VIEW
Recent news stories have announced that Chinese entrepreneurs are making moves in Bordeaux, ca...
VIEW
For this month, Asian Palate's From the Concierge consults with Executive Chef Marc Cibrowius from t...
VIEW
Population: 8.5 million Cuisine: Shandong “Lu” cuisine Signature dishes: Sweet-and-sour Yellow Riv...
VIEW
Macanese cuisine is frequently characterised as a fusion of Portuguese and Chinese. However, it is m...
Last week marked the first anniversary ofCalifornia Vintage, an up-and-coming wine bar located on Wyndham Street, Central, with 20 locations slated to open throughout Asia over next five years. The intimate 60-pax bar has a low-key rustic vibe and features selections from twenty-two Californian boutique wineries. Jeff Ronan, co-founder of California Vintage, has lived in Asia for 18 years, five of which were in Hong Kong. He takes a look back at the past year and reveals the secrets of running a successful wine bar.
AP: Asian Palate JR: Jeff Ronan
AP: What are the critical factors for success in operating a wine bar?
JR: My staff. We believe that staff should be trained to answer any wine-related questions from our customers. We have company-wide tastings for each staff every other day to make sure they are familiar with our offerings. We also send our staff to courses. One proud thing on my chart would be our relatively low employee turnover rate in the bar industry; over the last year, we have only lost five out of 20 staff.
AP: Are there any seasonal variations in consumer preference for wines?
JR: Yes, we sell 80% white, 20% red during summer and 70% red and 30% white during winter.
AP: Are there any noticeable gender-specific consumer preference or trends?
JR: Over the past year, we found that we have a significant female following. Around 80-percent of our customers are female, with a high proportion (85- to 95-percent) being Asian. Their [approach in] wine tasting complements our featured use of enomatic dispensers, which enables them to "shop" alt="" class="img-responsive"/>
VIEW
Last week marked the first anniversary ofCalifornia Vintage, an up-and-coming wine bar located...
VIEW
...
VIEW
Population: 544, 000Cuisine: Blend of southern coastal Chinese and Portuguese cuisines with influen...
VIEW
Tourism has contributed progressively to Macau's GDP over the past three years when the city saw its...