Sommeliers' Role and Influence as a Wine Marketer in the United States - Conference Refereed Paper

Sep 13, 2026

This refereed conference paper examines how sommeliers function as wine marketers to influence wine sales in U.S. restaurants. It analyzes customer- and sommelier-driven recommendation patterns and explains that sommeliers remain influential even as wine popularity and consumer knowledge grow. The paper identifies selection criteria such as value for money, winery reputation, variety type, and tracking customer preferences. It also reviews how training practices and credibility-building techniques can increase beverage sales.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Marketing of Wine

Sommeliers and Training

3rd International Wine Business Research Conference, Montpellier, 6-7-8 July, 2006 Refereed Paper Sommeliers' Role and Influence as a Wine Marketer in the United States Margie Ferree Jones Assistant Professor The Collins School of Hospitality Management California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Tel: (909) 869-4479 Fax: (909) 869-4329 [E-mail:](E-mail: mfjones@csupomona.edu)[ ](E-mail: mfjones@csupomona.edu)[mfjones@csupomona.edu](E-mail: mfjones@csupomona.edu) and B.W.A. (Ben) Dewald Associate Professor The Collins School of Hospitality Management California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Tel: (909) 869-2960 Fax: (909) 869-4329 [E-mail:](E-mail: bdewald@csupomona.edu)[ ](E-mail: bdewald@csupomona.edu)[bdewald@csupomona.edu](E-mail: bdewald@csupomona.edu) “3° International Wine Business Research Conference, Montpellier, 6-7-8 July 2006 “ Sommeliers' Role and Influence as a Wine Marketer in the United States Margie Jones Ben Dewald This paper discusses the role of the sommelier as a marketer of wine to influence wine sales in restaurants in the United States. On average, customers ask a sommelier to provide wine recommendations 38% of the time and Sommeliers volunteer wine recommendations 42% of the time. While wine is becoming increasingly popular and consumers are more knowledgeable, sommeliers continue to play an important role in identifying best products available to meet customer’s expectations. Sommeliers focus on value for the money, winery reputation, type of variety and tracking customer preference when selecting and recommending wines to customers. In order to have influence with the customer, the title Sommelier or Wine Steward rather than Beverage Director appears to be important to the customer. Most sommeliers rely on Wine Spectator, word of mouth, and their customers’ experiences and preferences to stay current on wines. Introduction The greatest shift in consumer purchase behavior over the past generation has been from table wines to quality wines, particularly in traditional wine drinking countries. Relatively few people consume wine. In the United States 40 to 45 percent of the adult population does not drink any alcoholic beverages. Of the remainder, less than 20 percent are “regular” wine drinkers, and they account for most of the wine consumption. The occasional wine drinker, an additional 40 percent of the remainder, tends to like wine and might buy more of it if persuaded to do so (Moulton & Lapsley, 2001) . This paper discusses the marketing of wine and the role of the sommelier as a marketer of wine to influence wine sales in restaurants. Marketing of Wine The overriding conclusion of the Merrill Research & Associates (2006) tracking study is that [the U.S. wine](the U.S. wine) industry now stands at a crossroads. In the last five years, 2000-2005 there has been a 29 percent increase in the number of core wine drinkers. For the first time in thirty years, a new generation of young adults gives evidence of a strong preference for wine as part of their lifestyles. With their significant age-group numbers and their adoption of wine in their mid-twenties, they are a leading indicator of great potential as their cohorts likewise reach adulthood. With adult per capita consumption of table wine now at 2.77 gallons per capita, a twenty-year high, the prospect for continued and rapid growth of demand for wine in the coming decade is significant. At the sametime, there has been a 21 percent increase in the number of marginal wine drinkers from 2000-2005. “3° International Wine Business Research Conference, Montpellier, 6-7-8 July 2006 “ Consumers purchase wine for various occasions at a variety of hospitality outlets including restaurants, bars nightclubs and catered events. One of the key factors in the successful marketing of wine is the identification of what is important to the consumer (target market) . Sommeliers and Training There are many def

FAQs

What is the central focus of this paper?

The paper focuses on the sommelier’s role as a wine marketer and how this role influences wine sales in U.S. restaurants.

How do customers typically engage with sommeliers when buying wine?

Customers frequently ask sommeliers for recommendations, and sommeliers also volunteer recommendations during service.

What training and responsibilities are described for sommeliers or wine stewards?

The paper describes responsibilities including choosing wines, maintaining inventory, training service staff to sell wine, assisting with customer selections, and supporting proper wine service in the dining room.

Sep 13, 2026

Uploaded by Arica Lee