The decline of wine?

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Wine service at restaurants is struggling—but it doesn’t need to be. Snobby sommeliers, poorly trained staff, and sky-high markups as reasons wine programs are turning off customers instead of drawing them in, a recent VinePair article highlighted.

To find out how restaurants can turn things around, The Prep spoke to Zach Geballe, wine educator and co-host of the VinePair Podcast. Here he gives some insight on what needs to be done to fix an issue that should be anything but a downer at the dinner table. -Julien Perry

What do you think is the biggest issue with restaurant wine programs these days? Pricing. Guests are suffering sticker shock with all menu prices, but wine, being a packaged good that the restaurant resells, tends to jump out at guests, particularly with wines by the glass. It's important for restaurants to be aware that retail wine pricing is readily available to diners, so particularly if you're carrying wines that are widely distributed, be very intentional and thoughtful about your pricing.

Where do restaurants get it wrong when it comes to their beverage program, and how can they improve?
Not being able to make an affirmative case for what they offer: It needs to be compelling, of value and connected to the broader concept of the restaurant. If you don't have someone on staff or management who is passionate about beverages, that needs to be your next hire.

If you were consulting on a restaurant's wine program, what's the biggest piece of advice you'd give? 
Be honest about how much wine you intend to sell, and stock accordingly. A big list can look impressive, but not only is it costly to maintain, it can be nearly impossible to educate staff or serve guests efficiently. A smaller, but thoughtful, list is a better bet than a bulkier grab bag of bottles.

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