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SHERRY: ‘Tis the season to be Sherry
d=”standfirst”>Sherry is enjoying a renaissance, in line with the current popularity of Spanish cuisine. But when will the on-trade as a whole give it the respect it deserves, wonders Charlotte Hey
A couple of weeks ago I was having a meeting in a London hotel and while waiting for my guest to arrive I started to idly flick through the drinks list in the bar. Cocktails, Champagne, wines by the glass, all poured from the first pages, but where was the Sherry?
It was a bit too early in the day to have one but further rifling through the pages revealed a couple of Sherries slotted snugly among the spirits selection and at a rather phenomenal price. High price that is, not a low one.
Why is it that this still happens, I wonder? Is the standard of staff drinks training in hotel bars and other on-trade outlets so low that they don’t think to place a fino or a manzanilla at the beginning of a drinks list among the other apéritif-style drinks where it belongs?
Surely by hiding Sherry away at the back of a drinks or wine list the on-trade is missing a big opportunity to upsell a drink that is enjoying something of a renaissance. This, it seems, is thanks to the surge in popularity of Spanish cuisine and tapas and a move on the part of some of the UK’s trendsetting restaurants to put more effort behind the drink.
“The biggest challenge is getting turnover, churn is the problem,” says Jeremy Rockett, marketing director, Gonzalez Byass UK. “If there’s no training in how to serve and sell, then a bottle of Sherry just sits on the back shelf. We can see that where a restaurant gets behind the product then it sells. That’s why we have a person solely dedicated to selling our brand in the London on-trade.”
Moro, not surprisingly, is one of those restaurants that has got behind Sherry. “We take all aspects of our Sherry service and list very seriously as it is integral to what we do,” comments Danny McSorley, front of house manager at the restaurant. “Sherry in general is very much neglected and underused as a food wine, which is surprising as it is so versatile across all food types, in fact there isn’t much that Sherry doesn’t go with really.”
Consumer reticence
On a day-to-day basis McSorley experiences a considerable amount of consumer reticence about trying Sherry. “It’s pretty unique,” he says “in being one of the only vinous products that is universally dismissed in the ‘I don’t like Sherry’ category – which is a shame really as there are so many diverse styles of Sherry that you really shouldn’t dismiss it in one fell swoop.”
He’s right, too often Sherry is sniffed at but then that is not news to the trade for whom selling the product has been an uphill struggle since the glory days of the ‘70s and ‘80s. Rockett continues: “The challenges haven’t really changed for Sherry in the on-trade; it’s all about knowledge and training. It seems that neither staff nor outlets have the reason to get behind the product. Part of that is down to us, the brand owners, to get behind it, but it is also down to the restaurateurs to show willing.
“Image plays a big part in driving Sherry sales – when places like the Anchor & Hope and Hakkasan get behind it and suggest it then the consumer opens up.”
This move by non-Spanish restaurants, especially in London, who traditionally do not put a great deal of effort into serving the product properly seems to be forcing a sea change in consumer opinion, particularly among the “more food savvy consumer”, as Andrew Sinclair, business development manager for Gonzalez Byass in the London on-trade, reveals. “Probably now we are seeing one of the most positive times for Sherry in the on-trade in a long time. We are definitely starting to see the growth of a new style of Sherry drinker emerging and he/she is very different to the one who spends £4 on a bottle of sweet Sherry in Tesco.
“This type of Sherry drinker is one who travels to the real Spain not the Costas, one who is willing to try Sherry in the right atmosphere or environment, served in the right way. It sounds basic but a fresh bottle of Sherry served chilled in a wine glass is fundamental to a positive Sherry experience.”
Younger market
For Robert Giorgione, sommelier at Orrery, Sherry needs to appeal to a younger market. “At Orrery there is a wonderful ‘foodie’ vibe with a clientele that is younger, more trend-conscious, affluent and discerning. They are well-travelled, enjoy eating out more and shopping/grazing in the various delis, markets, cafes and bars that the local area has to offer. Therefore, the challenge, or opportunity, for Sherry is fantastic,” he believes. “It really sets you up for a wondeful meal.”
And this is where the versatility of the product comes into play, Giorgione continues. “The beauty, versatility and different styles of the Palomino grape that has been aged through the solera system become really apparent. One could say it’s a memorable experience for the uninitiated diner. I have positively found and am very conscious of the fact that once guests realise that Sherry is served properly at a restaurant they will always return.”
Martine Bounet, wine buyer for Fields Morris & Verdin feels that “the Sherry category might still suffer from brand trashing and image problems on the high street but as far as we are concerned, we are enjoying increased interest from our restaurant customers.
“Spanish restaurants, such as Barrafina or Don Felipe, in London, have always been very supportive of our Lustau range but getting listings at Scott’s, Bentley or The Wolseley is a case in point to show that Sherry is no longer a confine of the Spanish-themed restaurants. Seeing Sherry featured on a restaurant menu is a clear statement that restaurants are serious about acknowledging Sherry as a wine in its own right and as such, they are keen on promoting this category.”
According to Bounet what restaurants are looking for are Sherries that “stand apart from what is widely being found on the high street, they want products with identity”.
Food wine
There is no doubt that Sherry has bags of identity and authenticity. Some think this will be key to the success of Sherry in the on-trade. Simon Gotelee, senior brand manager, Mentzendorff, points out: “The real message that Sherry has to get across in the on-trade is that of authenticity. There are a number of emerging trends that will help Sherry get its message across as a food wine,” explains Gotelee. “The rise of the fish restaurant is a great opportunity for Sherry both as an apéritif and as an accompaniment to a first or even a second course. Similarly, Spain is very hot at the moment on the culinary scene – this can only be a benefit for Sherry.”
These initiatives by brands like La Gitana, coupled with the work being done with the “umami” concept and food and wine matching by the generic campaign for the Sherry Institute, run by Jackie Cooper PR, help to firmly position the product as a food wine, which is where it should rightly sit.
As Janice Moorfield, brand manager for Harveys, points out: “Licencees and restaurateurs should be serving it chilled in large wine glasses, treating it as it deserves to be treated, as a complex wine.”
Certainly for Marcelino Piquero, commercial director for Sanchez Romate, it is crucial to “convince the UK consumer that Sherry is a real quality wine”. And he applauds the approach by the generic campaign in Britain: “The way the regulatory board has linked Sherry to food is probably the best action taken in the last 20 years in England.”
For Pedro Revuelta, vice president, Gonzalez Byass SA, “Our challenge now as brand owners and as a category is to concentrate on building value.”
“We will only do that by getting back into the on-trade in the international markets and putting emphasis at the top end. This is where we can build the image in the right way. If we can get the product served correctly, the on-trade is key to building Sherry’s image outside Spain.”
Perhaps those establishments, like the one I was sitting in at the beginning of the month, who feel that they have to list Sherry, should only do so if they are prepared to give it the attention it deserves. I put this to the F&B manager of that particular hotel in the course of my research for this article. Unfortunately, he couldn’t provide me with an adequate response as to why the Sherry was placed where it was and cost what it did. Maybe next time I’m there things might have changed.
© db March 2008