{"id":3531,"date":"2025-05-02T15:42:29","date_gmt":"2025-05-02T11:42:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/synergy.ge\/?p=3531"},"modified":"2025-07-07T15:53:30","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T11:53:30","slug":"tasting-the-wine-is-the-key","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/synergy.ge\/en\/tasting-the-wine-is-the-key\/","title":{"rendered":"#2 Tasting the Wine is the Key"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"3531\" class=\"elementor elementor-3531 elementor-3521\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-b0f2151 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"b0f2151\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-a870e1f\" data-id=\"a870e1f\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-46ec5d8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"46ec5d8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.14.0 - 26-06-2023 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Tasting the Wine is the Key<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-a5e9008 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"a5e9008\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-966125f\" data-id=\"966125f\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f425574 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"f425574\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.14.0 - 26-06-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/synergy.ge\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/\u10e6\u10d5\u10d8\u10dc\u10d8\u10e1-\u10d2\u10d0\u10e1\u10d8\u10dc\u10ef\u10d5\u10d0\u10d0-\u10db\u10d7\u10d0\u10d5\u10d0\u10e0\u10d8-150x150.jpeg\" title=\"\u10e6\u10d5\u10d8\u10dc\u10d8\u10e1 \u10d2\u10d0\u10e1\u10d8\u10dc\u10ef\u10d5\u10d0\u10d0 \u10db\u10d7\u10d0\u10d5\u10d0\u10e0\u10d8\" alt=\"\u10e6\u10d5\u10d8\u10dc\u10d8\u10e1 \u10d2\u10d0\u10e1\u10d8\u10dc\u10ef\u10d5\u10d0\u10d0 \u10db\u10d7\u10d0\u10d5\u10d0\u10e0\u10d8\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-66 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-10d72d6\" data-id=\"10d72d6\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-96d5e09 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"96d5e09\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.14.0 - 26-06-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The shelves stretched to the ceiling, held countless bottles of wine. Labels of different colors, bottles of various shapes and sizes\u2014everything was lined up one after another, without any system or specific principle of arrangement. Some bottles jutted out, others were recessed, some turned slightly to the side, and some faced proudly forward. The label colors blended into a chaotic mosaic.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the past five minutes, Eka had been aimlessly glancing at these shelves. She realized that this seemingly disorganized arrangement had a strangely calming effect on her eyes. It allowed her to observe each bottle individually, to understand what made it stand out. She briefly considered that, had they been arranged by size, shape, or color, they might have drawn less attention. That thought passed through her mind before her focus returned to the table.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-512febd elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"512febd\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-f46bb9d\" data-id=\"f46bb9d\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-104506c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"104506c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The discussion at the table was in full swing.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over the past few weeks, together with the client\u2019s working group\u2014a wine shop-bar\u2014she and Giorgi had been developing ideas to increase wine sales.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At first, the task seemed manageable. But the deeper they dug, the more complexities surfaced. Sales figures turned out to be influenced by a web of factors: proper bottle arrangement, zoning of the shop space, strategies for drawing in customers, promotion planning\u2026 They\u2019d tackled each of these, brainstormed different solutions, and discussed them at length with the client\u2019s team.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And yet, sitting at this table now, Eka couldn\u2019t shake the feeling that something more important was being overlooked. Giorgi, the senior consultant, had said the same before the meeting. Nika\u2014the owner of the shop-bar\u2014was giving off that same vibe with his unreadable expression.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI don\u2019t know\u2026 the main problem is merchandising. I think so,\u201d Nika murmured as he walked past the shelves, occasionally stopping to spin a random bottle gently with his fingers. He seemed to be talking more to himself than to anyone else. \u201cIt probably isn\u2019t just about layout. I don\u2019t want to lose the essence of the whole concept, which is to introduce the consumer to wine, to make them fall in love with it.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He returned to his chair and leaned his hands on the back. Giorgi, seated across from him, looked up, his eyes widening slightly\u2014as if something had just clicked.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe\u2019re working on the merchandising issue,\u201d Elene, the customer relations manager, said calmly. She glanced at Eka. \u201cWe reviewed the ideas with Eka, and we already have a plan. We\u2019ll start rearranging things so that when clients come in, it\u2019s easier and more intuitive for them to understand the prices.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eka smiled and nodded. She added,<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cIn addition, we\u2019ve developed a campaign calendar with Nato,\u201d she said, turning to the wine promotion manager, \u201cwhich will help us plan campaigns in a more organized, high-quality way.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYeah, for sure!\u201d Nato leaned forward, placing her hands on the marble table. \u201cIt\u2019s a really cool system. We used to do it all so chaotically\u2014now I\u2019ll actually know how to plan things. And it\u2019ll be aligned with the winemakers, too. No more fuss, hopefully.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nika began pacing the shelves again. He shook his head slightly, visibly displeased. Eka wasn\u2019t sure why, but something was gnawing at her. Maybe it was Nika\u2019s dissatisfaction that was amplifying her sense that something critical was missing.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She glanced at Giorgi, who sat silently, his gaze locked on the table.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Something was definitely missing.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She looked back at the bottles.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Then opened her laptop and began scanning their materials. There had to be something they were overlooking\u2014something simple. Her intuition told her the solution wasn\u2019t complicated. She just had to find it.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She flipped through the presentation: merchandising, bottle placement, promotions, customer base, foot traffic\u2026 They were circling the same themes.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then she opened a document that listed potential issues uncovered during their client interviews. Some had already been addressed, others the client was aware of and was working on. A few were identified through her and Giorgi\u2019s objective observation.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As she skimmed down the list\u2014nearly 40 items\u2014a yellow-highlighted line caught her eye:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span> <b>\u201cInappropriate involvement of sommeliers; inadequate understanding of the essence of their work.\u201d<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She paused. Had this point ever been discussed in detail during any of their meetings? She couldn\u2019t recall.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Suddenly, as if stirred by a wave, she leaned forward and blurted out without thinking:<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMaybe we should give more meaning to the role of the sommelier\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She immediately paused. Giorgi was looking at her with a slight, knowing smile. Eka cleared her throat and slowly leaned back into her chair.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She glanced around. The others were looking at her, surprised by her sudden comment.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cSounds reasonable\u2026\u201d Nika\u2019s voice came from across the room. Eka felt the tension lift slightly from her shoulders.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nika leaned against his chair and addressed his team.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cA sommelier should be tasting wine with the customer. Explaining, advising, consulting. Right now, they\u2019re running around the bar taking orders\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWell, we do need help at the bar. The sommelier can\u2019t just stand in one spot, right?\u201d said the bar manager cautiously.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHe\u2019s important, sure,\u201d Nato agreed. \u201cBut we can\u2019t assign him to just one thing. He shouldn\u2019t be stuck in place.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The others murmured similar sentiments. Nika paced again. He stopped beside Soso, the sommelier he had included in the working group, and placed a hand lightly on his shoulder.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhat do you think, Soso?\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The young man wiped an awkward smile from his face, inhaled, and replied after a moment\u2019s thought:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cI don\u2019t know. Wherever I\u2019m needed, I guess. The bar, the tasting table\u2014both.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nika didn\u2019t respond. He turned away and picked up his pace again.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThat\u2019s the problem, you know\u2026\u201d he said, stopping near his chair and interlacing his fingers. He spoke to everyone and no one in particular. \u201cPeople can\u2019t take responsibility.\u201d Then he looked at Giorgi. \u201cNo matter what we assign, they still look back at us, waiting for instructions.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Silence followed. Then Nato snapped:<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWait, what do you mean? Who can\u2019t take responsibility\u2014me?! We all do our jobs. What else are we supposed to do?\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nika raised an eyebrow at her.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eka leaned back even more. She had the sudden urge to melt into the massive glass window behind her.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf that only applies to the sommeliers, I think it\u2019s an unfair generalization,\u201d Elene said calmly. \u201cThey don\u2019t have the power to feel responsible. Their job is to consult, help customers taste wine\u2014that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWell, it\u2019s not enough. That\u2019s a fact.\u201d Nika\u2019s voice grew louder. The conversation quickly devolved into a heated exchange.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe sommeliers do their job well! What else do you expect\u2014should they follow customers home and open their bottles there? Find one person who\u2019s dissatisfied!\u201d Nato was firm in her defense.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s not about dissatisfaction. They should do more, Nato!\u201d Nika insisted. \u201cWhen a customer walks in, they should be there\u2014ready, asking questions. They should offer the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">best<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> service possible!\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThey <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">do<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">! You\u2019re being unfair. They have so much to handle. It\u2019s unrealistic for them to just stand around waiting\u2026 Other staff need to help too.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Giorgi cleared his throat and straightened up. Eka watched his face. He looked like he had found an answer within the chaos.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cSome really valuable points have come up,\u201d Giorgi began. Everyone turned to him. \u201cFirst, multiple factors influence sales. Each one needs to be understood individually\u2014promotions, shelving, and customer service. But the biggest realization for me today is this: this place wasn\u2019t meant to be just a store. And it shouldn\u2019t become one. If the goal is to introduce customers to wine culture\u2014to make them fall in love with wine, to earn their trust by helping them find the right one\u2014then the most effective sales mechanism is wine tasting. Which you\u2019re already doing. But maybe now, you could look at that process a little differently.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s not just about pouring interesting wines. The tasting moment could be more intimate, more personal. Ask the right questions. Offer thoughtful suggestions. Remember their taste for next time. A sommelier\u2019s role shouldn\u2019t be limited to simple consultation. The aim should be <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">quality<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> consultation.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThat doesn\u2019t mean standing in one place. What matters is where their attention is directed. They should be thinking about how to create a meaningful experience. They can explain these approaches to other staff. They can decide who will take over when they step away from the table. I think they\u2019ll handle that responsibility just fine,\u201d he added, turning to Nika with a raised brow and a smile, \u201cand they might even enjoy it more.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nika smiled too, bowing his head slightly. His shoulders relaxed.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After the meeting, he told Giorgi and Eka:<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cTo be honest, I really like this sommelier idea. I hadn\u2019t thought about it that way, but the moment you said it, it just clicked. It made sense of everything. The goal should be introducing customers to quality wine and keeping them coming back. Sales on their own are just empty numbers, right?\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Giorgi agreed and shook his hand, smiling.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eka checked her watch. It was 7 PM.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It had been an interesting day.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was fascinating how, by simply structuring the process properly, outsiders like her and Giorgi could see the situation with fresh eyes and find solutions.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Solutions that seem obvious in hindsight\u2014but even the most competent, motivated people can overlook them in the blur of daily chaos.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She glanced at the tasting table next to her. Around twenty bottles stood in an arc.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A little sip before going home wouldn\u2019t be so bad, she thought.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>During a long strategy meeting at a wine shop, Eka starts to feel like they\u2019re missing something important. When she finally speaks up, a small insight shifts the conversation and reveals what the business really needs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":3647,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3531","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/synergy.ge\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3531","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/synergy.ge\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/synergy.ge\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/synergy.ge\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/synergy.ge\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3531"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/synergy.ge\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3531\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3668,"href":"https:\/\/synergy.ge\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3531\/revisions\/3668"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/synergy.ge\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3647"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/synergy.ge\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3531"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/synergy.ge\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3531"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/synergy.ge\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3531"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}