DON'T UNDERESTIMATE YOUR GUESTS' WINE KNOWLEDGE

Anthony J. Terlato, chairman and chief executive, Terlato Wine Group and Paterno Wines International, Lake Bluff, Ill.

It’s not news that food and wine go hand in hand, complementing one another—a wine list should illuminate what is prepared in the kitchen. But, this commonsense thinking is often forgotten. “There always needs to be a parallel between the food served and the wine poured,” says Terlato. “It’s like putting on a tuxedo and wearing scruffy shoes or a dirty shirt.”
   He explains that today’s dining public can look at a chef’s wine list and can tell when he’s bottom fishing—when he’s looking for bargains, when he’s looking for trendy wines, when he’s looking for low-priced, pale copies. If a wine list offers less than favorable options, the guest will wonder how the chef is buying his or her produce and other products. On one hand, you have a chef who has a great deal of respect for his customers’ tastes and only buys the best food and wine. But on the other hand, you have someone who buys good products but presumes that his customers don’t know anything about wine, so he or she thinks they don’t have to offer quality wines. “What this says to me is that these two chefs look at their customers in different ways,” says Terlato.
   He advises chefs to treat their customers with a great deal of respect—far above what you think he or she knows. “If you think he or she knows little about food, feed them better. What happens is the guest will have a higher respect for your food—and for you.”
   Also, Terlato explains that people have an aspiration to learn about wine more than ever before. Taking this into consideration, you should never underestimate what your guests know or don’t know about food and wine—never undersell your guests. “Not everyone buys low-priced products,” he explains. “For example, if a chef says that they can’t sell a glass of wine over $6, well, that’s because that’s what they have. Why relegate your guest to the lowest common denominator?
   “Some people are going to come in and always look for the lowest price. So don’t make your lowest price $6, make it $8.”
   Terlato advises if a chef wants to grow his or her business, keep improving the quality of the wine offerings—not only by the bottle, but also by the glass (have three pours instead of just one). “You might lose some customers, but in the long run, you’ll make more,” he says. “If I had to talk with a chef, I’d tell him not to fool with the bottom range in anything, and, again, don’t assume that’s what your customers want.”
   One new wine on the market that chefs and restaurateurs may not be familiar with is Boutari Moschofilero—Terlato says this wine is the one to be on the lookout for. It’s a Greek white wine with a taste similar to Pinot Grigio, with floral, citrus and melon aromas that pair well with a range of cuisines—it’s suitable from Pan Asian to Nuevo Latino, from Mediterranean to contemporary American seafood. Restaurants can charge $26 to $29 per bottle, or $8 to $10 per glass.

- By Robert J. Benes
©2005 by Chef Magazine.