After moving to Chicago 25 years ago to complete his undergraduate degree, Ryan Hoffman began working as a bartender and found his way into wine through the guidance of influential mentors. While managing a sushi restaurant, he developed a passion for wine and sake at a time when full-time beverage directors were less common, sake remained a niche category, and online educational resources were limited.

Today, Hoffman is part of the team behind Beaumont’s in Chicago’s Lincoln Park and its steakhouse, The Bull Moose. He also works as a consultant, developing beverage programs and managing cellars for private collectors. His career has given him a close view of how restaurant operations, wine programs, and relationships between suppliers, operators, and guests have evolved.

Throughout that journey, one principle has remained constant: successful wine programs are built around face-to-face interactions. For Hoffman, empathy, education, and genuine hospitality are just as important as wine knowledge. Here are 10 lessons from his approach to wine operations.

1. Start by Understanding the Guest

Hoffman’s conversations with guests often begin without discussing wine. He wants to know about their day and why they chose to spend their time at the restaurant. Their answers reveal what kind of experience they want and how they naturally describe their preferences.

This approach allows the sommelier to make relevant recommendations without turning the interaction into a technical examination. The objective is to understand the person before selecting the wine.

2. Make Empathy a Core Sommelier Skill

Hoffman places empathy at the top of the list of essential sommelier skills. Building a wine list requires personal judgment, and buyers naturally become invested in the selections they have made. However, sommeliers must still be able to put their own preferences aside and listen to what the guest wants.

The wine is being selected for the guest’s meal, budget, and occasion. The sommelier’s knowledge should help the guest feel understood, not pressured.

3. Give Every Wine a Purpose

For Hoffman, purpose is one of the most important considerations when selecting a new wine. A bottle should not be added simply because it has a famous producer, an interesting story, or an impressive score.

Every selection should perform a role within the program. It might complement a dish, fill a stylistic gap, deliver value at a particular price point, or give the service team a compelling recommendation. Collectively, the program should be greater than the sum of its individual wines.

4. Use Education to Grow Beverage Sales

Seasonal offerings and short-term trends can create interest, but Hoffman considers education the most effective way to increase beverage sales. Staff training, guest speakers, and opportunities to taste give employees the confidence to discuss wines naturally.

A knowledgeable team can communicate why a wine offers value at its price point. This makes the recommendation feel useful and guest-focused instead of transactional.

5. Replace Scripts with Personal Experience

Guests can usually tell when someone is repeating a memorized description. Hoffman believes team members should have the opportunity to taste products and form their own understanding of them.

Personal experience gives employees a more authentic way to talk about wine. Rather than reciting technical notes, they can explain what they enjoyed, how the wine tastes, and why it may work with the guest’s meal.

6. Create Consistency Within a Dynamic Program

A beverage program never remains static. Vintages change, allocations disappear, supply-chain issues occur, and products move in and out of availability. Wine directors must be able to adjust quickly without making the program feel inconsistent to guests.

The operational challenge is to manage these changes while preserving the restaurant’s identity. Even when individual products change, the program’s balance, value, and style should remain recognizable.

7. Treat Inventory Management as a Profitability Tool

Inventory management is central to running a profitable beverage program. Restaurants often have limited purchasing budgets and storage space, so operators must choose their priorities carefully.

Buying larger quantities can be advantageous when the budget and space allow it, but every purchasing decision ties up capital. Hoffman also highlights waste as an often-overlooked cost. Creating a culture where employees handle products with care can protect margins without reducing the guest experience.

8. Build an Eclectic, Balanced and Value-Focused List

Hoffman describes the wine program at The Bull Moose as eclectic, balanced, and value-focused. These qualities create room for discovery while keeping the list relevant and approachable.

A successful program does not need to be enormous. It needs the right selection and a team capable of explaining it confidently. Guests should be able to find value across different price points, styles, and occasions.

9. Remember the Details That Build Relationships

Elevating hospitality often comes down to remembering small details: a guest’s name, their pet’s name, or something they mentioned during a previous visit. These details make people feel recognized and demonstrate that the restaurant genuinely values their business.

Hoffman also reminds hospitality professionals that they participate in some of the most important moments of their guests’ lives. Birthdays, anniversaries, and other celebrations place a responsibility on the team to make the experience memorable.

10. Measure Success Through Happy Guests

When Hoffman evaluates the effectiveness of a wine program, his answer is refreshingly direct: happy guests.

Sales, margins, inventory turns, and staff performance remain important operational measures. However, those numbers must ultimately support the restaurant’s purpose. If guests feel comfortable with their selections, enjoy the wine and leave with a memorable experience, the program is doing its job.

Hoffman’s approach offers a useful reminder for wine professionals: technical knowledge may build a program, but empathy is what connects that program with the guest. Education gives the team confidence, operational discipline protects profitability, and purpose ensures that every bottle contributes to the larger experience.

Also Read:
How to Build a Profitable, Guest-Focused Restaurant and Beverage Program
How To Build A Wine Discovery Ladder That Encourages Guests To Explore
How Sommeliers Can Tell the Story Behind a Single-Serve Wine—and Capitalize on a Growing Category