The other day, I visited Seattle Coffee Gear in Kirkland. They have an incredible selection of single-origin coffee beans from roasters across the country. While I was browsing, a staff member approached me and offered to let me sample three of my choice. I was floored.

Here’s the simple truth: enthusiasm is contagious. If your staff is excited about wine, that energy spills over to your customers. But if your team approaches the wine list like it’s just another menu item — or worse, avoids talking about it altogether — your guests will follow suit.

Wine sales rely heavily on the people who are on the front lines: the sales reps, servers, bartenders, and sommeliers who interact directly with customers. These are the people who turn a wine list or a product lineup into revenue. The question is: are you making their job easier or harder?

I get it — the 3-tier system is complex. Between producers, distributors, and retailers, there are a lot of hands in the pot, making it difficult to keep wine pricing competitive. But here’s the thing: if we don’t prioritize the customer within the wine category, we’re risking more than just a single sale. We’re risking the future of wine itself.

Let’s be honest: wine has lost its spark. What used to feel special, adventurous, and full of discovery has turned into a dull, overpriced transaction. And here’s a big reason why: we’re trying to pass off fast food (grocery store wines) as fine dining — and customers aren’t buying it.

Imagine this: your ideal customers have two shopping options. One is the Mall of America — massive, flashy, overwhelming. The other is a beautiful little European town, filled with small boutiques making high-quality artisan goods. Which do you think they’d choose?

I once consulted with a restaurant that was struggling. Their wine sales were down, and their solution was to keep bringing in new wines to fix the problem. They worked hard to keep glass prices under $15, thinking affordability was the key. Yet, none of it worked.

What went wrong? They fell into the trap of the 3 Deadly Sins of wine programs.

My journey with wine started in the most unremarkable way. I was working as a server at The Keg Steakhouse when my manager handed me a glass of Merlot. I took a sip. It tasted like dark grape juice. Nothing special. I shrugged it off and moved on.

Then, a few years later, something changed.