New wine training group aims to uncork success
Wine expert Maureen O’Hara has established a new Irish wine education and training group called Premier Wine Training.
O’Hara, who has 20 years of experience in the Irish wine trade, including time spent in Gilbeys & Findlaters, and 13 years lecturing experience, believes it’s currently more “important than ever” to invest in staff’s knowledge of wine.
“There are more Irish people than ever drinking wine, but the competitive activity in the market and quest for value is putting downward pressure on margins,” says O’Hara.
“It is now more important than ever to invest in staff wine training, to make sure that staff don’t encourage a trade-down or lose a sale through lack of confidence.
“In a joint study by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and a UK leading retailer, it was reported that a £3,000 investment in staff training delivered £42,000 incremental sales in the following quarter.”
Premier Wine Training offers a broad range of courses for consumers and trade, from basic wine appreciation courses to internationally recognised WSET qualifications. The WSET Intermediate course starts in Dublin city centre on Wednesday 13 October. Customised in-house courses are also available.
For further details, visit www.premierwinetraining.com or contact 086 240 1916.
