The SOMM Journal

February / March 2016

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{ SOMMjournal.com }  1 17 The days of spending hours and hours doing inventory, living with inventory that doesn't move and waiting weeks for the financial data are seemingly over thanks to these types of technologies. And that's very good news for the "artist" in any sommelier. BinWise is also a cloud-based management software system that focuses on sales and inventory management. Created by restau- rant industry veterans Tony Cha and Grant Gilligan, Binwise has an impressive client list that includes Meadowood Resort, Michael Mina Restaurants, Eleven Madison Park, Union Square Hospitality Group and Bacchus Restaurant Group. The state-of-the-art reporting software created by BinWise is a key element of a barcode system with a database of over half a million SKUs that tracks the entire life cycle of a product. Not only does this dramatically affect the time to do inventory and track that inventory, users report an impressive one to two points shaved off the bev - erage cost using this system. "BinWise is valid from both a consumer stand- point and business standpoint, it has helped me to r un more efficiently and properly," said Greg Majors of Wine Director of Stake Chophouse and Bar in San Diego. Wine-by-the-glass programs pres - ent the greatest profit opportunity for most beverage programs; how- ever, they are also the most vulner- able when it comes to quality con- trol, overpours and theft. Founder Nick Moezidis was there to present WineStation, celebrating its tenth anniversary this year as a dispens- ing system that has overcome all three of those potential problems. Created and based in Silicon Valley, WineStation has found applications in restaurants that require as few as four bottles, all the way up to res - taurants that have over 100 wines by the glass. Their easy-to-maintain Clean Pour dispensing technology utilizes an argon gas system that provides up to 60 days of wine pres - ervation coupled with an ID card control feature and reporting fea- tures that many other systems don't have. "The WineStation provides the opportunity to indulge a guest with a product that they would other - wise not have been able purchase by the bottle, like offering Screaming Eagle by the glass. You can also offer flights with ease, but the bottom line is that the by the glass program of a restaurant can suddenly elevate to a whole new level," says Jayne Portnoy, Vice-President of Marketing & Brand Strategy of Napa Tech. Wine Ring, the brand new wine app created by Pam Dillion and Andrew Sussman, allows customers to input basic data about wine they drink and ultimately identify their wine preferences. Empowered users can then find those wines that fit their preferences in the marketplace simply by scanning the label of the wine. This is a system that goes way beyond just journaling wines. In addition, customers who can identify their preferences create ideal situa - tions for sommeliers to recommend something unique while, at the same time, creating a much higher chance of success. PHOTO: HARDY WILSON PHOTO: RAN BIRAN PHOTO COURTESY OF WINE RING

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