Vibe Conference's breakout session, “Reviving Wine Culture: How Staff Buy-In Creates Guest Buy-In," brought together operators, suppliers, and wine experts from across the industry to discuss how to sell more wine. The session included:
- Andrew Deitz, Senior Vice President of Sales, DeMeine Estates
- Anthony Giglio, Contributing Editor, Food & Wine
- Robbi Jo Oliver, Divisional Vice President Wine & Spirits/ Learning & Development, Certified Sommelier | CMS, Mastro's Restaurants
- Joe Wagner, CEO, Copper Cane Wines & Spirits
The session kicked off with the exclamation: "WINE IS FUN!"
This resounding statement is what Oliver has her staff say together at every meeting as a reminder that wine should not be complex for guests. It also served as a reminder to the room that if the staff doesn't buy into wine and your program, then the guest certainly won't either. Wine sales start not with the guest — but with the people serving them.
The Staff Are Your First Storytellers
The panel's central idea was simple but powerful: enthusiasm is contagious. When a server speaks confidently and genuinely about a wine, guests respond — with trust, curiosity, and higher check averages. The problem is that too many operations treat wine as an afterthought, leaving staff undertrained, intimidated, and unable to sell what they can't describe.
The fix isn't complicated, but it requires commitment. Oliver emphasized that pre-shift ritual as one of the most effective — and underused — tools available. Gathering staff before service, opening bottles, tasting, and talking through the wines in plain language doesn't just build knowledge, it builds culture.
The suppliers in the room echoed that sentiment, noting that when they come in and spend time with the floor staff rather than just the beverage director, it pays dividends. Staff who feel invested in what they're pouring become advocates, not order-takers.
Train, Temp, and Taste
Three practical pillars emerged from the conversation as the foundation of any effective wine program.
Training: It needs to be consistent, approachable, and fun. The panelists pushed back firmly against wine snobbery, arguing it alienates both staff and guests. The goal is to empower people with the idea that wine is subjective — drink what you like, and help guests find what they like. The more comfortable staff are with the subject, the more naturally recommendations flow.
Temperature: This is a non-negotiable baseline of quality that operators often overlook. Serving wine at the wrong temperature — or worse, serving wine that's been poorly stored — turns guests off not just to that bottle, but to wine altogether. Simple execution matters.
Taste: Give staff an actual tasting experience. This is the most direct path to credible, confident recommendations. Regional nuance matters, and staff who understand why wines from different areas taste different can tell that story to a curious guest.
Build Your List with Intent
The panelists offered practical guidance on wine list construction for operators at any scale. The core principle: Know your guest and your brand, and build accordingly.
For smaller lists, organizing by grape variety is the most approachable structure. Include a handful of recognizable names to give guests an anchor of comfort, then surround those with "adventure" bottles — well-priced, interesting wines that invite discovery.
For multi-unit operators managing hundreds of locations, the advice was to lean more heavily on by-the-glass offerings than deep bottle inventories, and to keep variety counts focused and purposeful.
Pouring size should match the concept. A steakhouse can support a generous pour or flights; a small-plates restaurant should scale accordingly. The point is to stay true to who you are rather than defaulting to industry norms that don't fit your brand.
The Upsell Is Easier Than You Think
One of the session's most actionable insights came around the simple act of getting a beverage in guests' hands as quickly as possible. The first interaction sets the tone. From there, the upsell from glass to bottle is often as easy as asking — and the answer, panelists noted, is usually yes. Make it easy for your staff to ask, and make it comfortable for the guest to say yes.
The economics of wine's role in labor costs was also raised. A well-sold wine program can effectively cover the labor for the evening. That framing — wine as a financial lever, not just a beverage category — resonated as a way to get operations leadership invested in training and list development.
Wine Has a Relevance Problem — and Operators Can Fix It
The broader conversation touched on why wine has ceded ground to cocktails and, increasingly, to THC-infused beverages. The panel's diagnosis: Wine hasn't made itself sexy. It hasn't told its story in a way that resonates with younger drinkers who want narrative, authenticity, and accessibility.
Millennials drink wine, but they need a story — not just a brand name and a vintage. The on-premise experience is where that story gets told, and operators are uniquely positioned to be the storytellers. Natural wine, orange wine, and other emerging categories confuse guests when they're unexplained but intrigue them when they're framed well. Visibility and context are everything.
The session closed on an optimistic note: Wine's cultural moment may be in a dip, but the passion is still there among both consumers and industry professionals. The operators who invest in their people, build lists with intent, and create genuine wine moments on the floor will be the ones who bring guests back — and bring wine along with them.
Keep an eye out for more recaps of our Vibe Conference sessions!
Contact us now to secure your program for the 2027 Vibe Conference:
Elliot Howell, Sales Director, ehowell@questex.com
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