Even if you don’t live in the New York region there’s a good chance a portion of your audience reads the New York Times and another (probably completely separate) segment of your audience reads the Wall Street Journal. Both have excellent wine columns. [level-members]
In Eric Asimov’s column in the Times this week, he discusses the great concentration of great wines available in New York both in wine shops and on restaurant wine lists. It’s the wine lists that interest him most (in this column at least) and he points out all the ways wine lists can be great.
No point in recounting the restaurants he singles out for their strengths – you can catch those in the column – but you should pay attention to the wine lists at the better restaurants in your area. I’ve gone to my favorite shops many times asking about wines I’ve had at local restaurants.
You should have relationships with the better – and more adventurous – restaurants. And if you’re on the outskirts of a bigger city where your customers might go for a big night out, you should at least be familiar with their wine lists.
You might even feature or rotating selection of the best (or most affordable) wines from local restaurants. If you can get them to provide a recipe for one of their signature dishes, simplified for home cooks, you have the makings of a great promotion for both your shop and their restaurant.
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