Pairing dinners popping
Social posts are spotlighting curated pairing dinners — examples include an Osoyoos Larose/Gruaud Larose dinner at Blue Water Cafe and a Rovali Merlot paired with Bolognese — signaling guests still respond to strong by-the-glass or bottle pairings tied to specific dishes. These shoutouts suggest pairing menus remain a reliable upsell tool for midweek covers. (x.com)
A recently uploaded video from Trophy Food Experiences documents a winemaker pairing dinner at Blue Water Cafe that features wines from Osoyoos Larose and Château Gruaud-Larose and identifies Raphaël Merlaut alongside footage of the restaurant at 1095 Hamilton Street, Vancouver. (youtube.com) Osoyoos Larose is a Groupe Taillan project tied to Château Gruaud-Larose in Bordeaux, and the estate’s Le Grand Vin is produced from a Bordeaux-style vineyard that is planted roughly 60% to Merlot and aged 18–20 months in French oak. (wine-searcher.com) Blue Water Cafe’s 2025 wine list states a deliberate “standards and standouts” curation with local British Columbian offerings and names Calen Macdonald as wine director, while the restaurant’s private-dining pages advertise rooms that can host groups from 8 up to 400 guests—infrastructure commonly used for hosted pairing dinners. (bluewatercafe.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/BWC-Wine-List-2025-Apr-23.pdf) (bluewatercafe.ca/private-dining) The National Restaurant Association’s 2024 State of the Restaurant Industry report names alcohol-focused events—wine tastings, clubs and food/wine pairings—as growing sales drivers and reports that about 7 in 10 consumers who drink say beverage availability makes them more likely to choose one restaurant over another. (restaurant.org) Trade suppliers and case studies show operators can monetize curated BTG (by-the-glass) and pairing programs—Coravin’s trade materials and partner case notes cite examples of venues boosting fine-wine BTG sales by roughly 10–20% after implementing preservation and higher-tier BTG offerings. (coravin.com) (gustobar.com/pdf/Coravin%20-%20Wine%20Menu%20Booklet.pdf) Industry coverage and operator playbooks report restaurants are explicitly using curated pairings, prix-fixe menus and menu placement to lift midweek covers and average checks, with outlets advising timed promotions and strategic menu slotting to push higher-margin bottles. (vinetur.com) (sevenrooms.com)
