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How can playing “Baby Got Back” by Sir
Mix-A-Lot bring in big bucks? Just ask
wine marketing guru Tony Porcellini,
director of F&B at the Walt Disney World Swan
and Dolphin Resort. Porcellini oversees a $90
million, 17-outlet F&B operation. He also directs
an extensive catering and banquet operation that
conducts 1.5 million banquet covers annually
for the 2,265-room resort property. Porcellini’s
approach is proof that a great catering event is
entertaining, educational, and engaging. Here
are a few tips, techniques, and tactics from a
master to help build your own wine goldmine.
Pick the right people. “A costly mistake is
to hire managers who are just passing through,”
Porcellini says. “We pick young grads from topdrawer
institutions like Boston College, Johnson
& Wales, Michigan State, UNLV, Cornell, the
Culinary Institute, and locally from the University
of Central Florida. Because these new hires
have committed four years to their education,
we’re confident they have a passion for the business
and are in for the long haul.”
Start with basics. “I love teaching. Back in the
late ‘90s, I delivered seminars on wine basics. I
covered everything from how wine is made to the
differences between Old World and New World
wines. Most importantly, I stressed that when
pairing food and wine, opposites attract. For
example, we showed how putting a spicy tuna roll
with a fruit-forward riesling or salty oysters with
crisp Champagne can create a mouthful of wow.”
Take an artful approach. “We showed managers
how to make more creative suggestions.
For example, selling interesting varietals such as
Malbec, Shiraz, Chenin Blanc, and French Grenache
Rosé can better complement dishes than
the typical big six. We also helped our salesforce
avoid the common misstep of serving a Chardonnay
for both the reception and the dinner. Opening
with a juicy Riesling or a crisp Sauvignon
Blanc, then moving to a fuller Chardonnay for the
main course makes for a great experience.”
Get certified. “We upped the ante and had
managers take a seven-week course to become
Level 1 or Certified Sommeliers. Once they passed,
we had them create their own programs based
on their particular strengths. For instance, we had
Olivier, our Shula’s GM and Champagne specialist,
educate the waiters at Il Mulino.”
Educate for hire. “Our catering sales managers
were so blown away by the classes, they encouraged
us to sell them to their clients,” Porcellini
says. “So we created our ever-popular Bordeaux
Blending class. We set up a beautiful room decorated
with oak casks, wine maps, and books,
along with two 12-foot screens. And since I love
big wines, guests enter to “Baby Got Back.” Once
attendees are seated classroom-style, they learn
to identify the five flavors of the palate: sweet,
sour, bitter, salty, and savory umami. Next, they
taste the unfiltered juice of Bordeaux grapes:
Cabernet, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot,
and Malbec. Participants have a blast experiencing
the different textures, colors, and flavors. We
offer a few tips. For example, we recommend
adding a tiny amount of Malbec to any blend,
since it has such robust flavors like tar and blackberry.
The fun begins when attendees create and
share their unique Bordeaux masterpieces.”
Reap the benefits. “Bordeaux Blending and
other classes such as Riesling Rendezvous and
Base to Bubbles are great for teambuilding.
Pharmaceutical companies love to send their
salespeople, who entertain and impress clients
with their newfound wine expertise. Companies
like BJ’s Wholesale come back year after
year. They love that employees can relax with
their spouses and learn something they can use
on the job as well.”
Bob Brown, president of Bob Brown Service Solutions,
www.bobbrownss.com, pioneered Marriott’s Service Excellence
Program and has worked with clients such as Disney, Hilton,
Morton’s of Chicago, Olive Garden, and
Red Lobster. He has appeared on the
Food Network, is author of The Little
Brown Book of Restaurant Success
and The Big Brown Book of Managers’
Success, and has recently released The
Seven Keys of Beverage Sales Success
DVD Learning System, www.bobbrownmedia.com. Copyright Bob Brown 2011.
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