90 • FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES • OCTOBER 2016
e&s; segment spotlight
WINNING
WITH
WINE
Wine bars transform in an effort to attract
a broader, more diverse demographic.
By Lisa White, Contributing Editor
L
argely viewed as an occasion destination, wine
bars offer a unique experience. Strangers are far
more likely to interact in a wine bar format than in
traditional full-service restaurants, and guests more
frequently share menu items.
"Consumers are looking for dining options that offer explo-
ration and discovery, and wine bars have built this into the ser-
vice style and food approach," says Aaron Allen, owner of Aaron
Allen & Associates, an Orlando, Fla.-based restaurant consultant.
"There's still room for growth and expansion in this segment.
"We're also seeing unique things in terms of flavor
profiles, with South African wine and dessert wines from
Hungary," Allen continues. "Consumers are looking for more
authenticity and profiles, and wine bars give operators a
point of differentiation among non-wine bar competitors."
Overall, restaurants now offer a larger variety of wines. In
fact, wine menus grew by 33 percent between 2012 and 2015,
according to market research firm Mintel, based in London.
While dessert and sparkling wine showed the biggest change,
growing 61 percent over a 3-year period, almost every type
of wine experienced growth — wine coolers and rose/blush
varieties were the only exception to growth trends.
While port wine makes up the bulk of the dessert wine
category, many other dessert wines also show strong