wine by the glass rather than bottles, to pair with different dishes and try more styles of wine in one evening.

Murray Ainslie, Operations Director at The Black Grape, agrees with Owen in that the days of ‘rigid, prescribed food and wine pairings are over’. Murray says: “We focus on small plates, wine and good times. Our ethos is that so long as the food and wine are innovative and flavourful, we can use our knowledge and experience to help our guests find great combinations in tune with their palate.”

Considering the current economic climate, which will see consumers seeking value for money, Murray believes that they will still be keen to try interesting products and new things. This will bring a shift towards more experiential drinking and dining, providing a great opportunity for venues to secure consistent revenue.

He continues: “Rather than providing set pairing experiences, we train our staff so that they can create bespoke pairing options and offer guests the chance to try something based on their personal preferences.”

The team at The Black Grape strive to understand guests’ likes and dislikes so that they can provide the best match for their taste, sharing a little bit of knowledge along the way and sparking further interest in what they’re already enjoying.

“This customer-centric approach to wine pairing offers more value and an outstanding experience,” concludes Murray.

Research conducted by Accolade Wines has revealed that, when choosing whether to include wine as part of the out-of-home experience, 20% of consumers have stated that the wine menu suggestions often sway their decision, with this number increasing to 35% if they are told their favourite style is available.

Marketing Director for Europe at Accolade Wines, Tom Smith, says: “Wine is a natural partner for food, fully enhancing its flavours, and a well-matched wine pairing provides an elevated experience for customers. Key to this is ensuring operators have a focused drinks range and highlighted food pairings that all staff are familiar with.”

Tom explains that, to enhance the unique on-trade experience, outlets must serve their products in the best possible way, not over-complicating concepts and allowing for experimentation.

He states: “Offering food and wine pairings throughout the day and evening is a great way to increase footfall and profit, especially when positioned around key dining occasions such as summer or the festive period. Using easily recognisable brands is key to driving sales, providing the reassurance of familiarity and quality.

“Keep the choice simple and offer an experience where possible, such as pairing different wines to suitable dishes in an easy format for the consumer.”

Having looked at the market attentively over 2022, Tom confidently tells us what the team at Accolade Wines believe consumer preferences will be focusing on during the next few months, with Australia continuing to be the dominant country people look for.

He says: “We’ve seen great success with our Hardys Private Bin collection in the on trade, available in Shiraz, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Rosé varietals. Hailing from South-Eastern Australia, the grapes come from a range of vineyards in the region including Riverland, Riverina and Sunraysia. Conditions there tend to be dry with warm/ hot days and cool/mild temperatures at night, providing excellent ripening conditions.”

Of course, masterpieces from France, Italy and Chile remain popular, so Tom suggests you make sure to stock up with options from these countries alongside South Africa, which is the fastest-growing country of origin.

Tom continues, focusing on grape varieties: “Sauvignon Blanc continues to be the anchor for white wines and is a must on menus, alongside Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay. Merlot, Shiraz and Malbec are the top three when it comes to red wines, with new styles of Malbec trending in recent years.

“Zinfandel remains the most popular rosé wine for UK drinkers, but we would also recommend stocking Provence Rosé which has shown really strong growth in the past year and provides a more premium option for customers to choose from.”

Besides keeping in mind these predictions, venue operators should also have the ability to observe and adapt to ever-changing trends – keeping in mind that every customer is different, so you might have to re-adjust your criteria every time a new guest ventures into your establishment.

Mark Roberts, Lanchester Wines’ Director of Sales, reports: “While we’re seeing more adventurous ingredients, many of the flavour profiles are familiar and so lend themselves to the typical wine pairings. For example, a dish with Sumac will have citrus notes so pair it with a Sauvignon Blanc, or smoky and sweet Korean barbecue would work with a Chilean or Australian Shiraz.”

Mark also highlights how, while consumers are willing to learn about food and wine pairing, they are still very much looking to staff for guidance. This results in operators transforming their wine lists, often merging them with their food menus, and adapting descriptive language to suit their audience.

He says: “As a wine merchant, we’re working to help operators, staff and consumers pair food and wine as easily as possible. We’re increasingly creating wine labels with subtle hints as to which food should be enjoyed with that specific bottle. For example, our Malbec, The Brand, pairs perfectly with grilled and barbecued meats and so features a bull on the front. While Moloko Bay Sauvignon Blanc, a perfect match with fish, features a river and pier across the label.”

Given the interest from consumers towards alternative wine varieties, Mark believes this allows for more extensive food-matching; almost every outlet now has a wide wine offering to interact with their food menu, whilst options would have been very limited only a few years back. This entices drinkers to go out more often and trade up for a more premium experience that also widens their horizons in terms of wine knowledge.

Wine and food pairing is not only an established, growing trend, but also a massive opportunity for venue operators to capitalise on consumer preferences and ensure consistent footfall; following our experts’ advice, make sure your wine list offers a range of grape variants that suit every palate.

When your guests are ready to order, feel comfortable with suggesting the best options in accordance with the chef’s menu – perhaps even join those who are merging their wine and food offering and really push that tailored experience to make your venue stand out from the competition!