Title: Wine Sales & Service
Format: Interactive Training CD-ROM
Publisher: Tope enterprises
Price: £150
This training package is aimed at all employees who serve or sell wine, new employees and existing staff who require refresher training more specifically aimed towards the ‘on licence’ trade. Candidates are able to log and off whenever they need to and the package will usually return them to where they left off thus eliminating the need to spend whole days away from work attending training delivered in the traditional method.
Having logged onto the training you are presented with clear and inviting digital photographs and chunky navigational buttons and begin by an introduction to the various areas that will be covered during the programme.
Introduction to wine – This covers the areas which are included and has an overview of each topic in a bullet point form.
Wine preservations systems – This describes some of the various methods that can be used to ensure the wine stays fresh and palatable once opened and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each preservation method covered.
Creating a wine station – Why and How to create a wine station. The items that are needed to do so and the merchandising, which will then drive, wine sales from this area.
Wine production and types – The production methods for red and white wines, grape varieties and the principle regions for the various grape varieties.
Sales techniques – This has a number of video clips which are surprisingly clear and which show sales in a slow environment and also a fast and busy environment.
Wine tasting – The candidate is asked to select 2 red and 2 white wines which match those to be tasted, is introduced to the tasting technique via video clips and is then asked to produce notes based on what they have seen and their own findings.
Each of these sections is interactive inclusive of the spoken word, digital video, photography, small quizzes and drag-and-drop exercises, and keeps you fully involved right up to the multiple choice 5 question assessment of learning at the end of each. The final assessment also consists of a multiple-choice set of 40 questions and a certificate of completion can be produced for the individual candidate by the use of the Manager function. Using this function, progress and the level achieved by each individual can also monitored and reported on.
As a Wines and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) accredited Tutor I enjoyed the completion of this training package and can see how this could be used for the training of staff at the basic level. For me the wine tasting did not quite work in this format. (I personally feel that this area is best learnt as a group activity) although perhaps by the use of a LCD Projector and laptop this could perhaps be projected and therefore used to enhance a session conducted on wine tasting in a ‘live’ group situation.
In summary well thought out, well executed, and a package that would enhance wine sales and service skills.
Colleen Ashley
RECRUITMENT & TRAINING MANAGER – (WSET Accredited Tutor)
The Cellar 5 Group
