What's Pouring and What's Boring? The Art Of Wine List Construction

Nick Ryan is the principal wine writer for The Australian and has deep expertise in wine.

In a recent interview with the ABC, he addressed the issue of style over substance – and it has relevance to hoteliers.

Nick made the point that wine trends are more fickle than fashion. That’s a big call!

He was addressing signs of a trend away from classic Barossa Shiraz, with a reference to “hipster” tastes.

Is this something that should concern you in your dining room?

The short answer is “no”, and the long answer is that it should actually inform the spine of what you offer; in other words, your staples.

Nick argued the merits of choosing wine that is naturally suited to a region, like bold and generous Barossa Shiraz.

While it makes sense to have a strong South Australian focus, a high quality wine list - in a hotel that has good

consumption figures - should probably also offer:

• Riesling – Clare Valley

• Pinot Noir – Yarra Valley

• Cabernet Sauvignon – Coonawarra

• Sparkling white – Tasmania.

Of course, it’s all about understanding your audience.

Tourists visiting the Coonawarra will appreciate a wide range of local wines, with a focus on - but not limited to – Cab Sav.

You can learn a lot about wine list construction from the likes of the McLaren Vale Hotel, which was named the Best Overall Regional Hotel in Australia.

Of course, if your main market is younger people with hipster inclinations, then it makes sense to keep up with the latest wine trends. In fact, your wine menu and

wines by the glass can afford to be avant-garde, actually being ahead of patrons and offering them new and interesting wines to discover.

Food matching is obviously critical to wine list construction.

With reduced consumption driven by cost of living pressures and responsible driving laws, wines by the glass should be a perfect match for what you plate.

Check your consumption figures. What’s popular and what’s gathering dust? Run with the winners and drop the bottles that are gathering dust. Introduce experimental wines as fringe offerings and treat it as a test. Perhaps wine of the week/month?

Your pricing is also critical. There’s an art and a science to it. There’s no point pricing to maximise sales if you aren’t making a decent profit. That’s why you will see publicans with plenty of grey in their hair working on the pricing of their weekly specials, rather than delegating it. It’s that important!

Another area to think about is package deals. Take a steak and a glass of red wine, for example. The Robin Hood is a good example of a pub that provides top notch wines with their deals – and the number of guests that come back for a few more glasses or a bottle of the same wine, at full price, is clearly evident.

Summing up, a great wine list isn’t about chasing trends – it’s about knowing your audience, backing regional strengths, and leaving just enough room to surprise. Get the fundamentals right, and the flair will follow.