After a little episode last night, I got to thinking about the world of misscommunication that we work with and how much simpler everyones lives would be if we cut through some of the bullshit and got to the point. It all started with a guest at the top table last night at the Gourmet Dinner. She sent back the first wine with the meal which was a late harvest riesling - nice citrus fruit with a touch of residual sugar." Too sweet". So trying to stick within the theme of the evening I went and got her a glass of the Berton Reserve Chardonnay from La Brasserie. "Dont like Chardonnay!". "I want a Pinot Grig-e-o" Small alarm bells start ringing in my mind. As we dont do a Pinot Grigio by the glass I instead pour her a glass of bordeaux blanc - about as crisp and dry as you can find. "Not dry enough!" By now sensing defeat and reading between the lines I crack open a bottle of Pinot Grigio and pour her a glass - she's happy at last. Now if she had just said when she came in that she doesnt like wine and likes to drink barely alcoholic water then I would have known what I was dealing with in the first place and wouldnt have wasted my time or energy trying to get her to open her palate up to real wine.
Its often the same with people who insist on their wine being served at barely above freezing point. What they are actually communicating is that they dont like the taste of wine, so they want it chilled down so much that all you can taste is a vaguely watery liquid. Hey why dont you try Pinot Grigio - it tastes of nothing without chilling it down to 1 degree C!
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2 comments:
Now now Grazz, don't you know that the customer is always right?
Your story puts me in mind of a table I had at the Glen who sent back a magnum of Dageneau's En Chailloux because she thought it was too sweet!
I suppose the moral of the story is as long as the plebs have money, we should smile, nod and take as much of it as possible from them.
Some people simply don't want to learn anything more than they already know about wine and steadfastly cling to the notion that they don't know much about it, but they know what they like.
And safe in this notion they refuse point blank to even try to broaden their horizons by trying something new.
Pinkman out.
that old chestnut about the customer alwas being right it due to die its death. The customer is rarely right!!
Nice to see you back from your honeymoon!! Hope you had a great time.
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