Throughout the world we are living in a period of experimentation, when many winemakers are breaking all the rules of wine-making. Though I agree that progress and finding new styles is important, we need to give our clients enough information to let them know that sometimes what they are tasting is completely different from the typical characteristics of the grape variety and/or the region it comes from, so they won't be confused. READ MORE

Cigars-where to begin when there is so much to say about them? I was studying for my sommelier's diploma while working in the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo when the world of cigars first opened to me. From the balcony of the hotel I could watch Ferraris and Lamborghinis arriving at the Casino, people wearing fashionable clothes, drinking the best wines and spirits, and very often complementing the experience with a long cigar. It was paradise for someone who was learning and wanted a taste of the best. READ MORE

It is not always necessary to have an extremely large selection of wines to have a successful business and happy clients. Do you recall how many wines were on the last wine list you read? Did you read them all? As a wine client, was it really important to you to sort through an enormously lengthy wine list before selecting the one you would order? For most people, it is not. In the last five years I have lost many dinner partners because of my passion for reading and asking about everything on the menus and wine lists. Sometimes menus-and especially the wine selections-are so extensive that they can be painful for our dinner companions. Certainly, those of us in the food & beverage business are fascinated with seeing creative new ideas and new information, but it can be exhausting for the layman who just wants to enjoy a good meal, complemented by a nice bottle of wine, without spending thirty minutes on the selection. READ MORE

The move by international fashion labels into the hospitality industry is a logical extension of the strong brand awareness accorded high profile designers and their fashion brands. Fashion designers can greatly enhance a property by lending the cachet and prestige of their brand name as well as through their design talents. Recently, a jury in Maryland in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland found for the owner and held that Ritz Carlton (and Marriot International) had breached in hotel management agreement and its fiduciary duty by building a new Bulgari-branded hotel only seven kilometers from the Ritz Carlton Bali Resort & Spa under which Ritz Carlton served as an agent. READ MORE

Effectively managing requests for proposals (RFPs) is an important process that can get fumbled by even the most capable hotel general managers and sales departments. Since this time of year is "RFP season", now is a good time to review your RFP procedures. Of course, you should be receiving and responding to RFPs throughout the year-but because many travel management organizations plan on a calendar-year schedule, you will receive most RFPs for the upcoming year during July through September. If your hotel wants business in the group, corporate transient, government or incentive segments, you need to be actively engaged in the RFP process. Here are 12 ways to be sure that you are: READ MORE