Category: Best Of

That Customer #4: The Unreliable Witness

Originally published on March 30, 2010.

Police officers and detectives will readily tell you that people make lousy witnesses. Ask ten witnesses to recall what they saw on a crime scene and chances are very good you’ll get ten different answers. As it goes with crime scenes, so it goes with wine stores.

Now this is the best case scenario – where we sold the wine and can definitively recall exactly what was sold.

More often though, the customer had the wine at a friends house or at a restaurant. With no recollection of the producer. Or the region. Or the grape. But….they’ll definitely know it if they see it.

So we find ourselves gently explaining that hoping to stumble upon that wine is the equivalent of finding a needle in a haystack. Not that we start quoting statistics, but here are some numbers to mull over:

  • In California alone, there are 2,843 bonded wineries. (I looked that one up on the Wine Institute site.)
  • Let’s say each of those wineries produces 5 different wines. (If you’ve ever been to a winery tasting room, you know this is a conservative estimate.)
  • That’s over 14,000 wines. And that’s just California. Throw in the rest of the world and you get to a very big number very quickly. 

I don’t think any other consumer product has nearly so many labels on offer.  Think about toothpaste. Even if you throw in every earthy/crunchy organic producer, private label and near-prescription grade brand, you can probably only come up with 20. (If you can think of more, list them and I you’ll win a bottle of something. Unless you work for Colgate or Proctor and Gamble.  Then you’re disqualified.)

Wine is a just bit more fragmented.  So hoping to recall that random bottle from two weeks ago is highly unlikely. Because 1) unless you’re a highly trained detective, you’re an unreliable witness and probably wouldn’t recognize it even if you see it. And 2) because you’re probably not going to see it.
So don’t be That Customer.

Jot down the name. Or take a picture with your phone. And then we can help you find it, special order it, or pick out something similar.  Then you can be a Happy Customer instead.

The Things That People Want to Know

Originally published on March 18, 2010.

Time to do the period round up of search terms that land the user on the pages of the Frankly Wines blog.

Last month, someone wanted to know how a “20 year old J Roget sparkling wine tastes.” This one makes me laugh because the last time I drank a bottle of J Roget was almost 20 years ago. It was the pre-formal tipple of choice. Nothing said fancy-formal-dance-pre-party like a case filled with $5 bottles of bubbles. But please don’t do the math. It both dates me and possibly incriminates me.

Apparently my site has also become a key resource for people looking to learn the finer points of counting out a cash drawer.

Burning cash-drawer related questions included many variations on the following (with my answers in parenthesis):

  • how to count out a cash drawer
  • a quick way to count nickels in a cash drawer (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30…..)
  • how to count bills with one hand (I have no idea)
  • which side do ones go cash drawer (the far right)
  • how to count to 200 with 20 dollar bills (if you’re able to type in this query and read the answer….well, do you really need to ask this question?

It’s good to be needed.

Things You Need to Know: How to Count Out a Cash Drawer

A NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: This is easily my single most popular post ever.

Originally published on November 11, 2009.

You may think owning a wine store is about, well, wine. But if you’re a Frankly My Dear reader, you know there’s more to it than that. So in the spirit of giving valuable real-life tips to would-be wine store owners, I’m staring a new recurring feature: Things You Need to Know. In each segment you’ll get step by step instruction on how to do very useful wine store things that have nothing to do with wine.

To start: How to Count Out a Cash Drawer

Imagine. It’s the end of a long day. Lots of wine tasted. Lots of bottles stocked and sold. Lots of time on your feet. And the only thing that stands between you and going home is counting the cash left in the register.

You would think this would be easy. After all, it involves counting and not much more. But you would be wrong. For some reason, this seemingly simple task has the ability to reduce very intelligent people to the brink of tears.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. In my vast experience counting out cash drawers, I’ve developed the most effective, efficient method of doing this. Yes, you’re laughing. But trust me – I’ve probably counted out a lot more registers than you have. So seriously. Just trust me.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Gather writing utensil, paper (maybe something less expensive than a Post-it Note?) and calculator.

2. Down the left side of your paper, write 50/100-, 20-, 10-, 5-, 1-, Q-, D-, N-, P-, Rolls-. Don’t argue. Just do it.

3. Count out the 20-dollar bills (20, 40, 60, 80, 100. 20, 40, 60, 80, 200. 20, 40, 60, 80, 300….etc) and write it down next to the 20- on the paper.

4. Count the 10-dollar bills (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100. 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 200….etc) and write it down next to the 10- on the paper.

5. Count the five-dollar bills (I don’t really need to explain this, do I?) and write it down (next to the 5-… I’m going to spot explaining that as well.)

6. Count the one-dollar bills (Just count them, from 1 to whatever. Don’t make piles. Just count!) And, yes, write it down.

7. Count the quarters – hold them all in one hand. Pick out four with your free hand and put them in the quarter bin. That’s “one.” Pick out four more quarters and put them in the quarter bin. That’s “two.” Repeat, repeat, repeat…etc. And then right it down (next the Q… for… “quarters.”)

8. Count the dimes – hold them all in one hand. Slip them into the dime bin as you count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. Let’s say you wind up with 23 dimes….then you have $2.30. 45 dimes? $4.5. Get it? Write it down.

9. Count the nickels using your nearly perfected hold-in-one-hand technique. As you slip them into the bin, count 5, 10, 15, 20….you know the drill. And…write it down

10. Count the pennies. Just count from 1 to whatever. No hanky panky. No piles. Just count. And….write….it….down!

11. Count the rolls. These are a separate line item. Don’t try to add dime rolls to your dime count. Or penny rolls to the penny count. Just count up all the rolls and write the total down. Don’t trust me on this one? Go ahead. Add your quarter rolls to your quarter count. Then…when you realize that your total is all off because you thought a roll of quarters = $5 and a roll of dimes = $2 and nickels, you totally forgot to add in the nickels…..well, you’ll have to go back out the rolls from your totals. But you won’t remember what to back out because you won’t remember what you thought the rolls were and you’ll just have to recount everything and…..just trust me on this one and TREAT THE ROLLS AS A SEPARATE LINE ITEM!!

12. Add everything up. Write down the total. Add everything up again to double check your total.

13. Run the register report. Notice your cash is $250 short!!!! Panic! Panic! Panic!

14. Realize you forgot to count the big bills….because you didn’t follow Step #2. Count them and add them to the total.

15. Next time, do it my way.

The Mom Test

A NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: This was when the Tissot wines were at Frederick Wildman and they just… sort of… sat there. Somehow I realized they were there, or Rachel, my first Wildman sales rep knew I would dig them and brought me a sample. However it happened, once I was on to them we bought as much as we could. And they were so, so, so much fun to sell. Around this time, over about six months, Wildman wound up going through three, maybe even four vintages of the Poulsard as it started to catch on and buyers started to realize it was there, buried in the Wildman book. The Tissot whites were also starting to move as well, but the Poulsard was definitely the easier sell, so it FLEW!!!!

Originally published on November 12, 2009.

Within two years, Camillie Riviere, who had been a major force in getting the Tissot wines out of the warehouse and onto shelves and menus, would start her own importing company with the Tissot wines as a key part of the founding portfolio. Those were crazy days – she would come into town with a magic bag literally stuffed with more bottles than a human should be able to carry. An appointment with her was always as close to a party as you could get, without actually being a party. The idea was work like hell to sell the wines as soon as they came in, and then get back to France to find more wines.

What does any of this have to do with the Mom Test? Nothing really. I just like to take an occasional walk down memory lane and recall the days when I really did spend most of my time behind the counter, when regions like the Jura were still new and mind-blowing and not just another notch on the coolness belt. It reminds me that for most wine drinkers, the Jura is still as obscure as it was when I was writing these posts over ten years ago, waiting to blow people’s minds. Sure, the wines are more expensive now then they used to be, (a spate of small yield vintages haven’t helped) but there are still ways in. Time to sign myself back up for Jura Duty and go find those ways.

I’m down to my last bottle of Tissot Poulsard 2006, the obscure red wine from the Jura region of France. We’ve sold quite a lot of this obscure little wine over the last couple months, possibly due to the following reasons:

  1. An enthusiastic, well-trained staff that likes the wine nearly as much as I do
  2. A recent article in the New York Times Dining & Wine section.
  3. My fabulous 3-Pack (that’s really a 2-Pack)
  4. A hand-written bottle tag noting that Poulsard is a surprisingly good match with steak (people can’t resist the word ‘steak,’ especially when they see it in print)
  5. Flying colors on the Mom Test

The Mom Test?

Yes, the Mom Test. My mom likes wine, but she doesn’t exactly qualify as a wine geek. So if I sit her down at a meal with one of my more esoteric choices and she enjoys it, than there’s a good chance that most of my customers will enjoy it. It’s a good test because if she likes it, it’s just because she likes it. Not because it’s the newest, coolest thing. Not because it scored big points. And certainly not because she’s SUPPOSED to like it.

So when I tell customers that the Tissot Poulsard is beloved by wine geeks AND my mom….well, it works better than steak.

——————————————————–
P.S. If high scores on the Mom Test have you hankering for a Tissot Poulsard, never fear. My last bottle of 2006 should be joined by some 2004 this week and soon after that, some 2007. Don’t wait too long to get some….my mom may just buy it all.

Why Ticker Tape Parades Aren’t So Great for Wine Stores

Originally published on November 6, 2009.

The Yankees fans were in the neighborhood for the big ticker tape parade. I wish I could say it was good for business. Unfortunately, most of the fans that stopped in only had interest in buying the following, none of which I sell:

Cigarettes
Matches
Beer
Liquor
Little bottles

One fan was mystified that a place that sold liquor didn’t sell matches. He failed to notice I didn’t sell liquor, so therefore, I didn’t actually need to sell matches. At least according to his theory.

Tales of a Clairvoyant Wine Merchant

Originally published on November 5, 2009.

A couple weeks ago I was going on, as I’ve been known to do, about how my personal wine geek preferences seem to be a leading indicator of what shows up in the New York Times. Yes, I know one really has nothing to do with the other. But I still get a kick out of it. I’ll quote a portion of that post:

“…if my personal obsessions are good indicators of what you’ll see in future New York Times articles, then stay tuned for features on dry muscats, Gemischter Satz wines, very old Chianti and anything alpine…..”

And what showed up in this week’s New York Times? Gemischter Satz wines! And a mention of my latest favorite Gelber Muskateller, a.k.a. a dry Muscat!

Spooooooooooky.

Why I Love My Architect

A NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: Definitely check out the link way at the bottom. The new owners of the shop gave it a major update – including taking over the space next door, which was always a dream of mine that I could just never make happen. It looks beautiful – and I’m more than a little envious of the proper sink that they have in the proper bathroom. But for a little peek at the original layout, the cork wall, and the plywood boxes I talk about below, then click away.

Originally published on November 1, 2009.

Before I tell you why I love my architect, let me tell you about Halloween in Tribeca. It’s possibly one of the coolest places in NYC for kids to go trick or treating. All the shops and restaurants put out quite a spread for the little ones, who go store to store picking up their goodies. Fancy decorations, fully costumed staff, very tasty, gourmet treats, music and dancing. All that – and the sidewalks are wide enough to accommodate the strollers.

As a wine store, there’s only so much I can do to entertain the kiddos without feeling irresponsible. But I can provide treats for the parents. So it’s a piece of candy or two for the kids and several sips of this and that for the grown-ups.

Now at any given time during the big Halloween rush hours, we can wind up with five or six kids picking out candy. And their five or six adults sipping on liquid treats. And then a regular customer or two picking out wine for the night or a case for the week. Throw in three Frankly Wines employees – and that’s a lot of bodies in 320 square feet of space.

Which is why I love my architect. Because my store can actually accommodate all this without giving the impression of a telephone booth stuffing contest. How is this possible?

The store is built like a ship. Paper goods in the big shelving units above our heads. A very long counter with wine coolers underneath it, hiding in plain site. Sneaky storage built behind the counter, into the 3×3 foot square bathroom, and under the window display units.

And most genius? These white plywood display units that can be pushed around the store to create additional shelving, display units, or table tops for tastings. Thanks to these, I can completely change the store’s functionality (nasty word, but it works) in just a few minutes. So we go from a display featuring box wines and sparkling cider to – presto change-o – a pleasant tasting area where customers can gather around a big ice bucket filled with treats. And then by 8pm, we’re back in display mode.

It’s magic! Or maybe it’s just very good design.

My architect (who has no idea I’m posting this):

Carlos Rodriguez
rodriguez studio
139 Fulton Street PH-3
New York, New York
http://www.rodriguezstudio.net/

That Customer #3: The Clinker

A NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: I still hate clinkers. My blood pressure is starting to rise just thinking about them!!!

Originally published on October 28, 2009.

This person isn’t typically encountered in a store, so technically, they’re not a customer. But what I’m about to describe seems to generate such rage among working wine stiffs that it’s worth a rant.

First, a bit of background. Anyone who’s worked as a wine importer, sales rep, or brand manager has probably spent their fair share of time standing behind a table at some major consumer tasting event, pouring wine for thirsty customers who seem to have no idea that the buckets on the table are there for spitting.

The grand daddy of these events just wrapped up: the Grand Tastings that are part of the Wine Spectator’s New York Wine Experience. $250 per ticket. 250 wineries spread across two gigantic floors of the Marriott Marquis hotel. Trophy wines everywhere: Bordeaux First Growths, California cult wines, top-of-the-line Champagnes. You’re probably not going to get to taste some funky, cool thing from the Jura or the far northern reaches of Italy, but as much as I hate to admit it, it’s still pretty impressive. At least until the lack of spitting turns everyone all sloppy.

So in the last week, in the lead up to the event, there was a lot of chatter among industry wine folk about their time behind the tables. And what was the most frequently mentioned topic? It wasn’t any particular taste of big name trophy wine. It certainly wasn’t the food. It wasn’t even tales of decanters used as spit buckets (although if people actually spit, this would probably happen more often.)

No, the big topic was the “clinkers.” Alright, no one really calls them clinkers. They’re usually referred to as “those insanely annoying people who raise their glass and clink it against your bottle as you’re trying to pourthe m wine.”

This little raising-of-the-glass motion could be the most universally reviled movement in the wine industry. Just mention it to someone who’s had to work behind a table at a wine tasting…and watch their blood start to boil. Mine boils just thinking about it.

Why do people clink?

Perhaps they don’t realize that the person on the other side of the table is a highly skilled wine pourer.

Perhaps they don’t notice the slow pours on the bottle, which are indeed meant to force the wine to….you know…pour slowly.

Perhaps they don’t realize that the pourer is fully aware that he’s pouring at a wine tasting, not a drinking.

Perhaps they just don’t realize they can spit, and instead, fear the consequences of being required to drain the entire content of every glass they’re poured and therefore, the clinking thing is just a fully understandable attempt at self-preservation.

Or….perhaps they’re just too rude to utter a simple “just a little please.”

Really now, why talk when you can just clink?

Grand Opening Debrief

Originally published on October 18, 2009.

It’s been almost 2 1/2 years away from the corporate world and my urge to produce Power Point presentations has waned considerably. (Waned….but not disappeared. I’m afraid that may never happen. Ever.) But I still love a good debrief, and last week’s “Grand Opening” is as good an excuse as any.

Key learnings:

1. It’s impossible to throw a party in a 320 square foot store during business hours…and actually do any business. I kind of already knew this, but figured to try it anyway. We close at 8.00pm, but decided to start the party at 7.30pm. Because who actually comes to a party on time? Well, to this party…apparently everyone. By 8.00pm, the store was packed (in 320 square feet, packed = 25 people) and we had to physically drag paying customers through the crowd to the cash register. OK, not really, but it was tough to do business during the party. Not a surprise, really, but a good debrief never shies away from stating the obvious.

2. People never use the spit buckets. Not a new learning. Maybe after the 10th time stating this, I’ll just stop putting them out.

3. You can never have enough glasses. Even if you have 50 glasses for 25 people, somehow, you will run out. This appears to be an immutable law of wine physics.

4. A two-tiered wine offering system sounds like the height of snobbery, but it really is a necessity. I’ve always hated the idea that you pour one wine for the special guests and another for the general population. I’ve been to parties where I was actually invited into a storage closet to partake of the good stuff. But when faced with a store full of thirsty people and only one bottle of 1994 Chateau Musar, a two-tiered system becomes less an exercise in snobbery than plain old common sense.

A NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: That Chateau Musar 1994 was really, really good. It was a vintage that had a refermention problem in some bottles. This one, I think had probably done a bit of refermention at some point in it’s 15 year history, but it had worked to its benefit somehow. The wine was almost overtly fruity, even juicy and based on my non-statistically significant sample size of bottles opened, it’s always been a crowd pleaser.

5. People will not leave until you force the issue. Luckily, there are easy ways to do this. 1) Take away the food. 2) Take away the wine. Then, if necessary 3) Turn up the lights and watch the guests scatter like roaches. Voila – party killed in three easy steps.

Debriefing over…next time, perhaps I’ll put together a Power Point presentation.

Frankly Wines – The Grand Opening

Originally published on October 16, 2009.

Sure, it may seem like Frankly Wines has been open for nearly two years.  You’ve been able to come in, exchange money for wine, maybe try a sample of whatever we had open.  But we were actually in our “soft opening” phase.  Restaurants do this all the time.  They’re “open” before they’re really open.  Some of them, like the Waverly Inn, are still in their preview phase, nearly three years after (not) opening.  By that standard, having a grand opening party a mere 22 months after opening can seem a little premature.

But a few weeks ago, we installed the last bit of store décor – a gorgeous stained glass window, created just for Frankly Wines, by artist Alex Bingham. It glows above the cork wall and now that it’s in place, the store finally feels complete.

So we decided to officially declare ourselves open and throw a party….last week. Which means you probably missed it. But never fear, it went well, nothing was broken, and the tiny space somehow lends itself to surprisingly large groups of people. Well, at least 35. So we’ll be coming up with an excuse to do it again. A two-year birthday party? A holiday party? A Turducken festival?

We’ll think of something.