Among Bokumo Wine's lineup is a product called the " Sommelier's Selection Set ."
Before creating this, I honestly thought, "Wine is a luxury item, so I guess most people would prefer to choose it themselves."
Compared to other countries, New Zealand wines have very few wines under 2,000 yen, with the entry zone being in the 2,000 yen range.
The impression I get is that wines over 2,500 yen are the ones you can really enjoy their individuality, and those that get significantly more interesting are those over 3,500 yen, so I think that with wines at that price, you want to read the description of each one and only put in your cart the ones that you are satisfied with.
However, co-representative Sato says, "That's the opinion of people with wine knowledge. There must be many people who don't have much knowledge, or who, even if they do, would prefer an expert to choose their wine for them."
Hmm. I see.
So we thought we'd create a product where you can choose your preferences, such as "more white wine" or "no sparkling wine," and then the rest is up to us, and we created the "Sommelier's Selection Set."
As it turned out, Sato was absolutely right.
I received an order today too. Thank you!
As I've written before, this set has long been number one in Bokumo Wine's popularity rankings.
I see.
After all, there are so many types of wine that it's difficult to sort them out. Even if you look at the information on each product, it can be hard to decide. So I think that many people just tell the other person their preferences and leave the rest to someone who knows.
By the way, I personally taste and comment on all the wines sold at Bokumo Wine, so I don't just order the products, copy and paste promotional text and sell them.
So I think there may be some people who think, "I can trust a select shop, so I can just leave it to them" (although maybe that's just my own opinion...).
Either way, I'm very happy to order the "Sommelier's Selection Set."
Of course, I am happy just to be able to order from Bokumo Wine, but what makes me even happier is that my favorite part of working at Bokumo Wine is putting together this ``Sommelier's Selection Set.''
The time to choose is very exciting.
First, when an order is placed, we check your name and purchase history. If you have purchased from us in the past, we make a note of all the brands you have purchased.
And now let's look at your request.
"One bottle of Pinot Noir please." "Okay, I get it!"
"I don't like Chardonnay." "Okay, I'll leave it out!"
"Please pour me a wine that goes well with bonito." "OK, let's go with red wine."
I choose each one one by one while having a conversation in my head.
First of all, for first-time customers, we tend to try to serve wines that are as typical of New Zealand as possible, and also choose wines that give the customer a sense of depth beyond that.
For those who come for the second time or later, I make sure to deviate a little from the last time and include a suggestion like, "Here's something you can also try."
Also, the sense of the season is important, so from now on you'll want to add refreshing Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling, and in autumn and winter you'll want to add a slightly heavier Bordeaux blend .
And what's important is to imagine your customers drinking it.
When the wine arrives, you look at the card that comes with it and see what dishes it would go well with, and you think, "Okay, I'll make chicken cutlet this weekend!" and then you realize, "Sauvignon Blanc goes really well with chicken cutlet."
I smile as I choose, imagining such pictures in my mind.
So, yesterday I was choosing a wine for the chef's choice set with a grin on my face, and it suddenly occurred to me, "Ah, this is similar to the fun feeling I had at my previous job."
I used to be a director for a radio music program (I still do radio, but it's a writing job that doesn't involve going out on site).
Since it's a music program, the main dish is naturally music, and the director's main job is to select the songs.
For example, on a sunny morning I might play Katrina & The Waves' "Walking On Sunshine," when the rainy season hits I'll play Spitz's "Ajisai Dori," and for Father's Day I'll choose Eric Clapton's "Tears In Heaven."
That's how I chose my songs, imagining whether the person listening on the other side of the radio would think, "Ah, this song is great at this moment."
Yes, this is called "sharing moods."
Looking back, I realize that I've always been making suggestions like, "Isn't this kind of feeling fun?"
Just like how about a song like this at this time? Now, with Bokumo Wine, we are making appeals like, "It's fun to pair New Zealand wine with this kind of food!" or "It's great to take it outdoors!" That's a lot of fun.
Personality never changes. I realized once again how grateful I am to be able to do this kind of work.
Ah, another order has come in!
Thank you. Ok, let's choose!
This week in New Zealand
When I was talking with a local restaurant owner, we talked about how it's become a bit tougher to eat out since June. It's finally become OK to eat out, and people are going back to drinking establishments like before, but it feels like things are starting to lose steam.
That's right.
As expected, things haven't gone back to the way they were before the coronavirus, and people who aren't working remotely don't go out of their way to go out drinking.
While it is encouraging to know that there are people who have a routine of going to bars, drinking for casual reasons such as just randomly deciding to go to a drinking party has decreased significantly.
That's not good.
I want to say to everyone, drinking parties are fun! There's a fun that can only be had by eating out, so remember that!
So, once again, I'll post Bokumo's signature menu item : New Zealand Lamb Chop Steak .
By the way, the sauce changes every month. The photo shows a red wine-based sauce, but this month it's white sauce. I think either one is delicious. This is what eating out is all about.
If you like, please go to a nearby bar.
The rich variety of restaurants is a unique Japanese culture. Let's protect it.
