Irrespetive of whether wine is bought by the bottle or glass, wine service cannot be compromised. Vickram Mederata, CEO, Benetta barscope elaborates on wine preservation and the options to maintain wine
Wine bottles are more than a consumable drink, they are an asset that appreciates if you keep them becoming better with age. Yet with bars in India I rarely see them running a wine programme in the manner a developed nation’s first class city should. Action speaks to me louder than words; thus dining at Italian restaurants with celebrity chefs is carefully balanced with these actions they do or do not undertake. One can be celeb chef to the simple crowd, but to impress people who know the restaurant must behave like one.
The only restaurants that truly exemplify a class act in my experience have been those special five-star rated lead by a professional wine and beverage specialist who focus on the job of F&B over public relations and when wine by the glass is ordered, it is perfectly presented, served and enjoyed the first time. At more than one occasion I can recollect in many restaurants, especially the city restaurants with my friends and wife they have ordered wine and sent the glass back for the lack of wine quality. The bottle was open for long, the flavours were finished (flat), bouquet was non existent even though the bottle was half empty. From a super luxury five-star brand to a casual diner and a well heeled city restaurant, most of them fail at wine by the glass in India.
For the enthusiasts whose Gods are Soma or Bacchus, and if they are looking at a fabulous wine programme you are considering the how of its potential and possibilities. A larger number of wine selling restaurants have asked me this question and we end up discussing for two hours at time; they leave quite happy and enlightened. Most of them have a good idea on wine and what they want but not about the best option to apply. Then I have conversed with people who are simply following the diktat of corporate bosses buying products that fail or not meet their needs using them mindlessly, I would say with a mild success (better mild success than none at all).
To me wine serving and enjoying is a dining experience foremost. It must have the acts that create the event. Otherwise drinking wine is like a cola. The bottle must come in with server on a proper wine tray. The server must hold it by its bottom while a napkin may come between hand and bottle to insulate temperature. The label must be displayed. A short tasting swirl must precede the service. On confirmation, the glass must be filled in as the end reason of all the acts, then quick wipe the bottle mouth. The wine must release its bouquet, and retain its age, taste, body, life, temperature and freshness.
Whether wine is bought by the bottle or glass, wine service cannot be compromised. If we want wine preservation what are the options that will allow us in a great degree to maintain the wine serving process? Here are some systems available in the market for wine preservation and dispensing:
Le Verre de Vin (LVDV) Technology: In this method the only part focused is the preservation of wines and champagnes. The entire process of wine service is left to the restaurant’s staff as trained. The server will open a new bottle and replace the original cork with the LVDV supplied 1-Way cork.
At a request, the server will as usual visit the guest, open the cork (with a puck sound) complete the six steps of serving, and then replace the cork back, fit the cork top into LVDV preservation nozzle that would de-oxidise by removing air from inside the bottle. Then leave a bit of it back for wine to age and breathe (just as a normal cork would).
The benefit of the system is continuous following of traditional wine serving method, connection to the served guest, completing the wine serving act that adds to the wine experience and also the ability to offer over tens of hundreds of wine by the glass. There is no limitation just a time of 30 days. It says the wine will stay fresh as new till 21 days. Thus I expect it will serve well till a round up of 30 days.
Nitrogen Pushed Wine Systems: My business has worked with these systems in past while we try to no longer push them much. I am not saying nitro systems are not worthy, but I just feel for a table service they kind of shortchange the guest on wine experience. I would consider them using at a backbar top maybe or a wine retailer’s store for guests to try before they buy. If positioned correctly and made into a focal point in centre of a restaurant they could add to a different perspective of experience. Whatever they are used as, they do not hold good for traditional table service.
Nitrogen systems were created and expanded before the invention of vacuum type preservation systems therefore they came into the market and helped start up the wine preservation idea using nitrogen. As the vacuum (machined) systems made their visibility, a lot of luxury hotels and restaurants jumped to the LVDV (Le Verre de Vin) type of technology. Some reasons are:
a) The smallest LVDV technology system can preserve as many as 100 wines. It starts with 20 bottles and can add more wines by adding only the spouts. Nitro systems once purchased for an eight bottle will not add any more. You have to buy a new system then.
b) Maintenance is a bit more by constant need to buy nitrogen per glass. This is adding to the cost per glass of the gas and the need for maintenance of cylinder, gauges, refill of gas, storage solutions and gas tubing. All of these do not exist in vacuum technology of LVDV.
Benefit of nitrogen systems is they have built in refrigeration and temperature control for the bottles stored inside. The bottles are on display and connected. Once the bottle is stored, the server only needs to pull the valve to dispense beverage into glass and serve. Bottles are not loosely kept. The debate by LVDV is most wine bottles are kept in a refrigerator anyway and adding a nitro system with refrigeration will take up counter space, need maintenance of cooler, make it bulky, and really wine is not to be served as coca cola from the tap. A restaurant can select depending on their preference idea of wine service.
Draft Wine Systems: These wine dispensing systems using kegged wines are yet to make their impact in Indian restaurants but certainly have a different clientele and market, to be sold as purely an alternative to drinking hard liquor somewhat in the category of beer. Imagine a waterfront cafe serving draft beer by the tap, and wine on the same tower. Enjoy the sunset over blue waters sipping draft wine. Customers who will order wine on the tap will recognise its individuality. Draft wine is different from bottled wine, and it will be sold at a cheaper rate than bottled. It is designed for more casual approach and I just think it’s perfect for such a bar.
Where a restaurant may use it can be as an additional of draft beer and wine to a fine dining and casual dining cafe. Notable is the keg wines would last longer due to being kept inside a cold room. The wines will be pressurised using CO2 and nitrogen mix thus keeping wines in kegs far more fresher than through an open bottle.
Let us question ourselves again. Which wine preservation system will save your bottles?
The answer is if used well based on your personal preference all of these will do a great job for the kind of business model you are. A table service, cafe bar, stand up bar club, poolside lounge, you can serve the glass by wine kegs, bottle service, or glass poured from backbar nitrogenised wine dispensers, or in a combination.