Mine's a Pinot

Customers being served a decent glass of wine in a pub? Believe it, says Susan Low, who finds that the tide is finally turning in favour of better wines and wider choice.

Not so long ago, finding decent wine in a pub was like the quest for the Holy Grail. In a beer-drinking nation, pubs were for drinking beer and that was that. If you wanted to drink wine, you could go to one of those new-fangled wine bars or you could go to a restaurant. But a pub? No way.

Besides, the extremely limited wine selection was generally of the sort that would put you off drinking wine pretty damn quick. There were two sorts - red or white - both of which came from Château Cardboard or were sourced from some tributary of the European wine lake. Cheap it may have been, but cheerful it wasn't.

Fast forward 15 years or so and an altogether more complex picture emerges. Yes, Britain is still a beer-drinking nation, but few pubs remain the preserve of beer-only punters. Drinkers are as likely to order a premixed Bacardi Breezer or Smirnoff Ice as they are a pint of ale. What's more, those once clear-cut distinctions between pub, wine bar and restaurant are becoming increasingly blurred, thanks in large part to the gastropub phenomenon. And, at last, good wine is no longer the endangered species it once was in Britain's pubs.

One of the main catalysts for change on the wine front was the south-west London-based, 217-strong pub group, Young's. It is part of the group's philosophy to offer customers a selection of good wines in addition to beer and other drinks. Each Young's pub offers 17 wines by the glass in addition to two monthly specials, which are chalked up on a blackboard.

As Anne Howarth, of Young's wine division Cockburn & Campbell, explains: "The interest in wine started about 13 years ago when Clare Young joined the company. She is very interested in wine and had worked at Wine & Spirit magazine [a monthly trade title]. Clare thought that we should offer good wine alongside beer and she worked with David Marr [of Bermar International, the makers of wine storage system Verre de Vin] to set up the wine programme."

"The idea is to give people the opportunity to try a wine that they wouldn't ordinarily try," says Howarth. Young's has made an effort to stay away from "hard" brands (it removes the likelihood of customers saying, "But that wine costs £3.99 in the supermarket") although they do list "soft" brands, such as Miguel Torres. To make life easier for the less wine-savvy, each wine has a number next to it so that customers can order without fear of mispronouncing long French, Italian or Portuguese names.

Nowadays, wine and pubs are no longer mutually exclusive concepts, but that doesn't mean that putting together a workable wine programme is easy. It involves investment of both time and money. At the very least, publicans have to buy decent glassware and, ideally, a wine preservation system, as well as proper storage and refrigeration equipment and, of course, the wine. So, is the initial investment worth it for all pub owners?

Terry Harris, regional sales manager for Folio Wines, which sells to pub group Eldridge Pope as well as De Vere Hotels and Accor and a number of free houses, believes that not every pub is suited to selling wine. Offering customers good food, he says, is the key to selling wine in pubs. "The only way to sell wine in pubs is to sell reasonable food."

"If you serve better food, you get a better clientele with more money to spend; and the more money they spend, the more money you will make," sums up Harris.

And, as Harris points out, moving to a food and wine-focused operation now may be timely. In the UK market both beer and spirits are suffering a downturn in sales. Sales of wine and premixed drinks such as Bacardi Breezers, however, are on the increase. Although premixes and wine may seem like odd bedfellows, both attract drinkers with higher disposable incomes.

It's a trend that Howarth has noted, too. "If you sell premixed drinks, you're likely to sell wine as well," she says. "Both rely on customers with a high disposable income, because they're relatively expensive compared to beer. Wine pubs usually have high premixed turnover as well."

But there are other considerations. Selling quality wine and food requires a higher level of staff expertise than selling beer and crisps. In an industry notorious for staffing problems, that can be a challenge. But, as Harris points out, a little training can go a long way. He says: "Bar staff often lack self-confidence when they're selling wine. Because they are low-paid, they assume that the customers know more than they know, which isn't always the case. In training sessions, I try to tell them not to be intimidated. If they have confidence, selling becomes easier."

Encouraging customers to taste the wines before they commit to a glass or bottle is another way to ensure that the first glass they buy won't be the last. Karl Broughton, licensee of the Ship in Barnoldby le Beck, Humberside, offers customers a free taste of any of the 10 wines he sells by the glass. "I'm giving people good wine. I try to ask them what they want, to get them to come back in." A free taste means that the customer never gets stuck drinking something they're not happy with.

For food-focused pubs, such as the Red Lion in Boldre, Hampshire, the wine element is an essential part of the business. Vince Kernick, who, with his partner Karen took over the Red Lion just over a year ago, says that 40-50% of their total wet sales are wine, which is high-volume. It is a dining-oriented pub, so naturally wine goes side-by-side with food. On average, Kernick shifts about 150 bottles of wine each week.

At the Trengilly Wartha pub in Constantine, Cornwall - which won praise from the Good Pub Guide 2002 for its excellent wine list - joint-owner Nigel Logan reports that wine accounts for 30% of total wet sales. For publicans considering starting a wine programme his advice is, not surprisingly, to have good food. He also believes it is important to have a wide selection of wine. "The AB customers aren't going to come in without it," he says, although he advises starting small and building the list up slowly to avoid expensive mistakes.

The bottom line with wine in pubs, though, is "Will it add to your bottom line?" Logan believes the answer is yes. "Although the mark-ups on beer and wine are about the same, the base price for wine is higher," he explains.

And that means that wine will make a difference to the bottom line. Harris agrees, although he is a bit more cautious. "If it is pitched right, then yes, wine can improve your profits. But it's about being selective."

And that means saying goodbye to Château Cardboard and hello to a decent chef. And, of course, a sizeable order of new glassware.

Wine-selling tips

Having decent wines in stock in your pub is one thing. Selling it to customers is another. Here are a few quick pointers that will help to improve wine sales:

• Sell quality food. Quality food will attract the sort of clientele who are interested in wine. Both offerings rely on a clientele with high disposable incomes.
• Don't go for the cheapest wines on the market, they rarely offer quality or value. Do, however, price the wines sensibly. Terry Harris of Folio Wines recommends selling wine by the glass at a price that is similar to the beer and spirit range.
• Let customers know that good wines are on offer. From the customer's point of view, the most obvious features of a pub are the beer taps and the spirits optics. If wine isn't displayed attractively and at eye level, customers won't know it's there. Do, however, make sure that the wine displayed is stored correctly and served at the right temperature.
• Serve wine in decent glasses. You don't need to spend a fortune on glassware, but you will need to buy the right sorts of glasses. Don't buy 125ml glasses - not even expensive wines taste good in them. Go for 175ml or 250ml glasses, which allow more air contact and are more attractive and pleasurable to drink from.
• Make use of your wine supplier's expertise. Good wine suppliers are happy to help with tasting notes for wine lists and will gladly organise staff training and tasting sessions.
• Encourage staff to learn about wine. Although high staff turnover is endemic in the industry, motivated staff are likely to stay longer and offer better advice to customers. In-house tastings - with already-opened bottles, if necessary - doesn't cost much and helps staff sell more confidently.
• Don't sell wine that is out of condition. In an ideal world, a wine-preservation system such as Verre de Vin is crucial, but the cost is prohibitive for some publicans. If you don't have a preservation system, don't keep open wine for more than two days; give it to the kitchen or throw it away.
• Offer wines that customers are likely to be familiar with. Harris recommends having at least one wine from both Australia and Chile, as they're perceived to be friendly and good value. Unlike many restaurant customers, pub customers want a pleasant, affordable drink rather than an unforgettable vinous experience. Offer no fewer than three reds and three whites.