FIVE QUESTIONS 01/31/19

Five Questions with Andrew Newlin, GM and Wine Director at Raoul’s

Five Questions with Andy Newlin, one of the most hilarious and intelligent wine buyers in the city. And if you haven’t been to Raoul’s, what’s wrong with you?

Bio

Andrew Newlin grew up in Delaware the fourth of five boys, got a BFA in dramatic arts, and then moved to NYC in 2000. After an internship at Food and Wine Magazine, he worked at Balthazar, going in on days off to hang out with Wine Director Chris Goodhart and do odd jobs. Andrew then spent 10 years at Per Se, working for 6 years on the Sommelier team under Michel Couvreux. Andrew is now the GM and Wine Director of Raoul’s and lives on the UWS with his wife and two children.

FIVE QUESTIONS

Which wine (or wines) do you believe in that your colleagues in the industry disagree with you on?

I would say that there are those in the industry who for whatever reason look down a delicious and classic California Chardonnay. I love that big and ripe, tropical flavor. I do think that it must be balanced out. But I hate it when you get a California wine that feels like they are fighting nature and picking too early to make it into something it is not.

What is the difference between a Wine Director and a Sommelier?

A Sommelier is someone who works the floor and should be great at listing and selling. They may or may not have hand in ordering the wines and some of the beverages. They are usually in the tip pool and have a lot of guest contact. It is rare that a Sommelier will have a team working for him or her. If so, she would be the Head Sommelier.

I think a Beverage Director is a bit more of an administrative position with a closer relationship to the owner or the GM. They have a firmer grasp on the numbers of the business and should be skilled at delegating. A great beverage director knows how to make a wine list that is interesting, compelling and can be navigated by the guests without the need of too much help from the staff. There shouldn’t be pit falls and everything should taste good.

If you could ask one question of other Wine Directors in the city, what would it be?

I am always curious how people set their mark-ups. I think it can tell you a lot about the business. How did they get to this number? And what does it say about the management of the business? A low cost of goods is great, but I don’t love ripping people off. It is a balance.

“ ...I hate it when you get a California wine that feels like they are fighting nature and picking too early to make it into something it is not.

Which trend or trends do you wish would go away?

A natural wine is not good just because it is natural. I like wines that are clean and pure with a sense of place. When all you taste is the style, it could be anything.

What do you want people to know about your beverage program at Raoul’s?

We try to be dynamic. You can get very involved wine experience; we have some very cool things here, or you can just have a casual glass. What is most important to us is that you have a good time. That being said, you should try the DRC. It’s delicious.

Bonus: What is the most underrated wine or area, and what is the most overrated?

Overrated: Clos Rougeard and Dagueneau are two that come to mind. They can be great, but I have a hard time with all of the hype. I also don’t get the love for Chateau Musar.

Underrated: Bandol Reds!

*Note: All answers are spell-checked and posted without cuts.

SPLASH DECANT 01/15/19

Instagram – A Reliable Echo Chamber, or #Fakewinenews?

Is Instagram a reliable echo chamber for the wine business? Is it a primary source of information to help translate the beverage market in NYC?

I am going all in: NOPE – the ‘Gram is an alternative universe. Full of #fakewinenews.

This won’t stop professionals from using Instagram as their first source of information on the NYC Beverage Market. However, the picture that Instagram paints is as accurate as the facts tweeted by the President of the United States between Midnight and 8 am.

Under the Instagram Covers

The reality is that Instagram highlights a market where no wine director posts the prosecco they sell 10cs a week, the Sancerre that won’t stop selling no matter what the price is, the private label California appellation Cab they make bank on, or the Malbec in their private dining room that customers adore.

In fairness, I love Instagram. I have fun with it and I don’t think it is a bad thing. I absolutely get it. When a wine moves me, sometimes I can’t help myself. I say pic, post, and double-tap it, baby. All. Day. Long.

The circle is smooth and frictionless – everyone is “friends” with everyone else and disagreements are exceedingly rare. The ‘Gram is a giant Dionysian love fest, and we all can get a gulp if we want.

But I must caution here: don’t be fooled by what you see. Those three pictures of Burgundy that are being ‘grammed over and over again probably don’t mean what you think they mean. What you are seeing isn’t a reliable barometer of the market. Knowing this market can’t be faked. It can’t be done from a desk or in flashy tap away stories. You have to go out and show up.

Everything is moving so quickly now that you if you only see the Krug and the Overnoy here, and the Trollat and vertical of Bartolo there, you WILL miss what is really moving the market and simultaneously be very confused. This #instagratification gives the illusion that you have a perspective on the wines that reverberate through the wines programs of the city. But what you are seeing is the fringe of the fringe: the Cherry on top and not the cake.

“ ...stop and think about the last time you said that a wine was killing it all over the city. Was it really, or did you just see it on Instagram three times?

Ever wonder why you keep seeing the same photos of the same bottles cycled over and over again? You probably saw it posted by three people… The app is programmed so you mentally amplify the information. I have been on all sides of this, and the total connective sales of the wines (after all is said and done) is strikingly low.

Bottom line: Don’t buy the lie that you can sit back and get any substantive wine news from Instagram. The people doing the real work continue to know what works, which is most likely not what is getting double-tapped on the regular.

And before you @ me with ideas that the above is obvious, stop and think about the last time you said that a wine was killing it all over the city. Was it really, or did you just see it on Instagram three times?

THE REORDER 01/01/19

The Dark Side Part IV – Breaking the Jade

Ever find yourself hopelessly locked in jaded thoughts? Is the spark eluding you?

How do you go about breaking the jade?

Jaded thinking is a prevalent problem in the wine business – especially with salespeople. I have definitely been there.

So, I have placed a few jade-breakers on your table below.

Head up. Stay in it.

Surround yourself with better people.

If the people around you know a shitload about wine but consistently drag you down, you have to reduce the time spent with them. This may be obvious, but it is easy to forget that you are the average of who you choose to hang with.
Further, Salespeople that commiserate on how “bad” things are without bringing constructive, forward-thinking ideas to the table are a dime a dozen. It is much easier to bitch and not create. If you surround yourself with the drama, you are the drama.

Breaking the typical frame

Last year I ran into a very successful salesperson who lamented that he had become an order-processing machine. The common response to this is some bullshit question like “do you wish you didn’t get so many orders?” Or a statement like: “well, aren’t you lucky, doesn’t everyone want that problem?”

I asked: “what advice would you give yourself on how to find joy in placing orders?” followed by“Do you give yourself space to not place the orders as they come in?”
He was shocked – normally he gets the typical nonsense answer. Ultimately, I don’t know if it made a difference, but here is what I do know: if you think you are an order-processing machine, most likely you are one.

Endeavor to find joy in repetitive and challenging things or, stop doing what other people do.

Quiet the mind

Meditate often. Close your eyes. Stop repeating for a second. Circular thinking can be shifted by simply noticing and paradoxically, taking a circular breath. You are an elegant machine because you are “at choice.”
There is NO perfect form or technique in this business – remember that.

Decide your values

Running around like a chicken sales drone with no head is what many do. You don’t have to.
Sit down and write the five things that you really care about in your sales world. The pillars that you can look to daily.
They will most likely evolve, so don’t worry about the right answer. But you must commit and start somewhere. Shape your sales world for the moment and notice what happens.

“ If the people you surround yourself with know a shitload about wine but consistently drag you down, you have to reduce the time spent with them.

Draw a boundary

If you want to drop bottles and follow up all day long, do it. If you want to prospect one day a week, do it. If you want to answer every email and text as it comes in, do it.
Undoubtedly, you will come to a place where you have to decide when NOT to do things. The best at this (that I know personally) have a few boundaries that they stick to.
You will earn more trust, respect, and clarity while at the same time being more present.

The busy and downtrodden rep is a stereotype for a reason – it is because it has been fulfilled over and over again. Leave that neighborhood of thinking to those who choose to be there.

Step away – the nuclear option

Shut it down completely. Then call a loved one, look at something beautiful for more than 20 seconds or do something that doesn’t compute. Challenge yourself to learn something new. All of these help to break jaded thinking. Attempting this halfway is not an option – You have to completely forget about sales to do it.