Advice From Someone Who Is Selling Plenty

After nearly six months of writing a wine column and related blog, the response has come mostly from wine novices or people who want to take a step up into better $10-$20 wines.

That’s why offering advice from many different sources continues to be a goal.
I’ve written a couple of columns of general advice and will continue to seek the opinions of others with varied backgrounds. My background is from buy, drinking, and tasting a lot of different wines. I think someone who is selling wine every week certainly has an even more credible and broad-based experience to offer.

You can almost always find such people in area wine shops and increasingly they’re turning up in grocery stores. But it’s not just grocery stores in high-income metropolitan suburbs. Reggie McConnell is helping Baesler’s Grocery in Terre Haute move wine you don’t normally find in the supermarket.

Target and a few other stores have a wider selection of wine than most of the big chains, it’s still rare to find a wine steward, advisor, or host in most vino aisles. McConnell ended his business career in 2008 with early retirement. He had always been a wine buff and loves talking wine.

When Bob Baesler approached him about helping stock the shelves of his family-owned grocery, answer questions, and help sell more wine, Reg enthusiastically agreed. Now you can find him on hand Thursday, Friday and Saturdays helping customers select wine and try new wines. He has boosted case sales to nearly 15 percent of the store’s total and more than doubled the wine selection.

The grocery still carries plenty of Yellowtail and other brands you’d expect to see, but McConnell has also brought in an eclectic mix of other wines up to about $25-$30. Operations like Baeslers remain rare and you may not find one near you, but the trend is for more stores to hire wine stewards with the ever-increasing wine sales across the country.

A few metropolitan Indianapolis markets have wine help on hand during busy times of the week.

“While I think it’s a good strategy to find a wine consultant one is comfortable with (whether it be at the retail level, or even a nationally known critic) don’t make the mistake of placing too much emphasis on your advisor's opinions,” McConnell said.

“Wine consultants can be enormously helpful as general guides for the hobbyist. Most folks don’t have the time, money, or inclination to devote untold hours to seeking out new wines. Find a consultant or reviewer whose tastes seem to dovetail with yours and let him/her be your guide. This method can save hobbyists considerable time and cut down on costly mistakes. Should you find that your consultants’ recommendations are not passing muster then find a new consultant.”

Reggie took time out on a recent Saturday morning to talk wine and the wine business. He said the key to any grocery selling more wine was better selection and simply someone there to answer questions.

Too many people find wine to be a mystery. When there is someone there to help buyers out, they buy more wine. Generic advice doesn’t always work, but simple things like reading labels, read the shelf notes, and try lots of different wines, will broaden your wine appreciation.

McConnell has another piece of advice I can heartily endorse.

“Wine’s ability to enhance the taste of food (and vice versa) cannot be overstated,” he said. “I suggest folks new to the hobby begin their journey by introducing wine with the evening meal. It’s amazing how pairing the right wine with the right food can turn one’s everyday dining experience into something truly special. Europeans have known this for centuries, while Americans are just catching on to the notion of enjoying a glass of wine each day.”

My suggestions would be a crisp Sauvignon Blanc with fish, Riesling with simple chicken or turkey dishes, Cabernet or a Zinfandel with steak off the grill, perhaps a Syrah with BBQ, and a nice Sangiovese-based Chianti with your pasta. If you have a food pairing question, go to my blog (www.redforme.blogspot.com) and send me an e-mail.

Howard’ Pick:

Klinker Brick – This is a label instead of a wine. I recently had the Klinker Brick Zinfandel, at about $18, and their Syrah, which was $16. The Klinker Brick label is relatively new but comes from a vineyard that has long sold its grapes to other producers. I thought both wines tasted well above the price you’ll pay for them. Both were great representations of the grape and big, bold-flavored wines. You won’t find Klinker Brick in any market, but I have seen the label in Indiana wine shops.