DURING HAPPY HOUR, PREZZO TAKES A FLAT $4 OFF EVERY GLASS OF WINE. | PHOTO COURTESY OF P HOSPITALITY.
““They appreciate the ritual of wine when it’s presented in an unintimidating, approachable way. That gives younger drinkers more confidence to explore.”” —Julie Heseman, senior director of research & insights at Technomic.
But operators are not throwing in their corkscrews yet. In the same Technomic survey, restaurant and bar teams point to happy hours, tasting events and unique experiences as the most effective methods of fostering wine engagement with these younger drinkers. BUSTING THE BARRIERS TO WINE EXPLORATION At Oakville, happy hours have been a successful way to engage Gen Z in the wine experience. “We do $6 pours of three wines between 4 and 6 p.m.,” said Barnow. He has also organized “meet the winemaker” mixers, offering six to seven wines at different stations. “People float around and taste, and the winemaker is right there to ask questions,” he said. “It’s much less intimidating than a winemaker dinner.” Those are an option too, but usually appeal to older guests and bigger spenders.
and guests. “Fifty percent of wine is the story wrapped into it, and sharing that story engages guests,” said Barnow. “Server training is one of the biggest factors in appealing to Gen Zers of legal drinking age,” said Heseman. “Many feel intimidated by wine and while a menu description is a starting point, the server makes everything more approachable.” Storytelling is also a priority for Felice, a wine bar and Italian restaurant with 11 locations in New York and Florida. Wine director Christian Ferrulli has regular wine lunches with his teams where they take a deep dive into wine regions to get them more knowledgeable about the different producers and learn a few fun facts about the wines. “This new generation is used to getting information very quickly on their phones, so we encourage the servers to tell young guests a couple of fun things about the wine in a few seconds,” said Ferrulli. “You can’t change
Oakville’s wine list itself also encourages exploration. The restaurant stocks bottles from 500 to 600 wineries, all in California and many from lesser known, sometimes younger producers. “We focus on depth over breadth, offering wines that deliver on value in a wide range of prices,” said Barnow. “This provides a fun, exploratory experience that gets people out of their comfort zone.” But the well-trained team is key to that exploration. Three sommeliers plus a cellar director are on premise at Oakville. “At dinner, they do an incredible job of breaking down pretensions and making guests feel comfortable,” he said. “A combination of wine knowledge and emotional intelligence steers guests to wines at their price point or below.” The wine team has regular sit-down meetings at which they share tidbits about the different wines. Visits to the wineries represented on Oakville’s list provide interesting details to share with each other
JULY 2025 RESTAURANT BUSINESS
57
Powered by FlippingBook