Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/15710
going for thousands of dollars a bottle. None of them were moving. "I had a problem," DeMuro said. "I had these beautiful, beautiful wines just sitting there." Survival meant changing business strategies — quickly, with a touch of inventiveness and an open mind for new ideas. DeMuro carefully implemented cost-saving measures, but made sure they didn't compromise L'Opera's core product, a gourmet Italian menu. The Italian- and California-influenced wine program was adjusted to match the new consumption and spending habits of L'Opera's diners. These days, L'Opera's six-page wine menu is now listed by varietals, a mix of familiar and new, the latter additions scrutinized, taste-tested and painstakingly selected by DeMuro and his staff. In other words, they made ordering a bottle of wine easier and less risky. "Now, everything is simple, best quality and at best price," DeMuro said. "You can't fool your guests. They're very smart and they expect the respect." L'Opera also integrated higher- end labels and vintages into its wine-by-the-glass menu. That accomplished two things: it moved expensive inventory off the shelves while making a wider selection of wines available to customers at a lower price point. The menu at L'Opera now allows patrons to just dip a toe into the water, or in this case wine. Their "Just A Taste Of It!!" menu opens the door to intriguing but high-priced wines, such as a 1999 Gaja Costa Russi Barbaresco, described as "ripe, clean, pure fruit that most wine lovers would kill for- focused, opulent, elegant". This deep red wine made from the dark grapes native to the Piedmont region in northern Italy would cost $300 a bottle, but a glass starts at $26. To keep these wines fresh, L'Opera invested in two Enomatic machines, state-of-the-art wine preservation systems that use argon gas to extend the lives of uncorked bottles and also dispense measured 2-, 4- and 6-ounce servings of wine. As far as DeMuro knows, L'Opera is the only establishment in the city to own these $10,000 machines. L'Opera is also in the process of developing another dining option for guests by converting the northeast side of the restaurant into a casual dining room, the Aldo Luongo, named after the Argentinean-born Italian artist whose painting adorns the room's wall. "We don't give up," DeMuro said. "We have a concept that is strong that continues to evolve. You cannot stay still." n Gonzalez could have told you that. He's been watching the dichotomy of today's wine-drinking demographic for the la st eight years. "The research is not in the trades [publications]," he said. "It's in the bar stools and the tables." Gen Y's flaunting of conventional preferences and the rising popularity of South African, Chilean, Argentinean and Australian wines are also influencing wine programs. Ristorante Da Vinci's wine program — eclectic, value-driven and catering to discerning locals and the international palates of patrons who just landed at adjacent Long Beach Airport — was already in place by the time the economy took a dive. The restaurant was also promoting wines in special programs such as contests; pairing them with specialty menus; and Monday-through-Saturday wine happy hours. You can literally elevate your wine-drinking experience too — book a half-hour zeppelin ride or a scenic 15-minute helicopter flight before settling down for a Friday or Saturday evening wine-tasting. This is where the line separating Sommelier and restaurant manager blurs. But the results are crystal- clear: overall beverage sales are up 40 to 45 percent this year, compared to the normal expected rate of 35 percent. His staff may be lean, but everyone — including Le Bras — is cross-trained to work the bar, serve banquets and confidently recommend wine to the thirsty but undecided patron. "A business' longevity is determined by how well it adapts to change," said Enzo DeMuro, who co-owns L'Opera on Pine Avenue with business partner Terry Antonelli. "We've been here for 20 years, and it's a continuing evolution," said DeMuro, who assumed sommelier duties in the absence of a full-time sommelier. "We got challenged at the end of 2007. We had more than 20,000 wines in our inventory, and then the recession started. Then, they (patrons) started changing their spending habits." L'Opera took a particularly hard hit at the end of 2008 and into 2009, when banquet bookings alone dropped by almost 50 percent. From 2005 to 2007, they accounted for 35 percent of restaurant gross revenue; in 2008 and 2009, they dropped to 18 percent. Fewer patrons were ordering bottles above $100, so DeMuro began reassessing his restaurant's wine list, which at that time was a 60-page book with some 600 labels categorized by regions, with some vintages