Compiling your Wine List

Opening a new pub?  New bar or restaurant?  Like to be sure of having an exciting wine list?  Looking to change your existing wine supplier?  Or simply looking to increase your sales and profit from wine? 

With dozens of wine suppliers knocking on your door, all promising they have the best wines and provide the best service, which one do you choose? 

Which one has ...... the best Italian wines?  Organic wines?  Lowest priced wines?  Good well priced Champagne?  The best credit terms?  Regular and frequent delivery days?  A delivery service with less than 24 hours notice?  Deals on fridges and wine preservation systems?  Good staff training? 

If you want to know the answer to any of the above questions, or you simply can't find the time to investigate properly, see all the suppliers and taste all those wines - then we can help. 

How can Vintellect help?

1. We can provide the information that will enable you to select the most appropriate suppliers for your business.
2. We can supply you with a list of contacts e.g. suppliers of wines, spirits, refrigeration and wine preservation. 
3. We offer the services of one of the UK's most experienced Masters of Wine, Liz Robertson, who can examine your business potential and select the most appropriate suppliers and the best wines in order to maximise your sales and profitability. 

Liz Robertson, MW, is a highly respected member of the wine trade with many years as wine buyer for a major supermarket chain and more latterly as a consultant for several prestigious on-trade accounts. 

Liz is constantly out in the market place keeping up to date with the latest research and developments.  Her key skills include:

Selecting 'Wow! Factor' wines - these are exciting or unusual yet reasonably priced wines to delight your customers Being able to identify the wines that will taste just as fresh 6 months later Checking the closure types for each wine and knowing which ones are least likely to cause quality problems in the future Writing lively descriptions which entice your customers to try new wines Negotiating the most favourable prices and terms with suppliers on your behalf, thus maximising your profit

If you have any questions or would like to arrange a FREE initial consultation just email Vintellect now or call 01372 371093

If we think your questions or comments might be of general interest, we would like to publish them in our FAQ's section.  Please inform us if you do not wish your question to appear.

What does Vintellect's consultancy service include and what are the fees? Option A - £1,900 includes: short-listing suppliers according to your spec; selecting a range of wines for tasting; organising a tasting with a client; compiling a unique wine list from the wines selected at the tasting; negotiating the best deals with the suppliers; writing descriptions; advising on presentation; proof reading the final list plus a full day's staff training programme (or equivalent). Option B - £1,500 includes all of the above, except staff training. Option C - £175 per month includes all of Option B, plus regular list updates and ongoing consultancy for that 12 month period.  (Fees exclude travel expenses - these may be charged at cost). What is the likely return on investment? If, for example, a small bar/restaurant sells 500 cases of wine per year = 6,000 bottles.  6,000 bottles x £8 (a low average profit per bottle) = £48,000. Simply by improving your wine selection and its presentation we can increase your profit margin by at least 20%, which equates to £9,600 - a 540% return on your £1,500 investment!!  Typically we have seen profit increases in excess of £12,000 in the first year.

Seven reasons to use Vintellect to compile your list

1. A large percentage of your turnover is likely to come from wine so it is vital to get your wine selection and pricing right. 
2. Suppliers typically offer 3 categories of wines: those they import exclusively; those they import along with many other suppliers; and those they wholesale.  It's essential to know who has the senior agency because this can make a difference to the price you pay. 
3. Suppliers tend to recommend wines that give them the greatest profit margin.  Since Vintellect is not tied to any wine producers we are not under any pressure to recommend particular products or brands.  We are only interested in selecting the wines that will satisfy your customers and represent excellent value for money. 
4. Selecting suppliers, tasting wines and negotiating prices, is extremely time consuming - and more time consuming if you don't know where to start.  So you can take comfort from the fact that this task will be taken care of for you while you concentrate on other aspects of the business.  You can decide to spend as much or as little time as you wish on this task yourself. 
5. Having the support of a Master of Wine such as Liz Robertson, will give you an advantage when dealing with suppliers.  In today's highly competitive wine market Liz can open the right doors. Having a Master of Wine associated with your wine list can lend it and your establishment greater credibility. 
6. Your sales could increase significantly just by changing the way you present your selection.  A well presented list should draw customers away from the entry level wines and, with the help of fun descriptions, should encourage them to experiment with higher quality, more expensive wines.  We can help you increase sales simply by changing the order in which your wines are listed! 
7. We have a proven track record - every one of our clients has witnessed significant increases in wine sales as a result of Vintellect improving their wine list.

What Liz's clients say: "Liz's combination of wine knowledge and understanding of the market enables her to give us the best possible advice when it comes to wine selection.  She has the ability to match wine quality and value with customers' tastes and communicate that by bringing wines "alive" through her descriptions of what you are tasting.  We respect her judgment entirely and together with her passion for wine and sense of humour it makes working with her great fun.  Simply put, professional advice doesn't come any better!".  - (Managing Director, St. Austell Brewery/Walter Hicks Fine Wine Merchants). "As a new business in a very competitive market our concept was to provide an exclusive bar with quality products that couldn't be found in other bars in the area.  Liz provided us with a tailor-made wine list, which was well sourced, well balanced, had great depth but also hit the price points I wanted.  It was reassuring to know that we had chosen a well respected company, who were able to negotiate the prices we needed and also gave us the kind of wine list that would attract customers.  Vintellect's staff training programme was excellent and I believe our sales have exceeded all expectations because of our short but exciting list.  And our staff are now more confident about what they are selling".  - (Mokoko, St. Albans)

10 Guidelines from Vintellect to help with your wine selection: Know the profile of your existing and your potential customers. Before compiling a list remember to examine the space you have available for storage and refrigeration. Select wines that complement your menu. Select the right number of wines to suit your size of business. Include wines made from as many different grape varieties as possible. Include wines produced in as many different countries as possible (unless you have a specialised menu). Include a variety of different types and styles of wine. Include a good choice of wines by the glass (see wine preservation). Cover a range of prices. Wherever possible offer at least 1 or 2 more expensive wines - even if you are unlikely to sell many bottles.  It will raise the profile of your list as well as the average spend per person.

Look out for our e-book coming soon! This will be packed with information and ideas to help you select the best wines and suppliers ensuring your sales and profit from wine are maximised.

01372 371093.