SIGNING UP FOR VINO 101
By Colin Burch
For Weekly Surge
Most of us won't become refined, polished experts in the high-brow world of wine, imported beer, and spirits.
Although I'm a borderline beer snob - some will question the "borderline" part - sometimes my eyes glaze over when the wine experts or small-batch bourbon aficionados start holding-forth.
I don't want to sit through a documentary.
I just want a good drink, and a little help making the right choice.
It's a simple concept, and now it has been translated for restaurant owners and managers in a way that allows them to train their staff to a level of basic competency in adult beverages.
Vino 101 is a new educational program that allows a single restaurant to have a year's access to online schooling in wine, beer, and spirits, for $299. The entire staff of a restaurant can use it as much as they want within the subscription year. The Hospitality Association of South Carolina in Columbia recently made it available to its members.
Tom Sponseller, president and chief executive for the association, said he's had "quite a few" restaurants sign up.
"It's not aimed at the restaurants with sommeliers," he said. The idea behind Vino 101 is to provide a low-cost alternative to restaurant owners and managers who cannot afford a sommelier, he said.
An added advantage of Vino 101, as the association Web site suggests, is that it helps restaurant staff with sales. That makes sense. The more the staffers know, the better they can encourage customers to try new beverages, and perhaps up-sell.
For more information about Vino 101, go to www.schospitality.org and click on "education."
Sponseller and I also talked briefly about two other things:
High-Gravity Beer: Sponseller said the new law has been good in some locations, especially for restaurants and bars that specialize in beer. Flying Saucer in Columbia, he said, has added 50 beers. The law allowing higher-alcohol content in beer went into effect last summer. "Like we explained to the legislature, this is not a beer you go out and chug," Sponseller said. "This is a sipping beer."
Mini-bottles: I asked Sponseller what he was hearing from his coastal members, because I'm always curious about the differences between the beach and the rest of the state. Although the switch from mini-bottles to big bottles is old news now, it apparently still means a lot to local restaurant and bar owners, because that's what Sponseller brought up. "Travelers didn't understand why we were selling little airport bottles," he said referring to the mandated mini-bottle days on the Grand Strand.
A FRIEND OF THE LABEL
The Grateful Dead sang about "Goin' where the water tastes like wine." It was one of those days when they were going down the road, feeling bad.
Jerry Garcia lived in Northern California, a region famous for its wines, so it's only appropriate that the Jerry Garcia Estate has its own wines.
I found J. Garcia 2004 Merlot - with a colorful label worthy of the Dead - at Kroger on Lake Arrowhead Road on sale for $13.98 through March 29. It's regularly priced $17.49.
So look for J. Garcia wines in your grocery store and wine shops, or check out www.jgarciawine.com.
- Contact Colin Burch - the Beerman - at beerpour@yahoo.com.