CONSTRAINTS ON THE SELECTION OF DRINKS

Sommeliers have a wide selection of catalogues within their reach and a global market that allows them to design an offer that expresses their taste and image. However, most restaurants do not rely solely on the judgement of a purchasing manager, but adopt particular criteria to select their wines.

The selection depends on over a hundred determining factors: the wine offer coming from a newly formed business would not be the same as in an already consolidated one with access to a sumptuous wine cellar; if the company has the ambition of becoming a reference point for its wine list, the selection will be different to one that does not have that concern; if it is a coastal or seasonal restaurant, the wines will be different to one located in a bustling city. Moreover, the purchasing policy will vary according to the customers’ willingness to spend money on wines. There must be cohesion between the wine offer and the food offer. If a set tasting menu with wine pairing is available, the precision of the wine offer will reflect this. All these conditions, options and particularities influence the choice of sommeliers, who have to overlook their personal preferences and focus selection on the requirements of the enterprise.