Walk into Corner Chophouse in Winter Park, Fla., and it's immediately clear that wine plays an important role in the guest experience.
The popular steakhouse's extensive wine list features classic producers, Old World selections and approachable by-the-glass offerings designed to complement everything from Florida seafood to Certified Angus Beef steaks.
What guests won't find at Corner Chophouse is an in-house sommelier. And for many independent restaurants and hospitality operators, that tends to be commonplace.
While sommeliers remain valuable assets—particularly for fine-dining establishments with expansive cellars or highly curated wine experiences—the reality may be that many successful restaurants simply don't have the budget or operational need for one. Instead, they're finding success by investing in something arguably even more important: building a knowledgeable wine culture that extends throughout the entire restaurant and staff.
That philosophy is at the heart of Corner Chophouse's wine program.
The restaurant is one of many concepts from The Indigo Road Hospitality Group, which operates restaurants, boutique hotels, venues and membership clubs. Although the hospitality group has extensive experience developing beverage programs, General Manager Jayton Fee noted that the goal at Corner Chophouse wasn't simply to assemble an impressive wine list. It was to create one that reflected the restaurant’s menu while giving team members the confidence to guide guests through it.
“Corner Chophouse's wine menu is based on steakhouse classics and a nod to older vineyards and houses,” explained Fee. “Our Beverage Director, Vonda, really wanted to highlight older houses in Champagne and old-world wines. We do not have an onsite sommelier, so we spend time ensuring that our team members are familiar with the different wines and the different regions that we offer.”
Corner Chophouse's emphasis on staff knowledge—or encouraging team members to become familiar with some of the wines on the list—reflects a theme that emerged throughout the interviews for this story: Enabling servers, bartenders and managers to make recommendations that guests trust.
The approach doesn't diminish the value of a sommelier. Instead, it recognizes that a successful wine program depends on much more than one title—it depends on the whole team.
How Corner Chophouse Built its Wine Program—Without a Sommelier
Like every aspect of Corner Chophouse, the wine program began with the food.
Rather than creating the wine list independently, the beverage team developed it alongside the menu, ensuring guests would find wines that naturally complemented the restaurant's offerings.
"The food and wine menu go hand in hand," Fee said. "We knew what we would be offering and built the wine menu to ensure they would match up. We brought in several white and sparkling wine options to ensure that our seafood lovers would have plenty of options and the red wine side is much larger due to the heavy steak and meat options on the menu. We want to make sure we have something for everyone and plenty of new avenues for our guests to explore."
That intentionality extends well beyond pairing recommendations.
When evaluating wines for the list, Fee thinks quality comes first, but it must also align with the restaurant's guests and provide value. “First the wine needs to be exceptional for the placement we are trying to hit,” he said. “Sometimes it can be all about name recognition with our guests, but when we find something truly amazing, we ensure that it is at the right value, so our guests are excited to trust our recommendations.”
Distributors also play an important role in the process, but they aren't making the decisions.
"Our distributors are a vital part of the process but to ensure we are hitting the marks we strive to hit we also try the wine first and always have our guests in mind," Fee said. “Is the wine right for us is always part of the process. We want to remain true to our roots and bring exciting wines to the menu.”
That balance between supplier relationships and a clearly defined vision is one that wine educators say is critical for operators trying to build strong programs.
Jeffrey Pogash, author, spirits educator and co-host of The Cocktail Guru Podcast, believes operators should absolutely lean on distributor sales representatives and winery representatives for advice, particularly if they don't have an experienced wine professional on staff.
“We should not overlook the advice, sometimes quite valuable, of the distributor sales person that is assigned to your establishment,” Pogash said. “And through them, you might be given access to winery/ brand representatives. Both the distributor salesperson and winery rep are there to provide advice and truly enjoy discussing their wine portfolios.”
Balancing Instinct with Data
Choosing wines is only the beginning. Maintaining a successful, relevant wine list requires continual evaluation. Fee noted that Corner Chophouse starts by trusting experience, personal taste and guest feedback before turning to sales data to determine whether a wine earns a permanent place on the list.
“I would say we start with instinct and personal taste combined with what our guests are asking for,” Fee said. “After that we must evaluate the sales data to ensure it is being received well by our guests. Maybe the price point is too high, or it's lost in other bottles in the same price range, and we need to adjust, or it's possible we need to pivot all together and find something else they will love.”
Master Sommelier Scott Carney, dean of wine studies at the New York Campus of the Institute of Culinary Education, thinks some operators may ultimately let guest behavior help shape the program.
“If driven by profit, the sales data is of foremost importance,” Carney said. “Give your customers what they have shown you they want to drink. This doesn't preclude you having an agenda and being on ‘the steering committee’ to satisfy your instincts and desire to get people to like what you like. But your customers will tell you pretty quickly what your restaurant is and what it is not. Listen to your customers about their wine preferences.”
At Corner Chophouse, those insights also help maintain balance throughout the list.
“You hit the nail on the head with variety,” Fee said. “It's all about having a balance between wine list staples and working hard to find great values that drink above their price point.”
Pogash considers a similar philosophy. “When I choose a wine, I look for a wine that will provide a great flavor profile for the price,” he said. “In other words, a wine that will give great pleasure at a good price. This is my definition of value and something that I learned from my wine mentors in France and have never forgotten.”
Great Wine Programs, Great Teams
Without an onsite sommelier, Corner Chophouse has made wine education a priority throughout its front-of-house team.
“We spend a lot of time on wine training first to ensure that our teams are confident about the wine we are offering,” Fee said. “We also take a team approach to it. We let our team know that if you aren't confident about a specific wine then we have someone in the building that is. We have a great team here that is passionate about wine that extends from our servers to our bartenders and our managers.”
Fee believes it’s important for staff to understand the fundamentals and become genuinely enthusiastic about a handful of wines. “We believe that it is vital to understand the regions and the differences in styles,” he said. “Whether that be old world vs. new world or California Pinot Noirs vs. Oregon Pinot Noirs. After that we believe in finding wines on the list that they are passionate about so they can deliver confident and exciting selections for our guests.”
That philosophy—staff becoming familiar with the basics and knowing about a handful of wines—is similar to an approach Kevin Zraly developed nearly 50 years ago while overseeing the wine program at the renowned restaurant Windows on the World, located on the 106th and 107th floors of the North Tower of the original World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan. “I was a kid in a candy store,” Zraly said, who had already visited every major wine region before taking the job.
Zraly—who’s well-known as a wine educator, James Beard Award recipient and author of the best-selling Windows on the World Complete Wine Course, among other wine books—was just 25 when he was hired in 1976 to develop the restaurant’s wine program. At Windows on the World, he quickly realized that creating one of the country’s most ambitious wine lists was only part of the job. Just as important was ensuring the staff felt comfortable talking about wine with guests.
Zraly’s approach was simple. He instituted weekly wine classes for employees throughout the restaurant, including waitstaff, captains, banquet staff and even members of the reservations department. The sessions were intentionally short—never more than 45 minutes—and built around tasting and straightforward explanations.
“Tasting wine is extremely important,” Zraly said. “They need to taste [during the classes]. So, I had them taste two wines in that 45-minute period, but I started off with basics. What is wine? I got two big bunches of grapes from the chef, and in front of these 50 people, I just squeezed them. Think about it. It's something very simple. And I said, 'This is how wine is made.’ That's it. … That’s how it was first made. And then I spent a little bit [talking] about the yeast, and I said, 'Inside the grape is sugar, and they just get together and have a good time and create alcohol.'" From there, Zraly went on to explain more of the basics during the informative classes. And rather than overwhelming employees by requiring them to have encyclopedic knowledge of every bottle on the restaurant’s wine list, Zraly encouraged them to master a small number of wines exceptionally well.
When Windows on the World opened, the restaurant’s cellar included around 1,500 wines. It eventually grew to roughly 2,000 wines that same opening year, but the guest wine list featured just 100 selections.
During staff training, Zraly encouraged Windows on the World staff to focus on learning just six wines.
"There's 100 wines on here. … You can't know all of them,” Zraly explained, recalling what he taught staff about wine at Windows on the World. “I want you to know three whites—one light, one medium, one full body. … And I want you to know three reds—one light, one medium and one full body. That's it.”
Zraly’s reasoning was practical rather than academic.
“I wanted all staff at Windows on the World to know everything about those six wines because it was going to help them make another $10,000,” Zraly said. “That's your catch. Show [staff] how to make more money. Forget about wine. Show them how to make more money and they'll be your friend.”
For employees who wanted to deepen their knowledge, Zraly offered additional wine classes. “You start off with basic elementary, you go to secondary, and then you go to ‘college,’” he said.
Carney agrees that continuous education is one of the best investments an operator can make, even without employing a sommelier.
“While it strikes some as a cliché, you cannot understate the importance of your server staff as the asset to create beverage wealth,” Carney said. “Using the salespeople from whom you buy the products on your list, keep the staff engaged with regular wine presentations by these 'interested parties' to make employment much more than a paycheck.”
Pogash echoed that sentiment, noting that restaurants often already have valuable wine knowledge within their own teams.
“Do not overlook the knowledge that might be lurking within the ranks of your staff,” Pogash said.
If that expertise doesn't exist, Pogash recommends investing in education through books, introductory wine courses or guidance from outside experts, distributors and winery representatives. “If there is no sommelier or experienced wine person in your ranks, reading books by wine legends Jancis Robinson, Hugh Johnson and Robert M. Parker, Jr. will help in familiarizing yourself with wine,” he said. “In addition, books by Karen MacNeil and Eric Asimov will prove very useful.”
Confident Team Members
Across conversations with experts, one theme surfaced repeatedly: Guests are less interested in the depth of someone’s wine knowledge than in getting helpful guidance. They're looking for someone they trust.
At Corner Chophouse, Fee said guests occasionally ask whether a sommelier is available, but those requests are relatively uncommon.
“Guests have asked to speak to a sommelier before, but most of the time they want their servers or bartenders to guide their experiences,” Fee said. “Our teams work hard to build a level of trust that assures the guests that they will deliver amazing recommendations based on their preferences and pairing with the food.”
That confidence has translated directly into sales.
“Staff knowledge has been the biggest driver in wine sales that I have seen,” Fee said. “When the team knows the list and is invested in the program they are passionate and confident in selling it.”
Carney suggested that successful recommendations go beyond suggesting a bottle. “Again, another overused sound bite is ‘the story,’” he said. “I find consumers generally curious and ready to learn something new when they dine out—I think education is a subtext of dining out. So, coming away with a back story, a fun fact or a grape or country you didn't know existed makes your experience indelible at that restaurant and a possible reason to return.”
Pogash pointed out that knowledge fuels enthusiasm and enthusiasm ultimately influences sales. “A good or—better yet—an excellent wine will sell, even if the customers are not familiar with it,” he said. “All it takes is some knowledge and the ability to communicate information enthusiastically to your clientele. Knowledge will inspire enthusiasm when it comes to selling wine on the floor.”
For restaurants with newer teams, Pogash advised building confidence gradually. “If the staff is inexperienced, try focusing on the ‘wines by the glass’ list and have the waitstaff study and promote that list until they have enough confidence to tackle the full wine list. This should certainly help the bottom line.”
Building a Successful Wine Program
While staff training emerged as the common denominator throughout each interview, some experts also emphasized that successful wine programs require continual refinement and careful pricing strategies.
For Fee, that means regularly evaluating guest preferences, maintaining variety and ensuring the list offers both recognizable labels and discoveries that overdeliver for their price points. “We want to make sure we have something for everyone and plenty of new avenues for our guests to explore,” he said.
For Zraly, it means creating pricing strategies that encourage guests to order wine rather than discouraging them. In fact, he considers pricing one of the biggest problems with restaurant wine programs.
“We had the lowest prices of any restaurant in the United States [at Windows on the World] for wine, and our philosophy was to sell two bottles, not one,” Zraly said, who said that many restaurants are marking up their wines as much as four times.
Zraly suggested using a progressive strategy. “So, you take a $10 bottle of wine, you sell it for 30, correct? You make 20 bucks,” he explained. “You take the $20 bottle of wine, you sell it for $40. You make 20 bucks. You take the $80 bottle of wine, sell it for 100, make $20. And the bean counters didn't realize—they said it could never work—but of course it does. That's progressive pricing.”
With this strategy, the lower-priced bottle carries a 200 percent markup, while the higher-priced bottle carries a markup of just 25 percent.
Carney indicated that operators may also want to pay attention to details on the wine list, which may directly affect the guest experience. “Make certain that your list has correct vintage dates for every wine,” he shared. “Make certain there are no typos. And if you tolerate a small percentage of 86'd wine on your list, make certain that every server knows what is out of stock so there is never an instance when a server has to return to a table to say the wine the customer ordered is out of stock.”
Carney also encouraged restaurants to look beyond everyday service. “Be familiar with the annual schedule of wine events in your market,” he said. “There are times when winemakers and wine personalities are in your market. It can provide you with the opportunity to stage a special event/dinner at your establishment on either side of the event for which they have traveled to be in town.”
Long-Term Success
Back at Corner Chophouse, Fee believes the foundation for lasting success remains unchanged regardless of the size of the operation or whether a sommelier is on staff. “Staff training is key,” he said. “No matter how big or small the wine program is your team needs to be passionate about it. With that passion you can bring in selections that don't sell themselves like some of your big-name wines but they can over deliver and really create a great experience for your guests.”
So, does a restaurant need a sommelier to build a successful wine program?
Based on Corner Chophouse’s experience and the insights shared by the wine experts interviewed for this story, the answer is no—not necessarily.
A sommelier can undoubtedly elevate a wine program, but great wine programs—according to experts—are built on thoughtful wine selection, guest-focused pricing, continuous staff education and a team that feels confident sharing its enthusiasm with guests. When those elements are in place, restaurant operators may be able to create memorable wine experiences for guests—whether the wine recommendations come from a certified sommelier or a well-trained server.