It’s always interesting to observe the drinking habits of different crowds that come through my department. Labor Day weekend is different from Memorial Day weekend, which is again, different from The Fourth of July. Memorial Day weekend was the Cabernet Sauvignon weekend this year. The Fourth was all about Chardonnay, and for Labor Day it has been Pinot Noir. My Pinot Noir section got absolutely hammered over the weekend! I can’t put my finger on why certain wines are focused on over others on any particular weekend, but it seems to be consistent. Cooler weather generally leads people to heavier reds and warmer weather to crisp whites. We’ve had some pretty nice weather this past week, so I was expecting a huge run on lighter style white wines. So much for my crystal ball, I think I’ll have to trade it in for a new one. It’s been over seventy degrees (sometimes close to eighty) and for some reason, everyone is looking for Pinot Noir.
One wine that has been consistent all summer is Rose’. Stack after stack of all different styles has disappeared off the sales floor. I actually keep three to four different Rose’ in the cold box and it is difficult to keep them stocked. I have debated with myself on how to present Rose’ on the floor. I have thought of making a huge pink section somewhere and I may do that next year. I think it would look impressive. A wall of Pink! However, my strategy over the past few years is to encourage the customer to hunt for Rose’. This strategy from a marketing standpoint is to get the customer to look around the department which may get them to buy something different in addition to a bottle of Rose’. It does work, but I’m not sure how many more times I want to be asked where we keep the Rose’, especially in the middle of August when we can barely keep up with the department which includes wine, beer and spirits. It would be so much easier to say it’s on the back wall, you can’t miss it. That’s a hard one for me because I really do enjoy engaging with the customers and helping them find a good bottle of Pink. The debate in my head rages.
Through all of the weirdness of 2020, I have come to the conclusion that the official beverage of Covid-19 is the Margarita. We have sold more Tequila than ever and our Grocery Manager is having trouble keeping Margarita Mix on the shelf. I’ve tried to help him out by finding different sources to buy it from with some success. People are actually having a good time learning to mix different kinds of cocktails and creating things that in the past they let the bartender take care of. The Margarita is leading the pack in this strange year of 2020. I love to see people have some fun despite everything going on around us. It’s not to say that it isn’t serious, but let’s not let this thing take us down. Life goes on and someday we WILL get back to normal. Some of us sooner than others.
Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man
