NEW YORK (May 26, 2011)—Restaurant Associates has launched a Wine & Spirits Consulting Service. Spearheaded by Thierry Pradines, director of Wine & Spirits for RA, the service provides training and education for both novices and experienced clientele. An event with 125 guests was recently held at the Hearst Tower in New York City to mark the beginning of this new venture.
Wine & Spirits Consulting offers customized seminars for business functions. Classes range from one to two hours and can be conducted on clients’ premises. Tailored to fit groups, wine seminars range from formal classroom-style instruction to carefully catered cocktail parties, to interactive wine challenges. Winemakers and winery owner guest appearances and visits are also available for clients looking for added expertise and unique perspectives.
The second component of the Service is staff training for management, sommeliers, wait staff, and bartenders with the goal of increasing sales through improved wine knowledge, service and pairing. Classes include Wine & Spirits List Selection, Cocktail Selection, Cellar Management, Cost Control, and Senior Executive Coaching for executives responsible for entertaining clients and associates.
“Whenever you have a special event and you need help in selecting and pairing wines and spirits, Thierry Pradines is the one to call. He has helped me on numerous occasions when we’ve wanted to go the extra mile in making the event spectacular or when my clients have requested something out of the ordinary,” commends Amy Lee Downey, executive director of dining services at Hearst Corporation.
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