Napa Technology Declares 2012 the Year of the Premium and Super Premium Experience
Hospitality and Retail Environments Now Offering $30-$300 Wines By The Glass Using WineStation Technology
Napa Technology, developer of the WineStation Intelligent Preservation and Dispensing System, aptly declared 2011 the year of wines by the glass. Now, Napa Technology is upgrading the declaration in 2012 with premium and super premium wines by the glass leading the trend. This year wines by the glass are finally breaking that ultimate wine glass ceiling; the reserve list. More commonly hospitality and retail environments are now offering the rarely uncorked premium and super premium wines by the taste, half glass and full glass with the help of wine preservation and dispensing systems.
The driving force behind this trend is lead by the rise in consumer demand and intrigue. Last year, Napa Technology commissioned a series of studies reaching top sommeliers, wine buyers, and retailers to learn that 73 percent of these experts agree that high end, rare, or expensive wines by the glass are enticing consumers to purchase what they would otherwise not purchase by the bottle, and more of it. Furthermore, 85 percent of study participants agree that consumers are demanding and ordering more wines by the glass than they were in previous years.
This demand for finer, higher priced wines is encouraging operators across all hospitality, retail and entertainment venues to find a profitable solution through the use of intelligent preservation systems. Nearly 81 percent of experts polled believe that it is imperative to have a wine preservation system to achieve a profitable wine by the glass program. The WineStation, the first and only intelligent wine preservation system available with staff and self service capabilities, can now be found pouring premium and super premium wines on land, at sea, and before you are in the air.
Land:
HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS: The Grand Hyatt New York City is offering a quality burgundy, a 2007 Vosne Romanee, at $40 a glass, while restaurants on the other coast, The Strand House in Manhattan Beach, California are serving top Napa Valley cabernets, Flora Springs and Silver Oak, for $36 a glass.
Retail:
A survey of the top 40 wine retailers found that 45 percent of retailers claim that if sampling is available the increase in the wine bottle purchase will be between 5 to 15 percent and 30 percent report an increase between 15 to 25 percent. This can be especially beneficial for lesser-known imported premiums. The Wine Café, a retail wine shop in North Carolina, is introducing a full glass of a regionally lesser known Argentinean wine, Nicolas Catena Zapa, through their WineStation for $35 giving their customers a chance to try a glass at a fraction of the bottle price.
In the past, retailers could only provide a single night of a special or exclusive tasting to customers interested in being exposed to finer wines. However, with the WineStation access to premium and super premium wines can happen daily, with zero spoilage or waste.
Arena:
The Staples Center in Los Angeles is no longer just home to the Lakers, Clippers and Kings, it is now home to a fabulous bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2005 Screaming Eagle, which is dispensed through the WineStation at $65 for a 1oz taste, $155 for a half glass, and $305 for a full glass.
Sea:
Royal Caribbean International has taken premium wines and preservation to the next level through their Vintages Wine Bar on the high seas investing in a 48-bottle WineStation. They now offer a venue dedicated to wine education, enjoyment and entertainment allowing guests to explore a wide range of varietals from some of the best wine-producing regions in the world. Guests can learn about different wines and their distinctive characteristics in wine tasting classes and with the swipe of their SeaPass card can try Opus One or Chateau Lafite Rothschild.
Air:
Super premium wines may still be reserved for the private jets in the sky but in more than 8 airports across the country premium wines are available before takeoff. At Le Grand Comptoir in George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston they are serving Opus One at $90 and Joseph Phelps Insignia at $100 for a 5oz pour.
Premium and super premiums being poured and sold by the glass is a trend that is here to stay. Consumers are demanding and expecting to see reserve wine lists come out of the bottle and into a glass. Hospitality and retail operators that are savvy and successful are addressing this trend by adding the WineStation to their venue for an economical, educational, and entertaining solution.