One of the best ways to disappoint a wine lover is to have a great by the glass program and then serve wine that has been opened and oxidized.
We talked with Alison Crowe, winemaker from Garnet Vineyards and author of “The Winemaker’s Answer Book,” about how wine starts to change once opened and why you can’t simply re-cork a bottle to keep it fresh. Crowe stated, “When a bottle is opened, the wine is exposed to a pretty big influx of oxygen that reacts with many of the ingredients in wine.” This is due to the oxidization process that happens naturally when you open a bottle of wine and expose it to air.
This process starts instantly after a wine is uncorked and depending on the age and varietal, can begin to affect the flavor almost immediately. Crowe stated, “The older the wine the more quickly it may change. Red wines tend to have more of an oxygen buffer than white wines, and older wines generally have less protection than younger wines.” Even day-old wine can have a noticeably different flavor profile from when it was first opened.
For restaurants and bars that have larger wine lists and selections, it can be a big hurdle to cycle through opened bottles before the wine begins to decline. Especially for establishments that offer a variety of moderately priced wines among more high-priced wines that tend to move slower but cater to a more sophisticated wine consumer.
Wines by the glass account for more than half of all beverage sales and are a great source of income when executed properly. All too often we see pitfalls where the product is underutilized, over-poured, or spoils before it makes it to a guest’s glass. These problems can add up and severely restrict your revenue potential. The WineStation® provides a smart solution to these common issues and on average helps to increase revenue by 15-25% and probably more importantly preserve your reputation with wine consumers.
Preservation solutions like the WineStation® are critical and enable you to preserve that “just opened” taste days after you’ve uncorked a bottle. The WineStation® operates on an argon gas preservation system which keeps wines preserved for up to 60 days inside the unit and 14 days outside of the unit for optimal freshness. “Argon gas is frequently used in the wine industry. It forms a layer on top of whatever liquid surface it’s put on and stops oxygen from reaching it due to its weight. This helps to keep the wine fresh longer,” says Crowe.
Investing in a quality preservation system is an essential step to taking your wine program to the next level and thoroughly maximizing your sales. To learn more about how to increase your revenue with WineStation®, please complete the information below and a sales representative will connect with you shortly. You may also call 888.973.9271 to speak with a representative.