No customer or bistro manager would blink at finding a crisp New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc or earthy Pinot Noir on an Australian wine list— nor a celebrative French Champagne for that matter— but there is a certain cosmopolitan joy in discovering a flinty Pouilly Fume or Sancerre; toasty Chianti Classico or velvety Valpolicella; a genuine Gewürtztraminer or a Californian Zinfandel on that Aussie wine list too. And the prospect of finishing a meal with a vivacious Moscato D’Asti or brooding Pedro Ximénez—lord forbid a vanilla-honeyed Monbazillac— can often be more rewarding than the punchy apricot typicality of an all-too ‘goody two-shoes’ Noble One. It is roughly about ‘here’, then, that— as they say— the list goes on, especially where the whole world of wine becomes your oyster (for want of a better expression!). Where restaurant tables are known to ‘talk’— as far as service points to bring a waiter to the customer (crossed cutlery, low water, salts left after clearing)— a restaurant’s menus should be known to ‘sing’, and where a wine list has an international choir to sing with, the customer can play conductor, and will often engage more passionately with the harmonies of their dining experience (and engage more with the waiter: your primary point of sale). With this in mind, we have determined to learn more about the pros and cons required to negotiate that demarcation point, between offering a standard local wine list, and a list with international credential.

We approached three leading advisors: Maurizio Ugge, the General Manager of Arquilla (importer of fine Italian wine and spirits); Matt Skinner—celebrity wine advisor (I hope I can use the term?) associated with Jamie Oliver’s Restaurant’s Fifteen; and John Clancy, the very knowledgeable sommelier at Sydney’s Guillaume at Bennelong Restaurant at the Opera House (a place to get more Bordeaux with your Figaro!). For the advantages of listing imported wines, Mr Skinner tells us, “Including imported wines on your list gives your customers greater scope and choice. Imported wines will give you a global perspective, and I’d like to think that circa 2010 we’re all a little more worldly and more comfortable with imported wines than we were a decade ago”. Mr Clancy says, “Imported wines often enhance and compliment the cuisine of the restaurant and keep Australian customers interested—they love to try new wines”. Ugge agrees, and reminds us that “people are traveling more, and watching TV shows where regions and wines are featured, which opens their eyes to imported choices”.

So which imports are the best sellers? Skinner notes, “they tend to be the usual suspects such as Italy, Spain, and France which— given their established and well-earned reputations— makes sense. But beyond that, provided the wine is good and that you are willing to put the time and effort into training your staff, I wouldn’t discourage you from including anything”. Clancy says “I’d have to say the number one best seller across the board is New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc— then it depends on the cuisine, but French and Italian would be the next most popular”.

Are there any tips about the mix, or the ratios of imported wines to local wines for a list? Ugge says “Usually it’s about 60% Australian and 40% imported; 70% is red wine and about 30% white, but this depends on the sommelier and chef for the style of wine they want. In the past, most imported wine used to be French, but now Italian is the most popular and Spain and Germany is growing. German Rieslings are very good, and very popular”. Clancy says, “It’s about 40% imported, but some fine-dining restaurants, like Marc (in Sydney) for instance, can be even more. Where a venue is cuisine specific, a new venture might start with 20-30% and increase as staff and customers are educated”.

What about the costs involved with imported wines, are their taxes and do you get value for money? Ugge explains, “The tax system for imported and Australian wine is the same, but there is an additional 5% duty on imported wine and the cost of transport”. Mr Clancy feels there shouldn’t be too much about the prices to discourage the inclusion of imports, saying “On all wines in Australia there is a WET payment (Wine Equalization Tax), so taxes don’t jump up just because they’re imports. The distributer has to pay for the stock when it arrives at the port of departure, then it takes 28 days to ship. This means the importer’s funds are tied up for a month, and there are shipping costs involved which have to be passed on, but an expensive imported wine is usually expensive not because it’s imported, but because it is a very good wine to start with”.

What other considerations are required when stocking imported wines? Skinner says, “This largely depends on the size and the nature of the business, but I always consider the balance by offering a spread of styles, price points, regions, and perhaps countries. Consistent supply is an issue if I’m pouring something by the glass- particularly if I am looking to do a volume-based deal”. Clancy says, “it’s good practice to offer your imported wines by the glass, which keeps stock moving. Customers will buy bottles more often after having tasted by the glass, which is good for return customers who will then regularly buy by the bottle and trust your advice”.

So, do you need a wine expert on wait staff to have imported wines? Mr Clancy: “I would say no, for smaller establishments—although you will need someone who can advise on the wines. Once you put them on the list, you are asking for inquiries, and if you can’t answer those inquiries, you’re going to look a bit silly. Oftentimes, the more you pay, the more elegance you get, which are unique subtleties. Like a really good Burgundy—Pinot Noir or Chardonnay— these can be around $300 on a wine list, and a textural mouthful which is more subtle than the Aussie style ‘booming front’. Guiding your customers here is about appreciation, and most diners who show a willingness to explore are already interested in having their palate guided”. Skinner believes, “It is hugely important to utilize a wine expert when compiling a wine list. A good list should reflect the nature of the business and take its customers into consideration, while also being easy to read, balanced, and above all else, profitable. Yes, wine consultants come at a price, but they will take all of the above into consideration which- if it’s not your area of expertise- is money well spent”.

Can our sommeliers give an example of where including imports has made a business boom? Skinner: “I helped establish Prince Wine Store in Melbourne in 1996. As a small independent, imported wines were a huge part of what we did to distinguish ourselves from competition. We couldn’t compete on price with big chains, so offered a far better range of imports and expert advice. Shortly after, we opened Circa Restaurant (also within the Prince of Wales complex) which quickly become known for its 1000 item wine list, a large slice of which was imported”. Clancy: “I have worked with a suburban Italian restaurant and we started with some inexpensive—but very good—Italian wines. There has been a type of Sicilian revolution in wine quality in the past ten years, and we had a Sicilian theme cuisine. The value on those wines for us was very good, and the flavours were different to Australia but no more expensive. We kept up-selling the Italian wines and customers responded well, so I brought in better and better wines—which were more expensive—but it took off. We started organizing ‘special dinners’ on the quiet nights (Monday & Tuesday’s) with a wine theme. Nearly every customer would choose to have our matching wines—especially our regulars, who nearly always turned up. That was in Habberfield, not known for high prices or fine-dining, so getting locals to order $140 bottles with confidence showed that our customers were willing to spend once given the right assurance”.

Is a long or a short wine list recommended? Mr Clancy advises, “This depends on the place and the space—where and how you can manage cellaring. The cost of keeping these wines too. Stocking a large selection is expensive, and doesn’t make money until it starts to move. If you get a good deal on bulk ordering, but it’s a high-end slow mover, those bottles may become your ‘old friends’ at every stocktake. Shorter lists will move more quickly, which can be easier for new ventures to manage”.

Why don’t we see more American wines on Aussie lists? Ugge explains, “Some problems are that they have similar grape varieties to Australia. The good wine is also expensive, and a lot comes from the one region– California, although the Pinot Noir from USA is very good”. Clancy also explains, “There has only ever been one serious importer—West Coast Wines—in Perth. Generally, they are expensive, but geeze—they’re good. Why do we not see more of them? I think the population in the USA is so great, and their wine produce so small in comparison, that they have no great ‘need’ to market strongly in export regions, so their prices stay high (hence become slow movers)”.

Any issues with cellaring? Mr Clancy, “You need to watch the temperature, certainly not too warm. Generally, you need space away from the kitchen, and away from dust and grease. If you can’t lie bottles down, you might want to desist from listing some of the high-end reds”.

Any final tips? John Clancy smiles, “Super Tuscans. Look them up, it’s a great little story. Some French influence on the Sangiovase grape since the 70’s, you might say. They are mostly high-end price points, but exceptional drinking. There are cheaper ones too, which you might call mini Super Tuscan’s. It’s a nice place to start for Italian wine”.

It seems then that the guidance, and appreciation, of ‘foreign’ wines on a menu can offer a bistro its own type of ‘Gruen Transfer’, where the initial confusion of a shopping mall’s structure (in this case your menu structure) can make customers forget what they came for and turn into impulse buyers. Stimulating those impulses becomes the seductive instruction of our well-versed sommeliers. Like travelling, the experience of something ‘foreign’ being explained to you makes it familiar, and this transition is always one of appreciation—which is very much like the difference between eating and dining. It is a sweet trap to fall into, and the type of quandary that many diners (and most reviewers!) wish to find themselves in— sometimes even hoping to be jostled into a particular ‘purchase corner’ so they can later claim to their bosses (for there is always a boss) “the waiter made me do it”. There we have a transition of responsibility, which is the flirtatious side of judicious wine consumption, one way or another.